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September 29, 2022

CNL launches ambitious new Corporate Strategy

With the release of ‘Vision 2030,’ Canada’s national nuclear laboratories embarks on an exciting new era in nuclear science and technology 

Chalk River, ON – September 29, 2022 – Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology organization, is pleased to announce that it has launched a bold and ambitious new corporate strategy, known as Vision 2030, which charts an exciting new direction for Canada’s national nuclear laboratory. The new strategy organizes CNL’s activities into three strategic priorities – restoring and protecting the environment, advancing clean energy for today and tomorrow, and contributing to the health of Canadians – that will guide the company as it pursues next-generation solutions to address some of the nation’s biggest challenges.

In addition to a new mandate, which builds on its historical strengths in nuclear science and technology, the new strategy identifies what CNL views as its central role within the future Canadian nuclear landscape. Serving as a national resource to all levels of government, the nuclear industry, the broader private sector and the academic community, CNL will work in concert with other organizations to help advance innovative Canadian products and services towards real-world use, including carbon-free energy, cancer treatments and other therapies, non-proliferation technologies and waste management solutions.

“Since 2014, CNL has been building the groundwork for a new era of scientific discovery at Chalk River Laboratories, focusing on what we do best, enabled by a modern and revitalized national nuclear campus, and delivered by the very best and brightest scientists, engineers and technical professionals in Canada,” commented Joe McBrearty, CNL’s President and CEO. “I am pleased to announce that our vision is now in place, with a new corporate strategy that was specifically developed to help close the innovation gap in Canada, and which pushes us to work in partnership with others in the public sector, private sector and academia to discover and advance solutions that address critical national needs.”

This new focus on collaborative research has been a growing priority at CNL, and has not only brought new commercial opportunities to the organization, but has also cultivated economic development throughout the nuclear industry and beyond. To name just a few examples, CNL’s small modular reactor (SMR) siting program has helped SMR vendors advance their proprietary reactor technologies towards deployment, and our highly successful Canadian Nuclear Research Initiative continues to draw interest from organizations around the world to participate in cost-shared research projects related to advanced reactors, hydrogen and health sciences. CNL’s Actinium-225 production program has also supplied Canadian and international organizations with meaningful quantities of the rare medical isotope to help advance research into exciting new cancer therapies.

And while the new corporate strategy is designed to guide its research, CNL’s new vision also extends to both the management of the company’s resources and personnel. This includes the revitalization of the Chalk River Laboratories, which is being transformed into a modern and sustainable campus, as well as the modernization of CNL’s workplace policies, workforce and organizational structure, which will establish a more flexible work environment to help employees better interact with one another, collaborate and innovate as a company.

“This strategy is the culmination of years of in-depth planning, analysis and coordination, not just within CNL, but with many of our external stakeholders as well,” commented McBrearty. “And while it may evolve over time, it lays out our priorities as an organization – to serve as a national applied science and engineering laboratory; to partner with industry to solve current problems and incubate future innovations; to collaborate with academia and help develop Canada’s workforce; and, to serve public needs on behalf of government departments and agencies.”

“Overall, I believe this strategy will put the Chalk River Laboratories back on the map as an organization that can once again change the world,” added McBrearty.

As Canada’s national nuclear laboratory, CNL manages nuclear research and clean-up sites across Canada, including its main campus in Chalk River. The site is home to approximately 2,700 employees, including scientists, engineers, physicists, and other technical experts, and some of Canada’s most advanced nuclear research facilities, technologies and equipment. CNL also manages the clean-up and decommissioning of the Whiteshell Laboratories site near Winnipeg, Manitoba, as well as the execution of the Port Hope Area Initiative, where it is fulfilling the Government of Canada’s commitment to clean-up historic waste in two Ontario municipalities.

To read Vision 2030, which CNL has made accessible to the public, you can access the new corporate strategy at www.cnl.ca/vision2030. To learn more about CNL, including its science and technology programs, please visit www.cnl.ca.

About CNL

As Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology organization, CNL is a world leader in the development of innovative nuclear science and technology products and services. Guided by an ambitious corporate strategy known as Vision 2030, CNL fulfills three strategic priorities of national importance – restoring and protecting the environment, advancing clean energy technologies, and contributing to the health of Canadians.

By leveraging the assets owned by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), CNL also serves as the nexus between government, the nuclear industry, the broader private sector and the academic community. CNL works in collaboration with these sectors to advance innovative Canadian products and services towards real-world use, including carbon-free energy, cancer treatments and other therapies, non-proliferation technologies and waste management solutions.

To learn more about CNL, please visit www.cnl.ca.

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CNL Contact:

Patrick Quinn
Director, Corporate Communications
1-866-886-2325



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