Sellafield Limited have just published their annual R&D report. As in previous years, it showcases some of the work they are carrying out. It has a huge range of fabulous projects - including ours!

“No matter how good an organisation is at what it does, if it cannot spot changes in technology and act on them, the world will change around it, and it could quickly be left behind. This is why horizon scanning is such an important business capability in today’s world. Towards the end of FY 2018/19, Sellafield Ltd formed an emerging technology team to improve its horizon scanning capability for technologies.
There are two main objectives for this work:
• To improve the visibility of potential solutions for Sellafield Ltd’s challenges today.
• To prepare Sellafield Ltd’s strategies for future opportunities and risks.
Everyone working for, or with, Sellafield Ltd has a part to play in horizon scanning, everybody encounters and learns about new technologies in both their professional and personal lives, so there is a lot of knowledge about technologies already in the business.
To harness this knowledge, the team has launched the “Sellafield Drop-Box”; a communication channel for people from across the business to send in information about technologies they encounter. These are then assessed for their potential to meet Sellafield Ltd’s objectives and challenges and carried forward for development if appropriate. The team is also seeking tools that can assist the business in horizon scanning. For example, work is being undertaken with Cogentus Consulting Ltd. to pilot their IdeaCatalog technology database, which is being used by teams within Sellafield Ltd to challenge assumptions and improve visibility of technologies being developed across the world. By being able to systematically search for new technologies, Sellafield Ltd can move forwards with the confidence that solutions have been selected via truly informed decisions”