Meeting will feature exclusive technical tour of International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor nuclear fusion site
The PIME 2024 (Public Materials Information Exchange) nuclear communications conference is returning on 14 and 15 October 2024 after a five-year hiatus, organisers the European Nuclear Society (ENS) have announced.
The conference will take place in Aix-en-Provence, France, and will feature an exclusive technical tour of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (Iter) nuclear fusion site in Cadarache.
The 2024 edition will focus on the evolving landscape of nuclear energy communication in the context of urgent global challenges, including climate change, growing energy demand, Europe’s power supply security and innovation.
The event will bring together nuclear communication professionals to discuss the latest trends, challenges and best practices in nuclear energy communication.
It will feature presentations, workshops and networking opportunities, culminating with the Iter site visit on the afternoon of 15 October.
Insights Into Strategies At Iter
The conference will begin with a session offering insights into how Iter is adapting its communication strategies to effectively convey the complexities and potential of fusion energy. The focus will be on the approaches taken by Iter’s communication team to engage diverse audiences.
Another session will focus on how media perceptions, political dynamics and public attitudes towards nuclear power have evolved since 2022. Experts, including Bloomberg reporter Jonathan Tirone and Jessica Johnson, director of communications and advocacy at the Brussels-based industry group nucleareurope, will discuss changes in narratives and communication models, offering ways for communicators to navigate the increasingly complex nuclear power and technology landscape.
A third and final session will look at how the media and the public influence and interact with each other. Experts from the University of Antwerp and Imperial College London will bring insights from social sciences and their findings on public responses to energy system change, climate change risks, emerging technologies, and psychosocial approaches to energy use in everyday life.
Workshops will cover topics including shaping nuclear communication in the future, small and advanced modular reactors, the relationship between human resources and nuclear communications, local stakeholder engagement and closing the significant gender gap in public support for nuclear power.
Before the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, PIME was a regular event specifically designed for professionals involved in nuclear communication. The last PIME was held in Paris in June 2019.
A Platform For Ideas And Collaboration
Organisers ENS are reviving the conference in the light of significant changes in the global outlook for nuclear power since 2019.
Many countries in Europe and beyond are planning to deploy nuclear reactors over the next decade while the promise of innovative small modular reactors draws closer.
“We’ve noticed that many communicators in our network are feeling the shifts in their environment and are adapting their strategies,” said Kirsten Epskamp, secretary-general of ENS.
These developments require a fresh look at how communication strategies may need to evolve to meet the changing global industrial, political and social environment around nuclear power.
"As a response to this growing need, ENS decided to bring back PIME as a valuable service to the nuclear community, creating a platform for exchanging ideas and enabling collaboration," Epskamp said.
For a detailed programme and registration follow the PIME event’s official website.
PIME 2024 will feature an exclusive technical tour of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (Iter) nuclear fusion site.
