Rosatom took part in the 70th anniversary session of the International
Atomic Energy Agency's General Conference, held in Vienna fr om September 14 to
18, 2026. At
its exhibition stand, the corporation presented a comprehensive offering for
powering critical infrastructure with energy and digital technologies. The business
program featured sessions on Generation IV technologies and floating power
units, along with discussions on workforce development.
Rosatom's business program opened on September 15 with a seminar titled "Shaping the Future of Innovative Nuclear Power Systems: The Power of Joint Research Infrastructure." Participants explored the outlook for Generation IV technologies and a two-component nuclear power system, the role research reactors play in advancing them, and the opportunities offered by the MBIR International Research Center.
Particular attention was paid to the serial introduction of floating power units. The concept draws on Rosatom's operating experience with floating nuclear power plants and envisions building a data center alongside the FPU-100. This was the focus of the side event "Welcome the Floating Power Units – zero emission ready-to-deploy energy solutions," wh ere participants on September 16 discussed the market potential of floating power units, the technology's advantages and challenges, and the efforts of international organizations to support small-scale nuclear power.
"Thanks to their modularity, speed and ease of deployment, floating power units will remain a reliable answer for decades to come to the energy needs of coastal and energy-poor regions – places where building out full-scale infrastructure and a large nuclear plant makes little economic or technical sense, or where power is needed right away," said Vladimir Aptekarev, Deputy Director General of Rosatom's Machine-Building Division for Floating Power Solutions.
"Data centers are among the key building blocks of today's critical infrastructure. Under this proposal, the data center is integrated directly with the energy infrastructure and digital services, offering a comprehensive way to support the development of national AI models along with data storage and processing. A guaranteed supply of clean power, no added strain on the grid, and efficient seawater cooling of computing infrastructure together provide a solid foundation for building sovereign digital clusters," said Vidiya Zheleznov, Director for Special Projects at ATOMDATA JSC.
In late August, the IAEA launched its ATLAS initiative (Atomic
Technologies Licensed for Applications at Sea) to support the safe deployment
of nuclear technologies at sea. Floating nuclear power was likewise one of the
central themes of Rosatom's presence at this year's General Conference.
Rosatom's business program also addressed workforce development in the nuclear industry and efforts to attract the next generation of specialists. On September 16, Rosatom's Corporate Academy and the UN Nuclear Young Generation (UN NYG) co-hosted a side event, "70 Years of Progress: Empowering Youth to Shape the Sustainable Nuclear Future," where participants discussed young people's contribution to IAEA activities and the industry's development, along with the role young professionals will play in shaping its future. The event included a ceremony marking UN NYG's accession to the Youth Declaration on Nuclear Cooperation.
Practical approaches to training were the subject of a further side event, "Rosatom’s Approach to Simulator-Based Training for NPP Personnel and Future Nuclear Professionals," at which representatives of Rosatom's Technical Academy shared their experience training personnel for both large- and small-scale nuclear plants, discussed the use of full-scale and analytical simulators, outlined workforce development efforts in partner countries, and described opportunities for training future specialists through the Obninsk Tech project.
