Kairos Power announced the Nuclear Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Precast (NuCAMP), an initiative designed to advance new manufacturing and construction methods while developing vocational training for skilled workers in East Tennessee. The NuCAMP initiative is intended to support the deployment of advanced nuclear reactors by bringing together industry, research organisations and educational institutions. Under a signed Memorandum of Understanding, Kairos Power will lead the initiative in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI), Barnard Construction, Roane State Community College, Chattanooga State Community College, and Oak Ridge Schools. Kairos Power is also exploring opportunities with international collaborators Samsung C&T Engineering & Construction Group and Cambridge Vacuum Engineering, which could provide strategic advisory services in advanced manufacturing and construction.
The participating organisations have agreed to an initial 12-month exploration phase to establish how they can work together on programs aimed at qualifying advanced manufacturing and construction methods for nuclear applications. The effort will also examine ways to create career pathways for engineers and skilled tradespeople who can apply these methods in new nuclear facilities.
“Delivering affordable advanced reactors at scale will require more than a strong design. We need innovative manufacturing processes, the code basis to qualify them, and people with the right skills to apply them in building new nuclear facilities,” said Ed Blandford, Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of Kairos Power.
“By combining industry perspectives with the R&D power of our national labs and the strengths of our academic partners through NuCAMP, we can create new capabilities that will benefit the entire Tennessee nuclear community and the broader industry at large,” he added.
Dr. Stephen Streiffer, Director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), said, “NuCAMP reflects the power of East Tennessee’s innovation ecosystem—industry, a national laboratory, and educational institutions working together to solve real deployment challenges.”
“Through DOE’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) at ORNL and our broader research capabilities, we look forward to helping mature advanced manufacturing and construction methods for the nuclear industry while supporting the workforce needed to bring next-generation reactors to market,” he added.
NuCAMP targets new nuclear construction methods
The NuCAMP initiative adopts a holistic approach to introducing promising manufacturing and construction methods into the U.S. nuclear industry. Its structure incorporates the input of research and development partners, workforce partners, and companies actively building advanced reactor projects. Kairos Power, MDF, the University of Tennessee’s Tickle College of Engineering, and IACMI will contribute research, engineering, and manufacturing expertise to advance the technologies and address code gaps that currently restrict their application in nuclear construction.
The research priorities include precast concrete construction for safety-related nuclear structures, large-format additive manufacturing to create customized forms for producing precast concrete components, wire-arc additive manufacturing to produce vessel sections, nozzles, pump parts, and other large components, and electron beam welding to join large metal components with limited distortion.
Through the NuCAMP initiative, participating teams will also examine opportunities to develop technical information that can support code, regulatory, and licensing engagement for these innovative new technologies. These technologies are not fully qualified under industry codes governing safety-related nuclear structures and components.
Workforce development and East Tennessee facilities
Workforce development is another central element of NuCAMP. Member organisations will explore partnerships for creating new education and training programs for engineers and skilled tradespeople as manufacturing and construction methods continue to mature. The University of Tennessee-Knoxville will evaluate two proposed master’s degree programs, with one focused on manufacturing engineering for factory-based nuclear production and another focused on precast concrete construction.
Chattanooga State and Roane State will assess options for specialised training covering nuclear piping welders, precast production technicians, skid manufacturing technicians, and other roles. Oak Ridge Schools will explore expanding advanced manufacturing and trades pathways for middle and high school students. Collectively, these programs are intended to establish accessible career pathways for Tennessee students and tradespeople, giving them valuable experience alongside university faculty, national lab researchers, and industry professionals while developing skills tailored to the advanced nuclear industry.
Kairos Power’s Reactor Demonstration Campus in Oak Ridge will host the NuCAMP initiative and provide facilities for manufacturing development, workforce training, and collaboration with nearby research and education partners. The campus includes space planned for precast production, equipment assembly, welding, and additive manufacturing.
