The two entities will seek to establish cooperative relations in developing robotic technology and autonomous systems supporting work in severe environments, including decommissioning and at disaster sites.
Under the MOC, the parties will increase the opportunities for joint research and promote science and innovation in the following areas:
- Robotics and autonomous systems: supporting nuclear decommissioning, operations in challenging environments and advanced manufacturing
- Facility management and collaboration: sharing best practices in research facilities, harnessing a culture of innovation and commercialization
- Talent and skills: initiatives to drive partnerships and support talent and skills development
According to UKAEA President Rob Buckingham, who signed the MOC, “UKAEA has established robust partnerships with leading Japanese organizations, and this collaboration marks an exciting opportunity to expand those connections. By leveraging our shared experience and expertise, I am confident we can further strengthen UK-Japan engagement across government, industry and academia, driving cutting-edge advancements with real-world impact.”
At the signing, F-REI President YAMAZAKI Koetsu expressed his hopes in this way: “UKAEA’s extensive experience in developing productive research programs, educational initiatives, innovation and commercialization pipelines, and collaborative research facilities offers valuable lessons that can significantly benefit F-REI’s startup goals. We are also excited to enhance Japan’s scientific and technological capabilities and industrial competitiveness through this international collaboration.”
The signing ceremony was held at UKAEA’s facility in the Culham Campus, situated south of Oxford, England. While there, President Yamazaki and others toured UKAEA’s RACE, Remote Applications in Challenging Environments (RACE) center. They also traveled to northwest England to visit the Sellafield nuclear processing site in Cumbria County—where decommissioning is currently taking place—and RAICo1, a research facility for robotics and AI collaboration in Whitehaven, in which UKAEA is a participant.
UKAEA participates in the Robotics and AI Collaboration (RAICo) project with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), Sellafield Ltd., and the University of Manchester. The purpose of the collaboration is to speed up the introduction of robotics and AI to resolve issues common to nuclear decommissioning and nuclear fusion engineering.
Established in 2014, RACE is a globally-known robotics center at the forefront of R&D on robotic engineering applications for extreme environments unsafe for humans. Its most recent effort is the development of next-generation robotic technology for decommissioning through the LongOps project, funding for which is provided by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) (a strategic policy research body), and the Tokyo Electric Power Co.(TEPCO).
Meanwhile, Japan’s F-REI is a special corporation set up in April 2023 under the Act on Special Measures for the Reconstruction and Revitalization of Fukushima. Working toward the reconstruction of Fukushima and across Tohoku, it aims to be a key base for “creative reconstruction,” strengthening Japan’s scientific and technological capabilities and industrial competitiveness, and stimulating economic growth and improving people’s lives. Besides R&D, its major activities include work in the fields of social implementation, the industrialization of results, and HR development.
