Forth was one of just five SMEs in Cumbria selected to meet a Japanese government delegation exploring approaches to large-scale nuclear decommissioning and regional regeneration. The visit formed part of a fact-finding programme linked to the ongoing clean-up of the Fukushima Daiichi site.
Representatives from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) spent time at Sellafield before visiting a number of organisations across the local supply chain, with the programme coordinated by the Industrial Solutions Hub (iSH). The focus of the visit was on how technical capability, collaboration and long-term investment can support both safe decommissioning and wider economic renewal.
As part of the programme, the delegation met members of the Resolve Engineered Solutions consortium — a collaboration between Forth, React Engineering, Core Nuclear Solutions and COMS. The consortium was of particular interest as an example of how SMEs can work together to deliver complex engineering projects within the nuclear sector.
KAGA Yoshihiro, Director of the Nuclear Accident Response Office at METI, said: “We are working to make progress in decommissioning the entire Fukushima Daiichi site, while also focusing on regeneration and reconstruction after the accident. Our goal is to ensure that decommissioning and reconstruction progress together, and what we have seen here aligns closely with that approach.”
For Forth, the visit highlighted the importance of shared learning and international partnership in addressing global nuclear challenges.
Graham Cartwright, Managing Director at Forth, said: “Decommissioning programmes around the world face many of the same technical and organisational challenges. Being able to exchange experience openly and to demonstrate how collaboration between SMEs can strengthen delivery, is incredibly valuable for everyone involved.”
The visit reinforced Cumbria’s role as a place where engineering expertise, collaboration and long-term thinking come together, offering lessons that extend well beyond the region
