Innovatome: 48 Hours to Reinvent the Nuclear Industry

Gathered on April 5 and 6 for the Innovatome competition, around thirty young professionals, apprentices in the nuclear sector, and students worked in teams on six innovative projects. The 9th edition, built around the theme “Nuclear Technologies: Opportunities for Economic Development,” provided a structured framework for imagining high-potential projects.

Under the guidance of the SFEN Young Generation (JG) and in partnership with Orano, Framatome, and TechnicAtome, the six teams had exactly 48 hours to design and pitch an innovative project for the nuclear sector. All conditions were met to stimulate creativity: learning how to think innovatively, developing skills through a unique experience, and meeting industry professionals. At the end of the weekend, each team had to pitch its project before a jury of experts including Christine Antao (Innovation Manager at Framatome’s Installed Base Unit), Anne-Marie Birac (representing WiN France), Jean Dufour (Project Manager at TechnicAtome), and Nathalie Collignon (Group Innovation Director at Orano).

Brainstorm Party

Before structuring a project and an associated business model, innovation starts with a key step: brainstorming. It’s a moment of total openness where every idea is explored without judgment. Far from being left to themselves, participants were guided by coaches from the SFEN JG. It all began with a collective session where ideas flowed freely. Step by step, proposals were refined, sorted, and narrowed down to three strong directions. These became the basis for deeper work by each group, exploring feasibility, potential impact… and economic viability.

Innovation Through the Eyes of Industry

The ambition of the competition goes far beyond a brilliant idea: each project must lead to a concrete application supported by a solid business model. “This isn’t the Lépine Competition,” reminded Nathalie Collignon, while also highlighting the major challenges faced by the industry. Damien Haïs, Head of Corporate Innovation at Framatome, also shared his group’s industrial strategy and the main trends shaping the sector. At the end of the pitches, the jury was impressed by projects based on existing technologies, fresh ideas, and well-executed plans.

Nuk’cycle, the Season’s Grand Winner

“This edition revealed a remarkable diversity of innovative projects harnessing nuclear technologies,” said Alexandre Havard, project manager for Innovatome. Ambitious ideas ranged from a nuclear-powered humanitarian ship to maintenance and traceability solutions, plastic recycling, climate-resilient agriculture, and cancer treatment.

The winning project, Nuk’cycle, aims to recover and recycle plastic polymers using nuclear technologies on a barge. It presents a vision that is both ecological and industrial, standing out for its technical relevance and potential impact on the sector. The Nuk’cycle team will travel to Zagreb in June to compete in the grand European final of Innovate for Nuclear (I4N), organized by the European Nuclear Society’s Young Generation Network. Congratulations and best of luck to the team: Julia Bernard, Ismail Ammari, Victor Remy, Lucas Clavé, and Ishan Baichoo! ■