Meet the French nuclear industry

France has one of the most developed civilian nuclear programs and industries in the world. France’s nuclear sector is currently entering a new growth phase, providing commercial and industrial opportunities for Norwegian businesses.

This mission includes a visit to the World Nuclear Exhibition. Organized every two years in Paris, the WNE is the world's leading civil nuclear exhibition, gathering the most comprehensive network of worldwide top-tier suppliers and service providers across the entire nuclear sector, from energy to other application markets like medicine, agriculture & space.

The objectives of this trade visit are:

• Market intelligence, understanding and exploration: Provide understanding of the French nuclear industry, regulations, and competition, assess the market potential, and engage in dialogue with French authorities;
• Business matchmaking and networking: Facilitate direct meetings between the members of the delegation and potential distributors, partners, customers, clusters, or other relevant stakeholders;
• Brand visibility: Promote national and regional industries and strengthen the visibility and branding in France for the participating companies.

The following tentative high-level program:

• Day 1 – 4 November: Dedicated visit of the WNE: general visit and B2B sessions
• Day 2 – 5 November: Meeting with the major French key players, with pre-identified public and private stakeholders (pitches and facilitating 1:1 meetings). Networking cocktail at the Norwegian Embassy (tbc)
• Day 3 – 6 November: Visit of a French nuclear power-plant (tbc)

France has one of the most developed civilian nuclear programs and industries in the world. As of 2025, nuclear power accounts for ±68% of France’s electricity production, making it the backbone of its national energy mix. The sector is characterized by a solid industry base, a strong regulatory framework, and a high level of public and private technical expertise.

France’s nuclear sector is currently entering a new growth phase, driven by climate policy, energy sovereignty, and industrial ambitions, all the while facing an aging reactor fleet requiring heavy investments.

• Ambitious National Strategy: The French nuclear industry is based on four pillars: diversifying uses, reducing the volume and radioactivity of waste from nuclear facilities, increasing strategic autonomy through multi-recycling of nuclear materials, and improving nuclear safety and security.
• Evolutionary Power Reactor 2 (EPR2): To ensure energy autonomy and decarbonization goals, France has announced an ambition nuclear plan with the construction of six new EPR2 reactors by 2050, with options for eight more.
• Small modular reactor (SMR) strategy: EDF, France’s national energy company and one of the world’s largest energy companies, is developing its own Small Modular Reactor NUWARD, with expected industrial deployment targeted for the early 2030s.
• Public Investment: The France 2030 plan allocates 500M euros to support nuclear innovation, especially within SMRs and advanced reactors.

The current nuclear “revival” and reindustrialization will provide opportunities for foreign industrials where domestic French capabilities are limited or where foreign expertise is strategic, such as critical raw materials (securing materials and supply chain), technology components (simulation, instrumentation & control systems, robotics and automation,…), reactor parts and engineering services (designs and parts), decommissioning and waste management technologies, as well as R&D collaboration.

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