Nuclear fission technology plays a crucial role in Europe's energy landscape, providing nearly a quarter of the electricity produced in the region. With approximately 100 active nuclear power reactors Europe operates almost a quarter of the global power reactors. Meanwhile, China is advancing rapidly with around 30 ongoing projects, positioning itself to soon overtake France and, eventually, the US to hold the largest nuclear reactor fleet worldwide.
Similar to other areas of innovation, the market for nuclear reactors in Europe faces challenges due to persisting specific national regulator prerogatives and constraints, preventing the development of a fully integrated single market. Stakeholders are addressing these challenges, aiming to unlock the full potential of the European nuclear industry.
Europe boasts competitive technology and industrial capacities, even on a global scale. European enterprises handle most components of the nuclear supply chain, although the global export market for large-scale nuclear power plants remains dominated by Russia.
Looking to the future, the development of small modular and advanced modular reactors presents a promising opportunity for the European industry. However, domestic start-ups face intense competition from predominantly US enterprises, which appear to have secured earlier and more support from venture capitalists. In Europe, on the other hand, venture capital is scarcer and nuclear has traditionally been more dependent on public as opposed to private funding.
The nuclear sector is a significant source of employment in Europe, supporting approximately 500,000 direct and indirect jobs, even in Member States without their own nuclear power plants. However, the age structure of the workforce presents a challenge. Over the next two decades, the sector will require up to 250,000 new recruits across a wide range of STEM professions, necessitating proactive strategies to attract and train the next generation.
KOPECKY Stefan;
ALBORA Giambattista;
GEORGAKAKI Aliki;
INCE Ela;
MOUNTRAKI Aikaterini;
PIELA Krzysztof;
SCHMITZ Andreas;
VERSINO Cristina;
ALDAVE DE LAS HERAS Laura;
FUETTERER Michael;
MARTIN RAMOS Manuel;
MARTIN Oliver;
2026-01-14
Publications Office of the European Union
JRC144653
978-92-68-35380-6 (online),
1831-9424 (online),
EUR 40605,
OP KJ-01-26-023-EN-N (online),
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC144653,
10.2760/5077071 (online),
