The Fingleton Review has confirmed a long-recognised truth across the UK nuclear sector: the biggest barrier to delivering new nuclear capacity isn’t just regulatory complexity, it’s culture. Decades of risk aversion, over-engineering, siloed ways of working and hierarchical leadership have created a system that slows delivery and inhibits innovation, even when the intent is safety and assurance.
At Q5, we see this moment as a rare opportunity for a genuine cultural reset. Regulatory reform alone will not be enough; lasting change depends on rethinking how people work, lead and make decisions across the entire nuclear ecosystem. Our experience in high-hazard, highly regulated sectors shows that culture shifts when day-to-day behaviours, interfaces and leadership norms change, not through slogans or top-down messaging.
This point of view explores the cultural realities identified in the Review, why cultural reform is essential to unlocking pace and value, and the practical lessons from transformation programmes across nuclear, defence and other high-hazard environments. It also sets out actionable steps organisations can take now, from redefining risk and simplifying governance to strengthening leadership behaviours and modernising systems.
The Review marks a pivotal moment for the sector. Those who respond decisively can build the confidence, capability and cultural foundations needed for safe, timely and affordable nuclear delivery.
Read the full perspective to explore how organisations can seize this opportunity and what it will take to reset culture for the nuclear future. Click on the button below.
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