Q: The UK nuclear sector is evolving rapidly. What are the key challenges and opportunities you’re seeing right now? 

Fraser: 
The pace of change in the UK nuclear industry is huge. With growing investment in Nuclear Defence and a renewed national focus on strengthening our nuclear capabilities, there’s a clear drive towards rapid modernisation across the sector from new build to decommissioning. Every project continues to operate under the highest standards of safety, compliance, and performance, making consistency and quality absolutely essential. 

Our experience in highly regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals, water and chemicals has prepared us to deliver in environments where there’s zero tolerance for error. This background enables us to apply proven automation and control practices within nuclear projects – giving operators full confidence that systems will perform exactly as required, while accelerating delivery, improving efficiency, and ensuring that new capabilities meet the latest operational standards. 

Aidan: 
From the design side, it’s about certainty of outcomes and clarity of information. These are long-term, high-value, nationally critical projects that can easily drift if the problem isn’t defined clearly at the start. In the nuclear industry, as with all major projects, small oversights early on can lead to huge challenges later. So, our focus is on building strong foundations, understanding the brief, engaging stakeholders and locking in a shared vision before the design process even begins. 

There’s also a massive opportunity right now to embed innovation – whether that’s through digital design tools, modular construction or closer collaboration between different engineering disciplines. That is how we help the UK nuclear sector deliver projects faster, safer and more predictably. 

Q: How does automation support safety and efficiency in such a high-stakes environment? 

Fraser: 
Automation is one of the most powerful enablers of safety in the nuclear world. It allows processes to be controlled with absolute precision, ensuring compliance, protecting people and keeping operations consistent. But beyond safety, automation is becoming the backbone of smarter, data-driven performance. 

We’re helping clients use automation not just to run systems, but to understand them – using real-time data to improve uptime, optimise maintenance schedules and reduce human intervention in hazardous areas. That balance between control and intelligence is what makes automation so valuable in this sector. 

Aidan: 
The earlier Fraser’s team is involved, the more impact automation can have. If automation is bolted on at the end, you risk rework, delays or even having to redesign entire systems. By integrating automation and systems thinking into the design stage, we can plan for smarter layouts, better access and more efficient operation. It’s about designing with automation in mind – not designing first and hoping it fits later. 

Q: Aidan, you’ve written about “five critical steps” for achieving delivery certainty. What do those look like in practice? 

Aidan: 
They’re really about disciplined project management but applied through an engineering lens. Step one is early engagement – getting the right people in the room before assumptions are set. That includes the client, operators, engineers and maintainers. It builds alignment early. 

Then there’s clear definition and optioneering, understanding what success looks like and testing multiple routes to get there before committing. The third and fourth steps are about collaboration and buildability – working closely with manufacturers and suppliers to make sure designs can actually be built, installed and operated as intended. And finally, it’s embedding assurance – quality, safety and governance checks at every stage so there are no surprises later. 

If you get those five elements right, everything else becomes easier. Projects flow better, handovers are cleaner and confidence across the supply chain increases. 

Fraser: 
And that structured approach fits perfectly with automation delivery. When we work with Aidan’s team from the outset, we can align design choices with control requirements. It reduces risk, avoids duplication and gets systems up and running faster. Certainty in design naturally leads to certainty in automation. 

Q: Collaboration seems to be a big part of Actemium’s success. How do you make that work across different teams and disciplines? 

Aidan: 
It’s all about shared accountability. We don’t see design, automation and delivery as separate workstreams – we see them as different perspectives on the same goal. That mindset shift changes everything. 

We use visualisation tools and digital models to bring the design to life, so clients and partners can see what’s happening, challenge ideas and give feedback early. It’s a very transparent process, and it builds trust quickly. 

With increased investment in  new nuclear power stations, both conventional such as Hinkley Point C and Small Modular Reactors (SMR), and the UK defence programme there’s a national drive to strengthen our nuclear capabilities and a clear momentum towards modernisation across the sector – from new build to decommissioning. Every project continues to operate under the highest standards of safety, compliance, and performance, making consistency and quality absolutely essential. 

Actemium brings together a global network of specialist businesses, allowing us to rapidly assemble teams with deep expertise in controls, instrumentation, design, and project management – whatever the challenge demands. This ability to tap into our worldwide knowledge base ensures we can build the UK’s nuclear capabilities quickly, efficiently, and to the highest modern standards. 

Because around 80% of our work is repeat business, that trust runs deep. Clients know we’ll be there from initial design to commissioning and beyond – providing the continuity, collaboration, and technical excellence that set us apart. 

Q: Finally, where do you see the biggest opportunities ahead for Actemium in the UK nuclear sector? 

Fraser: 
There’s real momentum building. With new build programmes, decommissioning projects and small modular reactors on the horizon, the sector is entering an exciting new phase. Automation will be central to that – not just for control and compliance, but for enabling digital transformation. 

We’re exploring areas like advanced analytics, digital twins and predictive maintenance – technologies that can give clients better visibility of their assets and more proactive control over performance. It’s all about creating smarter, safer and more sustainable operations. 

Aidan: 
I agree. The next big opportunity lies in integration – bringing design, automation and delivery together seamlessly. The nuclear industry is moving away from siloed, sequential working and towards a model where collaboration happens from day one. 

Our focus will remain on helping clients de-risk their projects through intelligent design and disciplined engineering. If we can continue to deliver certainty in cost, schedule and performance – we’ll be playing a major role in the UK’s nuclear journey. 

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Find out more about Actemium here.