Business program

Implementing major nuclear projects ‘on time!’, ‘within the budget!’ and ‘safely, reliably, and conveniently!’ – these are the goals that form the vision of peaceful nuclear development for the coming decades. The effective risk-oriented internal control systems of key players in the global nuclear energy must ensure reasonable confidence in achieving these goals in the face of rapidly changing economic conditions, expanding customer requirements and regulations of countries using nuclear power, the rapid development of digital technologies, and the growing demands of stakeholders, including for drastic improvements in the environmental compatibility of nuclear power.

Key discussion topics: An effective internal control system – yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Barriers to and prospects for improving the effective internal control system. Identifying the utility and effectiveness criteria of internal control and internal audit for customers. Building a partnership between the customer and the internal auditor that shares responsibility for risks: what is the strategy for developing internal control and audits? How to take into account the modern requirements of customers: new tools to improve the effectiveness of internal control and internal auditing. 

One of the strategic goals for any operator is to efficiently supply the electricity generated at nuclear power plants, with the top priority being guaranteed safety. A plant’s operational safety is inextricably linked to the plant’s personnel training, maintenance and repairs, upgrades and lifetime extension. International cooperation and global partnerships to ensure a plant’s safe operation and provide a plant with effective support and services are vital for the effective development of the nuclear power industry. Nowadays, with the sweeping development of new technologies and the digitalization of all areas of life, new challenges are emerging, and safety, environmental and cost efficiency standards are being enhanced for the operation of plants.
Key discussion topics: Approaches to the safe and efficient operation of plants – the role and responsibilities of the operator and the companies supplying technical support and services. The importance of international cooperation in ensuring the safe and efficient operation of nuclear power plants.
Challenges in ensuring the safe and efficient operation of nuclear power plants in newcomer countries: comprehensive service contracts and staff training. How will the digitalization of plant processes affect their safety and efficiency?

The digitalization of the economy and business creates new challenges for HR management. The needs of businesses and personnel for HR functions are rapidly changing. Today, personnel analysis relies on Big Data. The search for candidates is conducted electronically. More and more recruiting decisions are made by robots. Classroom education has become optional and is just a small part of the development plan. Businesses strive to communicate with their employees 24/7 and develop seamless HR processes.
The high-tech and knowledge-intensive nuclear industry needs such a transformation no less, and perhaps even more, than others. What digital phenomena have already become a part of our life, and what interim and strategic tasks do nuclear HR face today? We suggest discussing these issues at the panel discussion on 14 May.

Main subjects: 

• Human resource management based on Big Data (forecasting layoffs, long-term staff planning, digitalizing an employee’s professional track, etc.)
• Robot-assisted production and release of the workforce
• The robotic automation of HR functions (e.g. robot-assisted recruiting)
• Seamless and user-friendly HR processes for employer-employee communication
• The digitalization of education
• New competences of employees for the digital world.

Innovations and technological progress have significantly altered the world in the 21st century. The use of the latest technologies is the core driver of competitiveness in the energy sector. In an effort to ensure sustainable development, industry leaders have to understand and meet challenges in a timely manner. The need to develop unconventional financial solutions for capital-intensive projects is one of the key issues that must be resolved today.

If they want to further develop, companies working in the “green” energy sector must find modern approaches to fix their immediate problems: raising new investments by searching for unconventional approaches to finance structuring that minimize the recourse on the company’s financial statements and developing project financing instruments in major infrastructure projects whose total amount could reach a billion dollars.

• Experience of global leaders in the energy sector: investments in breakthrough and modern innovations. What is the best way to sort out priorities?
• What are the ins and outs of creating successful funding models for “green” energy projects?
• Can project financing instruments be widely applied for capital-intensive projects in the energy sector?
• Optimizing financial solutions: project financing or “doing things the old way”?

Today, dozens of NPP projects are being implemented in various countries. As nuclear power plants or other complex engineering facilities are built, a new partnership arrangement has been increasingly used – the creation of consortiums and alliances among various companies that a place a premium on joint responsibility for the project’s implementation and not just the distinct fulfilment of a specific task: supplying resources or a certain type of equipment. The placement of a major order is not only a matter of prestige, but carries a large amount of responsibility. A number of conditions must be met to stay on top of things, strictly observe a construction schedule and remain within the budget.

Key discussion topics: What is the ideal way for companies to interact in a partnership arrangement? How should a project's risks be distributed? Does the use of contractual arrangements provide any special advantages? How do partners in big international projects resolve issues involving the localization of suppliers and what are the requirements for them? What skillsets should the customer and its strategic partners have to successfully implement mega-projects?
 

The track ‘The Digital Future and Industry 4.0’ will review trends in the development of the digital industry. This track will feature a number of round tables that focus on new approaches to the life-cycle management of an industrial enterprise: from project development to commercial operation exploitation and the application of standards (quality management, life-cycle management, and cost management).

Such approaches have become a crucial element in the successful development of the nuclear industry as well as key development projects. Today it has become difficult to build a power station or a factory without an information model. Tomorrow the completion of such task will be impossible without a digital twin. 

In the future, all objects will exist in two dimensions – in the dimension of a physical object and in the dimension of its real-time digital copy. The digital representation ensures the effective maintenance of infrastructure, risk assessment, and the creation of optimal processes. A greater level of competitiveness could be achieved through structural changes in the production process as well as personnel, financial, and communications management.

Digital transformations have made changes to the standards in many areas of project management: data rates and data volume storage have changed, and new roles and functions have appeared.

A task of this magnitude requires cooperation among many stakeholders: customers, engineering companies, regulators, investors, and vendors. Digital platforms are being created to provide the fullest possible integration of processes and stakeholders.

Nowadays all the world’s biggest economies are obsessed with digital transformation, which has now become a serious prerequisite to productivity growth all over the world. Rosatom, as one of the key actors on the market of digital technologies, suggests cooperating and using its vast expertise based on the highest demands for security and quality.

The WNA has set ambitious goals: ensuring nuclear energy accounts for 25% of the energy mix by 2050. Achieving this milestone would only be possible if at least 1,000 GW of new capacity were to be commissioned by this time. These goals cannot be achieved without public support.
Key discussion topics: Properly building a public dialogue and effectively utilizing communication technologies to increase public acceptance and achieve the Harmony project goals.

The Goals of the round table: The goal is to discuss topical and major issues in the development of the Nuclear Infrastructure in the countries embarking on and expanding nuclear power programme with the expertized international community as a driver for global collaboration enhancement.

Goals of the round table: To discuss topical and major issues in the development of nuclear infrastructure in countries that are embarking on or expanding their nuclear power programme with the international expert community as a driver for enhancing global collaboration.
Global partnership is key to building an efficient dialogue between stakeholders in implementing megaprojects, improving national nuclear power programmes and developing competencies for newcomers and countries expanding their nuclear power programmes through an exchange of best practices and experience between the recipient countries of nuclear technologies, vendors, national regulators, and operators that are building and improving their nuclear industries.
What best practices exist in nuclear infrastructure development within the international atomic community and what challenges do newcomers and countries expanding their nuclear power programmes face today?
What competencies are essential for development both in newcomer countries and in experienced countries that are deploying new technologies and how does a global partnership contribute to their efficient development and maintenance?
How important is the developed nuclear infrastructure of recipient countries for a vendor of nuclear technologies in terms of mitigating risks for export projects?

The global energy market is changing rapidly and cannot be ignored: today most countries are committed to creating a decarbonized and sustainable energy mix that will contribute to their economic development.

Of course, this process has been boosted by the rapid development of renewable energy sources. According to the International Energy Agency, low-carbon energy sources will double their share in the global energy mix by 2040.

On the one hand, many experts note that only a few countries around the world will be able to achieve an energy balance based solely on renewable energy due to their climatic and geographical conditions and high energy storage costs.

On the other hand, the notion that a green and sustainable energy balance cannot be built without nuclear is becoming widespread. According to a number of energy experts, incorporating nuclear power into the energy mix not only results in greater environmental sustainability but also provides a boost in economic growth and social development.
Can the synergy between atomic energy and renewables be tapped into as part of a «green square concept» (wind, sun, hydro and nuclear)?

What role does nuclear power play in combating global climate change?
In an effort to find answers to these questions, Rusatom Overseas is hosting debates featuring leading global experts from international nuclear, RES and consulting companies.

All projects of innovative development in the area of energy businesses will have better chances to succeed, if the owners were not only able to fulfill their obligations, but also continuously improve the system of management of projects and relationships (even in the context, where almost all NPP construction projects over the world do not fit within its deadlines and budgets). It is important to jointly develop key factors of success for NPP construction projects abroad and effects of global partnership in Russia and over the world.

• What methods exist to improve value (attractiveness) of the constructed assets for foreign investors and share-holders?
• Is there a system that allows to ensure transparency of cost and time management in NPP construction projects for foreign investors and shareholders?
• Why application of International standards in the areas of cost engineering and project management demonstrate effective management in implementation of large-scale international infrastructure projects?
• In what way the priority TCM NC Rosatom program creates the added value for foreign investors?
• What are the benefits for a foreign investor (shareholder) from partnership with Rosatom in integrated management of NPP projects thanks to: proper allocation of resources, global partnership with foreign suppliers and contractors?

The track ‘The Digital Future and Industry 4.0’ will review trends in the development of the digital industry. This track will feature a number of round tables that focus on new approaches to the life-cycle management of an industrial enterprise: from project development to commercial operation exploitation and the application of standards (quality management, life-cycle management, and cost management).

Such approaches have become a crucial element in the successful development of the nuclear industry as well as key development projects. Today it has become difficult to build a power station or a factory without an information model. Tomorrow the completion of such task will be impossible without a digital twin. 

In the future, all objects will exist in two dimensions – in the dimension of a physical object and in the dimension of its real-time digital copy. The digital representation ensures the effective maintenance of infrastructure, risk assessment, and the creation of optimal processes. A greater level of competitiveness could be achieved through structural changes in the production process as well as personnel, financial, and communications management.

Digital transformations have made changes to the standards in many areas of project management: data rates and data volume storage have changed, and new roles and functions have appeared.

A task of this magnitude requires cooperation among many stakeholders: customers, engineering companies, regulators, investors, and vendors. Digital platforms are being created to provide the fullest possible integration of processes and stakeholders.

Nowadays all the world’s biggest economies are obsessed with digital transformation, which has now become a serious prerequisite to productivity growth all over the world. Rosatom, as one of the key actors on the market of digital technologies, suggests cooperating and using its vast expertise based on the highest demands for security and quality.

The purpose of the panel is to discuss how to meet current challenges in the education of nuclear engineers. We invited leading experts from the industry, universities, and educational organizations to share new approaches, tools, and their vision of how to train engineers of the future.

The nuclear industry is high-tech and requires specific qualifications, profound knowledge, and a high level of responsibility from its workers. Each year nuclear companies and organizations worldwide recruit thousands of graduates and young professionals as they seek out the ones who are ready to deal with modern challenges and can help a company achieve its business goals.

Who is the engineer of the future? What skills does he/she need in the digital era? How have the requirements for graduates changed in recent years? These are some of the questions we would like to discuss during the panel session, including questions concerning the new formats of training (digital trends, e-learning etc.); the STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) model; early career guidance; and case studies from international joint university educational programs case studies, among others. 

A key precondition for the development of global nuclear energy is the management of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and radioactive waste (RAW) in the future nuclear fuel cycle, thereby making it possible to broaden the capabilities of raw material supply for nuclear generation in the long term and reducing the volume and danger of nuclear energy waste.
A future nuclear fuel cycle (NFC) can be created by answering the following questions:
What are the prospects for the global development of nuclear generation using fast and thermal energy for the closure of the NFC?
What values should be inherent in the closed NFC on competitive markets from the standpoint of non-Russian customers?
How are SNF reprocessing technologies developing?
What is being done to develop RAW fractioning and minor actinide incineration technologies?
What solutions are there for recycling nuclear materials in new types of fuel for fast and thermal energy?
The most efficient progress in individual technologies can be achieved through broad international cooperation at the state and business levels.

Different trends will determine the global energy landscape of the future: demographic and social changes, fluctuations in the global economy, climate change, a lack of resources, and technological innovations. Each trend will have a major impact on the way we live and the quality of our lives. This is true for the global energy sector as well. All the changes in global demographics, the economy, and technological level will determine the face of new energy sources.

Until recently, nuclear energy was represented by large-scale plants that were able to provide stable baseload power. But there has now been a shift to smaller solutions as renewable energy sources and small-scale gas power units have become more widespread. In order to reflect this shift, a new approach to nuclear power generation is being taken in the form of SMRs.

Today there is a global trend in the nuclear industry to develop smaller units. Small modular reactors (SMRs) are defined as nuclear reactors that generally have 300 MW equivalent or less.
According to potential vendors, SMRs can be designed with modular technology using module factory fabrication in pursuit of savings on mass production and shorter construction times. Newcomer countries often express an interest in small-scale nuclear power reactors. They are driven both by a desire to reduce the impact of capital costs and to divert power away from large grid systems.

The round table discussion will focus on assessing the market potential of SMR technologies from the perspective of different nuclear technology vendors and developers as well as potential customers. A pool of widely recognized experts on energy technologies will contribute to the round table discussion.

The industrial revolution and the development of distributed generation and renewable energy not only dictate the need for new solutions in the energy sector, but also create new opportunities for Russian companies on the international market.
How does ‘traditional energy’ differ from ‘new energy’? What opportunities and threats exist for energy companies?
How are energy companies responding to the new challenges? What can Russian companies offer and what are international players already offering the market?
What are the best strategic models for Russian businesses – organic growth or partnerships?

The track ‘The Digital Future and Industry 4.0’ will review trends in the development of the digital industry. This track will feature a number of round tables that focus on new approaches to the life-cycle management of an industrial enterprise: from project development to commercial operation exploitation and the application of standards (quality management, life-cycle management, and cost management).

Such approaches have become a crucial element in the successful development of the nuclear industry as well as key development projects. Today it has become difficult to build a power station or a factory without an information model. Tomorrow the completion of such task will be impossible without a digital twin. 

In the future, all objects will exist in two dimensions – in the dimension of a physical object and in the dimension of its real-time digital copy. The digital representation ensures the effective maintenance of infrastructure, risk assessment, and the creation of optimal processes. A greater level of competitiveness could be achieved through structural changes in the production process as well as personnel, financial, and communications management.

Digital transformations have made changes to the standards in many areas of project management: data rates and data volume storage have changed, and new roles and functions have appeared.

A task of this magnitude requires cooperation among many stakeholders: customers, engineering companies, regulators, investors, and vendors. Digital platforms are being created to provide the fullest possible integration of processes and stakeholders.

Nowadays all the world’s biggest economies are obsessed with digital transformation, which has now become a serious prerequisite to productivity growth all over the world. Rosatom, as one of the key actors on the market of digital technologies, suggests cooperating and using its vast expertise based on the highest demands for security and quality.

Purpose of the round table: Increasing competition on the energy market has resulted in the emergence of new solutions and the continuous development of technology. Future R&D requires the appropriate new research facilities, which are quite expensive. A global scientific partnership is the key to enhancing the effectiveness of financial investments in research infrastructure and optimizing R&D costs. Multilateral research programs could be useful for distributing the costs and risks among several partners, so it is important to have a pre-agreed plan for the ownership and use of joint intellectual property. Which successful formats of cooperation are used in international scientific projects? How is cooperation organized in such projects? Key factors influencing the success of international scientific cooperation. Is the joint use of advanced new research infrastructure a constraining factor?
What is the impact of international consortiums on the cost and timeframe of research infrastructure and its future use?
Is international R&D cooperation the key to the faster development and deployment of new reactor technologies?
How important is state support to MegaScience projects and what it should entail?

Economic efficiency, safe radwaste management and the decommissioning of nuclear facilities are indispensable for the development of nuclear energy in general: only by learning to work with radwaste and decommissioning nuclear facilities in a safe and cost-efficient manner will we be able to preserve the public’s trust and the economic appeal of the “nuclear” kilowatt. The round table on radwaste management and the decommissioning of nuclear facilities aims to demonstrate the importance of a global partnership in this area: exchanging best practices and the joint search among experts for answers to universal questions is the easiest path to success for individual countries and companies and for nuclear power in general.
The round table will focus on the following questions in particular:
What are the basic ways to improve cost-efficiency in the decommissioning of nuclear and radiation hazardous facilities and radwaste management? What role does the national system for radwaste management play in improving the efficiency of the decommissioning of nuclear and radiation hazardous facilities? Can decommissioning be initiated without having acceptance criteria for radwaste? Is the public acceptance of radwaste disposal an extra complication or a catalyst for developing approaches to safety justification? What conditions dictate how various models are chosen for the immediate or deferred decommissioning of nuclear and radiation hazardous facilities? In which cases are the former and the latter more efficient?
The round table will be attended by heads and employees of government agencies and commercial companies that work in radwaste management and the decommissioning of nuclear and radiation hazardous facilities, industry experts and journalists from specialized publications.

Nuclear technologies clearly have the potential to be used for non-energy purposes, and we can see how these technologies are broadly used today in such industries as healthcare and agriculture. A global partnership in this respect not only offers brand new business opportunities, but also allows for effectively combating challenges shared by all countries.

• What role does a partnership between countries play in addressing both global and local challenges such as radiophobia, heightened safety requirements for facilities under operation as well as a lack of qualified personnel?
• The use of nuclear technologies in medicine as a trigger for transitioning to an entirely different high-tech level of healthcare.  
• Decontaminating radiation: what impact do irradiation technologies have on the market environment today; which factors are preventing the active introduction and use of these technologies on different continents; what myths exist concerning the irradiation technologies of food products?  

A number of think-tanks have recently made optimistic forecasts regarding the development of the energy storage devices market. The long-term benefits and importance of developing this market are indisputable given the development of related technologies, such as renewable energy sources, power efficiency and electric vehicles.

At present, each EU member state is taking its own approach to the development of the power storage sector. In Germany, there has been rapid development in industrial energy storage projects. In the UK, energy storage devices have already become an integral part of the electric power industry, while new regulations aimed at liberalizing and stimulating the market are expected to emerge in the near future. 

The round table discussion will examine the world's best practices and approaches to the development of the energy storage industry. In addition, the speakers will talk about such topics as developing the energy storage devices market in Russia and the relevant regulations that need to be imposed to accelerate the development pace of this promising industry.  

The digitalization of the economy will provide the foundation for creating fundamentally new types of business, trade, logistics and production, and for changing the format of education, healthcare, management and communications. Economic models are rapidly changing, which requires professionals to quickly adjust to new forms of interaction as well as partnerships. That’s why it is critically important for high-tech companies to transition to a model involving the advanced development of technologies and competencies.

• Global challenges and trends of the next technological age
• Industry 4.0: Opportunities, instruments, practices and key competencies
• The development strategy of engineering and worker competencies taking into account the requirements of Industry 4.0
• Cooperation and interaction among educational, public and industrial partners: Best practices and main problems
• Creation and development of teams for breakthrough changes