Kairos Power launches East Tennessee nuclear manufacturing collaboration

Kairos Power unveiled NuCAMP, a new East Tennessee partnership aimed at advancing manufacturing, construction and workforce training for advanced nuclear reactors. The 12-month effort brings together national lab, university, community college, construction and industry partners around Oak Ridge.

Why it matters: - NuCAMP is designed to help advance nuclear reactor deployment by improving how advanced reactor parts are manufactured and installed. - The initiative also aims to build a local workforce pipeline for engineers and skilled tradespeople in East Tennessee. - The collaboration could help close code, regulatory and training gaps that have slowed broader use of new nuclear construction methods.

What happened: - Kairos Power announced the Nuclear Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Precast, or NuCAMP, on Aug. 18, 2026. - The initiative will be led by Kairos Power under a signed memorandum of understanding. - Partners include Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation, Barnard Construction, Roane State Community College, Chattanooga State Community College and Oak Ridge Schools. - Kairos Power and international collaborators Samsung C&T Engineering & Construction Group and Cambridge Vacuum Engineering are exploring advisory roles on the initiative. - The organizations agreed to an initial 12-month exploration phase.

The details: - NuCAMP will focus on maturing advanced manufacturing and construction methods for nuclear applications. - The initiative will also create career pathways for engineers and skilled tradespeople. - Kairos Power, the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at ORNL, the University of Tennessee’s Tickle College of Engineering and IACMI will contribute research, engineering and manufacturing expertise. - Research priorities include precast concrete construction for safety-related nuclear structures. - The initiative will also examine large-format additive manufacturing for customized forms used to produce precast concrete components. - Other priorities include wire-arc additive manufacturing for vessel sections, nozzles, pump parts and other large components. - Electron beam welding is another focus area for joining large metal components with limited distortion. - The teams will work on technical information to support code, regulatory and licensing engagement for the technologies. - The methods are not yet fully qualified under industry codes for safety-related nuclear structures and components. - Kairos Power’s Reactor Demonstration Campus in Oak Ridge will host NuCAMP. - The campus includes planned space for precast production, equipment assembly, welding and additive manufacturing.

Between the lines: - NuCAMP brings together the full chain needed for nuclear deployment: research, manufacturing, construction and training. - East Tennessee is being positioned as a test bed for scaling methods that could later be used more broadly across the nuclear industry. - The mix of universities, community colleges, schools and industry suggests a long-term effort to build both technical capability and labor supply. - ORNL’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility gives the project a federal research anchor, which may help move promising techniques toward qualification. - The workforce focus signals that labor readiness is being treated as a deployment issue, not just an education issue.

What's next: - Over the next 12 months, the partners will explore how best to develop programs for advanced manufacturing and construction methods for nuclear use. - The University of Tennessee-Knoxville will evaluate two proposed master’s degree programs. - One proposed program would focus on manufacturing engineering for factory-based nuclear production. - The second would focus on precast concrete construction. - Chattanooga State and Roane State will assess specialized training options for nuclear piping welders, precast production technicians, skid manufacturing technicians and related roles. - Oak Ridge Schools will explore expanding advanced manufacturing and trades pathways for middle and high school students. - Kairos Power and its partners will continue evaluating how the initiative can support future advanced reactor projects.

The bottom line: - Kairos Power is using NuCAMP to connect reactor deployment, manufacturing innovation and workforce development in one regional effort centered in Oak Ridge.