Montreal: October 8, 2026 – AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear company, today announced that its subsidiary, Candu Energy Inc., is committing $1 million over six years to support the establishment of a Chair in Nuclear Engineering at Polytechnique Montréal. The investment will help advance nuclear engineering expertise, research and talent development in Québec.
“Developing world-class talent is essential to maintaining Canada’s reputation as a Tier-1 nuclear nation and ensuring we have the expertise required to deliver the ambitious pipeline of large-scale nuclear infrastructure projects we are pursuing,” said Sandy Taylor, President and CEO, Candu Energy Inc., an AtkinsRéalis company. “As the steward and original equipment manufacturer of CANDU® technology, this investment reflects our commitment to strengthening Québec’s research ecosystem and supporting the next generation of innovators who will contribute to safe, reliable and low-carbon energy solutions.”
Canada-owned CANDU nuclear technology is proven and cost-effective, with a decades-long global track record of on-time and on-budget performance. Heavy-water reactors also achieve some of the highest capacity factors in the world, reflecting their reliability and operational availability. With CANDU reactors operating across four continents, projected global demand for more than 1,000 new reactors, a strong refurbishment market and a technology portfolio that includes the new CANDU® MONARK™ reactor and the existing Enhanced CANDU 6®, investing in engineering programs at leading Canadian universities is strategically important to building a workforce pipeline.
“For more than 50 years, Polytechnique Montréal has been a leading centre of expertise in nuclear engineering in Québec. The scientific and educational knowledge we have developed over the decades provides a strong foundation for education and training in this field. AtkinsRéalis’ commitment will enable us to educate a highly qualified French-speaking workforce to meet the growing demand for expertise,” said Maud Cohen, Chief Executive Officer of Polytechnique Montréal. “We also want to ensure the long-term sustainability of nuclear engineering research and strengthen the scientific teams that will advance this field.”
AtkinsRéalis has a long history of supporting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in Canada. The Company has established long-term partnerships with some of Canada's leading institutions in STEM education, including the University of Waterloo and Polytechnique Montréal. In 2025, the Company made a $1.5 million contribution to McMaster University to establish the CANDU Core, a hub for innovation in engineering education at one of Canada's leading universities for nuclear engineering.
About AtkinsRéalis
Created by the integration of long-standing organizations dating back to 1911, AtkinsRéalis is a world-class engineering services and nuclear company dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. We create sustainable solutions that connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. We deploy global capabilities locally to our clients and deliver unique end-to-end services across the whole life cycle of an asset including consulting, advisory & environmental services, intelligent networks & cybersecurity, design & engineering, procurement, project & construction management, operations & maintenance, decommissioning and capital. The breadth and depth of our capabilities are delivered to clients in strategic sectors such as Engineering Services, Nuclear and Capital. News and information are available at www.atkinsrealis.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
About AtkinsRéalis’ Nuclear Business
AtkinsRéalis has over 70 years of global nuclear expertise, delivering nuclear technology products and full-service solutions to nuclear utilities around the world. AtkinsRéalis is the steward of CANDU® nuclear technology, operating on four continents, and provides advisory and engineering services to other nuclear developers. With an innovative technology portfolio, including access to over 500 patented solutions, AtkinsRéalis solves technically complex challenges across the whole nuclear lifecycle from design and new build through asset management and from life extension and late life management through decommissioning and waste management. AtkinsRéalis operates and manages government nuclear research sites, transforming ageing infrastructure and safely managing legacy nuclear waste. AtkinsRéalis’ CANDU technology also allows for the co-production of medical radioisotopes for cancer detection and treatment. The company also supports cancer treatment through its partnership with TerraPower to extract isotopes from legacy nuclear material. Learn more on our Nuclear market page.
Downloads
Trade releases