The program focuses on one clear challenge: interest in SMRs is rising fast, but many national regulatory systems were built around conventional large reactors. As a result, regulators are now being asked to evaluate a range of designs that differ in size, siting, construction methods, and safety features.
“Equipping stakeholders with the right knowledge and tools is essential to ensure the safe and efficient deployment of SMRs worldwide,” said Anna Bradford, Director of the IAEA’s Division of Nuclear Installation Safety.
During the meeting, experts from France, the United States, and Canada outlined how their agencies are adjusting existing frameworks to cover new reactor types. These countries already have experience with pre-licensing vendor reviews and graded safety approaches, and their presentations underscored how much preparatory work is typically required before an SMR project can move forward.
Poland, which is planning its first nuclear installations, emphasized that early regulatory development is a practical necessity rather than an academic exercise. PAA President Andrzej Głowacki noted that the agency is already preparing for future SMR construction applications, even though no nuclear power plant currently operates in the country. “This event holds a special meaning for us, as a nuclear innovation, much like licensing the first NPP in a country, brings new regulatory challenges,” he said, adding that Poland is examining its approach across safety, security, and safeguards.
Representatives from the SMR Regulators’ Forum also walked participants through the Forum’s positions on topics such as defense-in-depth, licensing sequence, and the value of drawing on reviews conducted by peer regulators. Several countries, including the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom, shared lessons from their own project evaluations, offering concrete examples of where regulatory questions tend to arise.
The IAEA plans to expand the Pilot School into a recurring, modular program with three components:
The next round of training is scheduled for April or May 2026 through the SMR Technical Cooperation interregional program.
According to Paula Calle Vives, Senior IAEA Technical Officer, the school fills a gap in international regulatory training. “There is currently no comparable international program that offers the same level of depth in both technical and regulatory details as the Pilot School for Regulating SMRs,” she said.
The broader significance is straightforward: as SMR designs proliferate, regulatory alignment and technical capacity will determine how quickly the technology can be deployed.
