ONR will become a more modern, agile and productive regulator

With nuclear playing a central role in the UK’s economic growth, energy security and national defence, along with the Nuclear Regulatory Review, the demands on ONR as a regulator have never been greater.

ONR Together, the ONR’s new strategy outlines how the regulator will meet these demands.

What’s changing?

The ONR’s mission and vision statements have been updated to ensure they remain clear and align with the regulator’s ambitions.

• Mission: Ensuring safe nuclear for a secure and sustainable future.
• Vision: To be a modern, agile and productive regulator, enabling innovation and growth.

The strategy sets out the ONR’s ambitions to transform how its work, outlining the modernisation of processes, leveraging modern technology, and empowering its staff to make timely and proportionate decisions.

It also highlights how the ONR will set out more clearly what acceptable compliance looks like, so industry has the certainty it needs to invest and deliver.

ONR Together is built around three new strategic aims:

• Modern – fostering a culture that embraces innovation, modern technology and new ways of working, collaborating with stakeholders to shape the future of the nuclear sector in both the UK and on a global stage.
• Agile – building workforce capability and introducing flexible structures that allow ONR to respond quickly and efficiently to a changing industry, with streamlined processes that support timely and proportionate decision-making.
• Productive – strengthening governance and business fundamentals to deliver transparent and efficient operations, driving value for money and ensuring ONR’s resources are aligned with its mission.

Mike Finnerty, ONR’s Chief Executive and Chief Nuclear Inspector, said:

“ONR Together comes at a pivotal moment for the nuclear sector.

“It is our commitment to the nuclear industry, to government, and to the British public that we will play our part in delivering proportionate, enabling regulation that supports innovation and growth.

“At the same time, we will continue to hold the UK nuclear industry to account to ensure the highest standards of safety, security and safeguards are maintained.”

This new rolling strategy represents a significant shift in the ONR’s future planning and unlike previous strategies it is not time bound. The ONR believes this new approach provides it with the agility and flexibility needed to regulate a rapidly evolving sector effectively and allow it to take advantage of both new industry opportunities and any potential change in strategic regulatory direction.

The ONR’s annual Corporate Plan, to be published shortly, translates the strategy into specific and measurable objectives so that progress can be tracked against delivery of the strategy.