Nuclear energy has long played a central role in Europe’s energy mix, providing reliable, low-carbon electricity. Its wider potential, however, is often underestimated. Under the umbrella of the Sustainable Nuclear Energy Platform (SNETP), several Euratom-funded projects are now leveraging nuclear research to drive innovation across multiple sectors, improve safety, and strengthen industrial competitiveness. Initiatives like METIS, EASI-SMR, and el-peacetolero demonstrate how nuclear R&D can deliver technological advances that benefit the broader energy landscape. At the same time, projects such as LLMS4EU make these innovations more accessible and inclusive, using AI tools to support research and collaboration throughout Europe.
The SNETP project portfolio, which includes nearly 40 active Euratom projects, demonstrates that nuclear energy is more than electricity generation. It serves as a hub for innovation, contributing to Europe’s energy transition, decarbonisation goals, and digital transformation. The following sections highlight four of these projects in more detail, showing how they deliver tangible advancements across multiple sectors.
Strengthening Infrastructure Resilience
The Euratom project METIS, completed in May 2025, focused on seismic risk assessment for nuclear facilities. Researchers developed computational models and probabilistic analyses to simulate how earthquakes might impact nuclear installations. These tools allow operators and policymakers to make informed decisions about infrastructure safety.
The methodologies developed by METIS are valuable for a wide range of critical infrastructure beyond nuclear facilities. By simulating the effects of seismic events, these tools help engineers and planners assess vulnerabilities and impalement targeted risk-reduction measures for bridges, hospitals, dams, and energy grids. Applying such models enables industries to prioritize investments, improve disaster preparedness, and maintain operational continuity during natural hazards. Insights from nuclear-focused seismic risk assessment can therefore inform safety strategies across urban infrastructure, industrial complexes, and large-scale energy systems, enhancing resilience across sectors.
Modular and Flexible Energy Solutions
EASI-SMR is an EU-funded project developing Light-Water Small Modular Reactors, which are compact, scalable nuclear systems that use water as both coolant and neutron moderator. These reactors offer enhanced safety, flexibility, and faster deployment compared to traditional large-scale plants The project implements innovative advanced simulations to support experiments and uses advanced 3D printing techniques to manufacture complex components with higher precision and efficiency.
It also establishes standardized guidelines to streamline licensing and regulatory approval across Europe. By emphasizing modularity and flexibility, EASI-SMR ensures its innovations can inform not only nuclear energy but also broader energy systems, supporting adaptable solutions for renewables, microgrids, and industrial infrastructure.
Smarter Maintenance with AI
The el-peacetolero project tackles the problem of aging polymers in nuclear facilities, which are critical components in cables, seals, and pipes. It has developed a handheld optoelectronic system that uses AI to provide real-time diagnostics, allowing operators to monitor material degradation and plan maintenance efficiently.
This technology is not limited to nuclear plants. It can be adapted to other energy industries, including wind and solar, where predictive maintenance of materials improves equipment reliability, reduces downtime, and enhances safety. By enabling industries to detect early signs of wear or failure, el-peacetolero demonstrates how AI-driven monitoring can increase operational efficiency and support the broader energy transition.
AI and Multilingual Collaboration
LLMS4EU is a European project developing large language models and high-quality multilingual datasets for sectors including energy, telecom, public services, and science. For nuclear and energy industries, these tools can enhance risk assessment, safety monitoring, and technical knowledge sharing across facilities, even when teams speak different languages.
By providing AI tools to small and medium enterprises, LLMS4EU improves operational efficiency, supports decision-making, and ensures compliance with European regulations. These models enable collaboration and innovation across multiple sectors, from renewable energy and telecommunications to public administration and research. LLMs4EU illustrates the potential of digital and linguistic inclusivity to accelerate industrial innovation and cross-border knowledge transfer.
Nuclear Innovation Beyond Electricity
The SNETP project portfolio showcases the real impact of nuclear research across Europe. With over 120 members from industry, academia, and major European R&D organizations, SNETP uses its portfolio to promote excellence, coordinate efforts, and increase the sector’s influence at the EU level.
The Euratom-funded projects within this portfolio pursue multiple objectives: improving nuclear safety, advancing flexible and modular energy solutions, and leveraging digital and AI-driven tools to drive innovation. Their work enhances the resilience of critical infrastructure, increases efficiency across energy systems, and supports scalable solutions that can be applied beyond the nuclear sector, showing that nuclear research is not limited to electricity generation; it acts as a source of innovation, creating technologies and knowledge that benefit a wide range of industries and society as a whole.
Conclusion: Nuclear as a Cross-Sector Innovation Engine
Nuclear research is evolving into a driver of cross-sector innovation. By moving beyond traditional electricity generation, it strengthens Europe’s energy resilience, enables cleaner and more efficient industrial processes, and fosters inclusivity in digital technologies. Looking ahead, continued advances in digital tools, data-driven technologies, and modular energy approaches will expand the reach of nuclear research, creating opportunities for smarter infrastructure, more efficient energy systems, and broader industrial applications. These innovations will accelerate Europe’s energy transition and strengthen its position as a global leader in safe, sustainable, and advanced energy technologies, enhancing its industrial competitiveness internationally.
