Nuclear collaboration completes its mission
Cross-industry programme set up to safeguard skills has concluded its work
The UK ARC Programme team
The UK Alpha Resilience and Capability (ARC) Programme has formally closed.
It leaves a positive legacy of technical products, standards, knowledge, teamwork, and lasting relationships.
Since it began, the programme has united organisations from the civil and defence nuclear sectors.
Its aims were to tackle common challenges, boost resilience and capability, and speed up the sharing of knowledge and expertise across the sector.
By working together, partners found ways to create shared solutions, creating greater benefits than if each organisation worked alone.
Its success was built on the commitment and expertise of partner organisations including:
-
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ)
-
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA)
-
AWE Nuclear Security Technologies
-
Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR)
-
Sellafield Ltd
-
Ministry of Defence (MoD)
-
UK National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNNL)
-
Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS)
-
Nuclear Transport Solutions (NTS)
They provided expert knowledge, resources, and leadership. This helped create solutions that improve capability throughout the UK nuclear industry.
The programme’s biggest success may be the strong professional networks and the culture of collaboration now found across the sector.
Investments and interventions from all organisations involved helped the programme deliver a portfolio of products. They included standards, frameworks, training solutions, and Communities of Practice to support current and future Alpha programmes.
Key achievements included:
-
Development of sector-wide engineering standards and guidance, de-risking our national programmes
-
Delivery of the non-active Glovebox Training Facility, accelerating capability development
-
Development of collaborative platforms and digital knowledge-sharing tools, building resilience across the sector
Dale McQueen, UK ARC Programme senior sponsor, said:
ARC has shown the power of enterprise-wide collaboration.
By bringing together expertise from across the UK nuclear sector, the programme has delivered solutions that no single organisation could have achieved alone.
The legacy of ARC includes not just its products and standards. It also involves the relationships, knowledge-sharing communities, and collaborative behaviours that will keep strengthening the sector for years.
Scott Bazley, programme manager for the UK ARC Programme said:
ARC has shown what’s possible when civil and defence organisations unite for a common goal.
In the last six years, we have provided standards, guidance, collaboration tools, and lasting networks. These will keep adding value even after the programme ends.
Most importantly, ARC has built a culture of collaboration and trust. This strong foundation supports future cross-sector initiatives.
Richard Gibson, vice president for legacy sites at UKNNL, said:
We are proud to have been a key partner to ARC since its inception in 2020.
It’s a ground-breaking partnership between civil and defence nuclear groups for the UK’s alpha missions.
It has provided real benefits, such as shared engineering standards and strong Communities of Practice and knowledge management.