World Nuclear Exhibition WNE Paris
The World Nuclear Exhibition (WNE) 2023 took place from November 28 to 30, 2023, at the Paris Nord Villepinte exhibition center in France.
As the premier international gathering for civil nuclear industry professionals, the event drew participation from 780 exhibitors, spanned across nearly 50 activity sectors, and hosted 23,600 attendees—40% of whom were international.
The exhibition was inaugurated in a high profile opening ceremony featuring distinguished dignitaries such as Sylvie Bermann (WNE President), Xavier Ursat (GIFEN President), Fatih Birol (IEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi (IAEA), Thierry Breton (EU Commission), and the then–French Minister for Energy Transition, Agnès Pannier Runacher. Their remarks emphasized nuclear energy’s critical role in tackling climate change and ensuring European energy autonomy.
A comprehensive conference program featured 131 sessions across four themed areas, engaging 291 expert speakers and attracting over 8,800 participants in conferences alone.
Six flagship panel discussions covered topics such as: preparing for serial nuclear production; digital transformations in industry; regulatory collaboration; nuclear’s role in health, hydrogen, and heat; workforce development; and the future of SMRs and advanced reactor technologies.
WNE 2023 also spotlighted industry innovation and startup culture through the WNE Startup Program and the WNE Innovation Awards, recognizing emerging technologies and entrepreneurship in civil nuclear energy.Additionally, the “Connect to Nuclear” program offered students tailored content and networking opportunities, drawing over 1,000 students supported by multiple industry partners over three days.
Noteworthy developments were announced during the show: for example, the French government unveiled six new recipients of funding under its “Innovative Nuclear Reactors” initiative—including support for SMR projects like Nuward—totaling over €75 million in support, bolstering innovation and European collaboration in reactor design and deployment .