New Nuclear Technologies

How is New Nuclear Technology impacting the world?

Decarbonising the energy sector is a critical challenge for humanity. In addition to renewables, it is vital for both government and industry to invest in non-fossil fuel power sources that can provide a stable baseload energy supply. Harnessing the power of the atom offers many routes to this clean stable baseload.

Whether it’s new approaches to fission reactors, or the development of commercial fusion reactors, power obtained from manipulating atomic nuclei offers many routes to this clean stable baseload. New nuclear technologies are giving industry the opportunity to unlock entirely new markets, from the engineering supply chain, through to new reactor physics, high-complexity computational modelling, and supplying energy to power-hungry industries like materials & chemical manufacturing, and big tech.

 

We have deep technical and commercial expertise across both nuclear sectors

Fusion

The emerging nuclear sector, fusion promises the world the prospect of harnessing the power that drives the Sun.

With a variety of approaches based on different confinement techniques, and different proposed fuel cycles, innovation in the fusion sector is accelerating at an astonishing rate with many fusion companies pushing ambitiously for commercialisation in the mid-2030s, if not sooner.

This makes the development and implementation of cohesive commercial strategies absolutely critical. The supply chain needs to have confidence in the sector; the public needs to have faith in fusion itself; and investors fusion companies to successfully meet agreed specific and target milestones to demonstrate their viability.

Clear communication is essential – both within the fusion sector and between the sector and its stakeholders. The physics is complex, and the challenges to be overcome are formidable. Nonetheless, enormous progress has already been made towards realising fusion at a commercial scale, and with the rate of growth in the fusion sector showing no signs of slowing, there is every reason to be optimistic commercial fusion will be achieved.

New Nuclear Fission

Fission is the more commercially mature nuclear approach to obtaining energy from the atom, but is no less innovative.
While the physics of nuclear fission is well-understood, the engineering challenges and opportunities have led to significant innovation that has increased the global capacity for a stable decarbonised baseload energy supply.

Fission reactors are increasingly being miniaturised, and are machined more efficiently and at lower cost. This brings new commercial opportunities for the traditional nuclear sector.

Demands in the energy market are increasing at an exponential rate. The energy consumption of data centres alone is set to more than double by the end of the decade thanks to the increased power needed to process ever-growing datasets with continuously more sophisticated algorithms.

With new opportunities comes new challenges and risks. As nuclear power becomes more widely accepted and deployed, there will be new customer bases, and greater competition. Succeeding in this shifting landscape will require commercial creativeness and adaptability, with long-term optimistic strategies the key to unlocking nuclear’s potential.

IP is set to play a vital role in these strategies. Here at Mewburn, we have the technical and legal expertise needed to help you leverage IP in a commercially creative way, so that you can build a secure foundation for interfacing with the supply chain, build credibility, and secure your market position in this rapidly growing sector.

Read our New Nuclear Blogs

Commercialising IP to fuel the fusion revolution

Commercialising IP to fuel the fusion revolution

by Darena Slavova

The race for fusion energy is on, but it’s not a sprint. Fusion energy is not expected to enter the grid until the 2030s. With many scientific and technological challenges still to be resolved, it is ...

‘Small’ Nuclear – the solution for Big Data?

‘Small’ Nuclear – the solution for Big Data?

by Alex Savin

The growth of AI is set to explode data centre power demand by the end of the decade, according to reports, the power demand for data centres in the US alone is set to increase by 12% every year ...

Nuclear Fusion: A Case Study in the need for a cohesive IP Strategy at the forefront of science

Nuclear Fusion: A Case Study in the need for a cohesive IP Strategy at the forefront of science

by Alex Savin

Following on the continued success in inertial confinement research reported from the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), the end of 2023 saw a slew ...

Nuclear fusion breakthrough raises hope for limitless clean energy

Nuclear fusion breakthrough raises hope for limitless clean energy

by Alex Savin

A research team at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California USA has reportedly achieved a net energy gain in Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) for the second time on 30 July. This ...

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Why choose us?

  • We are a diverse and multidisciplinary team. Our powerful combination of cutting-edge technical knowledge and deep practical experience means our clients get the right combination of skills. We build teams from across the firm, picking the people that will fit your technical and commercial needs. We are genuinely one team and are encouraged to work that way. It’s best for our clients.

  • Both Fusion and Fission live in a complex IP environment and we understand all aspects of it. We understand that publications, white papers, trade secrets, patents, partnerships, and licensing agreements all have a role to play in the nuclear ecosystem, whether in the context of fusion or fission, and we have the expertise to help you navigate these challenges. We work closely across our patent, trade mark and legal teams to ensure that you can obtain the diverse IP portfolio you need to succeed, as well as an understanding of third-party IP rights that could affect your business.

  • We have a strong commercial focus. We seek to understand what our clients want to achieve, and make IP work for them. We have a wealth of experience in working closely with companies and serving as their “in-house” counsel, applying our knowledge and expertise to their commercial needs.

  • We adapt to you. Our focus is on tailoring our approach to what’s best for you. We know that timing IP activity with your milestones and investment rounds can be critical for maximising the value of your IP. 

  • We thrive on new tech. We’re known for working with brand new technologies from their infancy and working with clients to figure out how to best protect and leverage then. As the forward-looking IP firm, we’re passionate about progress and helping our clients maximise the potential this brings.

  • We are passionate about seeing this sector flourish. With both research and industrial backgrounds across fusion and fission approaches, our team of attorneys has lived and breathed your world. We’re excited by the opportunities that new nuclear technologies offer the world and want to be part of your journey to help you succeed.
Open pages of Green IP Report

Green IP Report

Our report examines the role of patents in making innovative ‘green’ technologies into a reality as well as how the patent landscape can be used to identify opportunities for partnering, collaboration and investment.

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Supporting the Industry

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We are proud to be members of the Fusion Cluster.

The Fusion Cluster is a community powered by knowledge, passion and expertise dedicated to achieving fusion faster. Committed to knowledge sharing, supporting start-ups, and showcasing the UK’s fusion capabilities as well as the broader opportunities available from the sector’s success, the Fusion Cluster is a hub of innovation and activity in the fusion space.

Being members of the Fusion Cluster is important to us. With open questions surrounding regulation, the supply chain, and routes to commercialisation, it’s important to us that we stay at the forefront of developments in this exciting sector and involved with the businesses driving progress.

Talk to our Nuclear Specialists

Richard Johnson

Chairperson, Partner, Patent Attorney

Alex Savin

Associate, Patent Attorney

Darena Slavova

Associate, Patent Attorney

Harry Westhead

Associate, Patent Attorney

Graeme Moore

Partner, Patent Attorney, Head of Engineering

Emma Graham

Partner, Patent Attorney

Stephen Gill

Partner, Patent Attorney

Tom Furnival

Partner, Patent Attorney
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FORWARD MAGAZINE

Mewburn Ellis Forward is a biannual publication that celebrates the best of innovation and exploration. Through its pages we hope to inform and entertain, but also to encourage discussion about the most compelling developments taking place in the scientific and entrepreneurial world. Along the way, we’ll engage with the IP challenges that international organisations face every day.

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