Nuclear energy: An attractive career for young people?
Max Fressonnet: Nuclear energy’s image has changed. The industry has become more attractive to young people seeking to work in meaningful sectors of the economy. It’s obvious that nuclear energy is one way of contributing to the most sustainable environment possible, not only in the future, but also here and now.
Philippe Knoche: Nuclear energy is France’s third largest industrial sector, with more than 220,000 jobs in France and nearly 7,000 new hires every year. It’s a field that values excellence with skills and technologies that are unique in the world. At Orano, for example, our expertise in the transformation of nuclear materials and our advanced technologies enable us to develop solutions for cancer treatment, the recycling of electric car batteries, the recovery of rare metals, and quantum computing in our stable isotope lab. We work with dozens of start-ups to come up with disruptive solutions. So yes, nuclear technologies are contributing to a low-carbon future. But more than that, they are fueling other sectors, helping to create a more sustainable world.
Max Fressonnet: Innovation in nuclear energy is apparent and we are awaiting the fourth generation of reactors, including SMRs, which are easier to build and finance. Fusion is still undoubtedly the dream of many people, not just engineering students, and enjoys an even more sustainable image.
Philippe Knoche: Orano is contributing to fusion research with the technologies it develops for fission. It is important to remember that nuclear energy is an industry that has continuously developed for 50 years and offers tremendous technological resources for our society. We need talent from all walks of life to build the nuclear energy of tomorrow, alongside renewable energies. Nuclear energy is an industry of the future.
