Italy is taking another step towards rebuilding its position in the European nuclear industry. Following the approval of new legislation on sustainable nuclear energy, the Italian government has opened a call for expressions of interest from companies willing to participate in the European Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) on Innovative Nuclear Technologies.
The initiative, known as IPCEI INT, is designed to bring together industrial companies, research organisations and technology developers working on next-generation nuclear systems.
The call was launched on October 6, 2026, by Italy's Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT), in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE).
Interested companies must submit their expressions of interest by December 3, 2026.
The initiative is much broader than a conventional programme for building nuclear power stations. Its scope includes advanced reactor technologies, small modular reactors, nuclear fuel development, specialised materials, engineering, safety systems, fusion-related technologies and medical radioisotope production.
The underlying objective is to establish a stronger European industrial ecosystem while allowing Italian companies to participate in technologies that could become increasingly important to the continent's energy and industrial future.
The economic potential is considerable. Estimates prepared by TEHA Group suggest that the development of new nuclear technologies could generate a market worth up to €46 billion for Italy's industrial supply chain by 2050. Including indirect and induced effects, the potential economic impact could approach €50 billion.
These figures, however, describe a possible development scenario. They are not confirmed investments, guaranteed revenues or public funding already allocated to individual companies.
The real challenge will be turning industrial capabilities and technological research into commercially viable projects.
A new industrial opportunity following Italy's nuclear legislation
The timing of the IPCEI initiative is significant.
Italy has spent decades without domestic nuclear electricity generation, following the decisions that led to the closure of its former nuclear power plants.
However, the country has retained important industrial, engineering and scientific capabilities through research programmes, international projects and the production of specialised components.
The new initiative seeks to build on those capabilities.
On September 29, 2026, Italy enacted Law No. 169, delegating powers to the government to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for sustainable nuclear energy.
The legislation entered into force on October 15.
It covers nuclear electricity generation and use, nuclear fuel manufacturing and reprocessing, radioactive waste management, plant decommissioning and research and development in nuclear fusion.
The government has twelve months from the law's entry into force to adopt the delegated legislative decrees, subject to the procedures and principles established by Parliament.
This is an important institutional development, but it does not mean that new nuclear power stations have already been authorised.
The legislation establishes the basis for a future regulatory framework. Specific rules, safety requirements, licensing procedures and decisions concerning individual facilities will still be necessary.
The IPCEI follows a separate but complementary industrial path.
While the legislation addresses the national regulatory framework, the European initiative focuses on technological development and the participation of industrial companies in a shared European value chain.
What is the Innovative Nuclear Technologies IPCEI?
IPCEI stands for Important Projects of Common European Interest.
It is a European industrial policy instrument designed to support large-scale technological initiatives that have strategic importance for the European Union.
Under specific conditions, Member States can provide State aid to projects that demonstrate substantial innovation, European relevance and wider economic or technological benefits.
An IPCEI is not simply a conventional European grant programme.
Projects must be interconnected and contribute to a common industrial objective. Cooperation between companies and research organisations across national borders is an essential part of the model.
The European framework normally requires the participation of at least four Member States.
Projects must also demonstrate that public support is necessary to overcome significant market failures or investment barriers.
This is particularly relevant in nuclear technology, where development costs are high, regulatory requirements are demanding and commercial deployment can take many years.
The objective is to support innovation that individual companies might struggle to develop independently.
The European approach also requires projects to generate benefits beyond the companies receiving public support, helping strengthen the wider industrial and technological ecosystem.
The December 3 deadline: how companies can apply
The Italian call was published by MIMIT on October 6, 2026.
Expressions of interest must be submitted no later than December 3, 2026.
The application procedure is formal and companies must comply with the requirements established in the ministerial notice.
Applications must be sent exclusively through certified electronic mail (PEC) from the applicant's own certified address to:
[email protected]
The subject line must include the reference code INT_IPCEI2026 and the name of the applicant.
The required documentation must be prepared in English, using the official templates supplied by the Ministry.
The procedure allows two main project structures.
An individual project is submitted by a single company, which becomes the direct beneficiary of any authorised State aid.
An integrated project can involve several independent companies working together through a single proposal and a designated lead organisation. The structure must identify the legal entity that will ultimately hold the project and receive the aid.
The application must demonstrate the project's technological objectives, industrial relevance, investment requirements and expected contribution to European strategic priorities.
The Ministry will first assess formal eligibility and then evaluate the proposals.
Companies that pass the preliminary selection process may be invited to participate in the European matchmaking phase, during which projects from different Member States are connected and integrated.
The process will eventually lead to a formal notification to the European Commission.
Submitting an expression of interest does not guarantee selection or access to public funding.
The €35 million threshold and the €50 million State aid reference
One of the most important aspects of the Italian notice concerns the financial requirements.
Projects submitted by direct participants must include at least €35 million in eligible expenditure and costs.
The notice also refers to guidance from the European Commission's Directorate-General for Competition, according to which Member States should normally submit projects requesting nominal State aid of at least €50 million, except in exceptional circumstances.
These are two different figures.
The €35 million threshold concerns the eligible costs of the project.
The €50 million figure refers to the nominal amount of State aid requested under the Commission's stated approach.
It is not an automatic grant, nor does it mean that every applicant will receive €50 million.
The amount of support ultimately available will depend on the project's funding gap, its eligibility, the applicable national funding arrangements and the European Commission's approval.
The applicant must demonstrate that public support is necessary for the project to proceed with the proposed scale, ambition or timetable.
The rules also include mechanisms designed to prevent companies from receiving excessive compensation. Where a project generates higher profits than originally anticipated, a claw-back mechanism may require part of the additional profits to be returned to the State.
This is an important safeguard in a programme involving potentially substantial public investment.
Three major industrial areas covered by the initiative
The IPCEI INT is organised around three broad technological and industrial areas.
The first concerns innovative nuclear reactors.
The second covers nuclear fuels and the radioisotope value chain.
The third focuses on materials, components and specialist services needed throughout the lifecycle of nuclear facilities.
This structure is significant because it opens the initiative to a much wider industrial community than reactor developers alone.
Companies working in metallurgy, advanced manufacturing, engineering, electronics, automation, testing and specialised services may also find opportunities within the programme.
Small Modular Reactors and advanced reactor technologies
Small Modular Reactors, commonly known as SMRs, are among the technologies attracting the greatest international attention.
They are designed to have lower individual power outputs than conventional large nuclear reactors.
Their modular architecture is intended to allow components or reactor sections to be manufactured in specialised factories and transported to the installation site.
The potential advantages include greater standardisation, repeatable production processes and the possibility of developing projects with different capacity requirements.
However, the economic benefits of modular construction still need to be demonstrated across commercial projects.
SMRs are not a single technology.
Different designs use different cooling systems, fuels and operating principles.
Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs) include technologies such as high-temperature reactors, liquid-metal-cooled fast reactors and molten-salt reactors.
Microreactors are another category included in the wider technological landscape.
Potential applications extend beyond electricity generation.
Some designs could provide industrial heat, support cogeneration, supply remote facilities or serve specialised applications where conventional electricity infrastructure is difficult to develop.
The European Commission published its SMR strategy on March 10, 2026, setting out a framework intended to accelerate development and support the deployment of the first European projects in the early 2030s.
The strategy highlights the importance of industrial cooperation, investment, regulatory coordination and the development of a competitive European supply chain.
Nevertheless, technological maturity varies considerably between designs.
A concept under development should not be confused with a reactor that has already demonstrated commercial performance.
Nuclear fusion: preparing an industrial ecosystem
Fusion is another important area of the programme.
Unlike nuclear fission, which releases energy by splitting heavy atomic nuclei, fusion aims to produce energy by combining light nuclei.
It is the process that powers the Sun and other stars.
Fusion research has attracted significant international investment, but transforming experimental achievements into commercially viable power stations remains a major scientific and engineering challenge.
Italy has developed important expertise through international research programmes and industrial participation in advanced fusion technologies.
The industrial supply chain includes superconducting magnets, specialised materials, high-precision engineering, control systems, diagnostics and complex experimental infrastructure.
These capabilities can create economic opportunities long before commercial fusion power stations become available.
The IPCEI therefore includes the development of integrated fusion reactor designs and enabling technologies.
The distinction between fission and fusion is essential.
They are different physical processes, have different technological challenges and require different industrial development pathways.
Neither should be presented as an immediately available commercial solution simply because research and investment programmes are expanding.
Nuclear fuels, advanced materials and waste management
A nuclear industry requires more than reactor designs.
It also depends on secure fuel supplies, specialised manufacturing, qualification procedures and technologies for handling used fuel and radioactive materials.
The IPCEI includes innovation across the nuclear fuel cycle.
Eligible areas include advanced fuel development, industrial qualification, materials for different reactor technologies and solutions for managing or recovering valuable materials from radioactive waste and spent fuel.
Advanced materials are another major area.
Nuclear components must operate under demanding conditions involving radiation exposure, high temperatures, pressure and mechanical stress.
Companies developing specialised alloys, high-performance materials, monitoring equipment and safety-related components may therefore play an important role.
The programme also covers advanced manufacturing, testing, digitalisation, automation and engineering services.
Decommissioning is included as well.
The ability to dismantle nuclear facilities safely and manage the resulting materials is an essential part of the entire nuclear lifecycle.
This broader approach creates opportunities for companies that may not manufacture reactors but possess technologies required to build, operate and eventually decommission them.
Medical radioisotopes: nuclear technology beyond electricity
The programme also includes medical radioisotope production.
Radioisotopes are essential in several areas of modern medicine, particularly diagnostic imaging and certain cancer treatments.
Their production requires specialised facilities, nuclear reactors or particle accelerators and advanced processing technologies.
The European Union has identified the security of medical radioisotope supplies as a strategic issue.
Strengthening European production capacity could reduce dependence on external suppliers and improve the resilience of healthcare supply chains.
The IPCEI therefore includes projects involving the development of new radioisotopes, production technologies and specialised materials used in medical applications.
This is an important reminder that the economic and technological value of nuclear research extends beyond electricity generation.
Could the new nuclear industry generate €50 billion for Italy?
The potential economic impact is one of the most frequently discussed aspects of Italy's nuclear ambitions.
According to estimates prepared by TEHA Group, the development of new nuclear power could activate a market worth up to €46 billion for the Italian industrial supply chain by 2050.
The estimated direct added value is approximately €14.8 billion.
When indirect and induced effects are included, the potential impact on the wider Italian economy could reach around €50 billion.
These figures should be interpreted carefully.
They are scenario-based estimates rather than guaranteed economic results.
Their realisation depends on the development of nuclear projects, the scale of investment, the participation of Italian companies and the ability of the domestic supply chain to compete internationally.
One of the scenarios considered by TEHA assumes the installation of up to 20 SMRs in Italy between 2035 and 2050.
This would represent approximately 6.8 GW of installed capacity and around 10% of the electricity demand anticipated in the scenario for that period.
It is not an approved construction programme.
It is a possible development pathway used to estimate the economic and industrial opportunities associated with a larger nuclear sector.
The distinction between potential and confirmed investment is particularly important when discussing public policy and long-term economic forecasts.
Italy already has an industrial base to build on
Italy's nuclear industry did not disappear completely when domestic nuclear electricity generation ended.
The country retained expertise in engineering, specialised manufacturing, materials, instrumentation and international nuclear projects.
According to the industrial mapping presented by TEHA Group, approximately 70 Italian companies have activities or capabilities associated with the nuclear supply chain.
Their expertise covers several segments:
Large industrial components.
Metalworking and advanced materials.
Forging and specialised manufacturing.
Engineering and technical design.
Instrumentation and control systems.
Assembly and installation.
Testing and certification.
Maintenance and decommissioning.
The challenge is to turn this existing expertise into a more coordinated industrial system.
Participation in European projects could help companies obtain new qualifications, expand their technological capabilities and develop partnerships with foreign suppliers and reactor developers.
Nuclear manufacturing involves particularly demanding standards.
Quality assurance, traceability, independent inspections and safety-oriented industrial processes are essential.
Companies that successfully meet these requirements may be better positioned to compete in international markets.
The workforce challenge: up to 60,000 people to be trained
Industrial expansion will also require a substantial investment in human capital.
TEHA's estimates indicate that between 50,000 and 60,000 people may need to be trained by 2050 under the development scenario considered.
This is a projected skills requirement, not a confirmed number of new jobs.
The potential demand covers a broad range of professions, including nuclear engineers, materials specialists, electrical engineers, technicians, safety experts, researchers, project managers and qualified manufacturing personnel.
Training will need to begin well before the possible commissioning of new facilities.
Nuclear projects have long development cycles, and specialist skills cannot be created immediately when construction begins.
Universities, technical institutes, research centres and private companies will therefore need to coordinate their training programmes.
The industrial opportunity is not limited to engineering graduates.
Specialised manufacturing, quality assurance, industrial maintenance and safety management will also require qualified personnel.
Italy's new nuclear law: what has actually been approved?
The new industrial initiative follows the enactment of Law No. 169 of September 29, 2026.
The law entered into force on October 15 and delegates authority to the government to establish the national regulatory framework for sustainable nuclear energy.
The government has twelve months from the date of entry into force to adopt the relevant legislative decrees, subject to the procedures established by the legislation.
The delegation covers:
The production and use of sustainable nuclear energy.
Nuclear fuel manufacturing and reprocessing.
Decommissioning and dismantling.
Radioactive waste management.
Spent nuclear fuel management.
Nuclear fusion research and development.
Institutional responsibilities and regulatory governance.
The law is a significant political and legislative milestone.
However, it does not constitute a construction permit for new nuclear power stations.
Further regulations will be needed to define licensing procedures, safety standards, responsibilities, site requirements and the relationship between national and local authorities.
The legal framework will also need to address the entire lifecycle of nuclear facilities.
This includes the operation of plants, the management of radioactive materials and the eventual decommissioning of installations.
The legacy of the 1987 and 2011 referendums
Italy's nuclear debate cannot be understood without considering its political history.
The 1987 referendum followed the Chernobyl accident and marked a turning point in the country's nuclear policy.
The 2011 referendum then rejected the legislative provisions associated with a renewed nuclear programme.
The legal consequences of those votes were significant, but they should not be interpreted as a permanent constitutional prohibition on all future nuclear legislation.
The current approach is based on a new legislative process and a different technological and European policy context.
Nevertheless, public acceptance remains a major challenge.
Any future nuclear development will require transparent communication, independent safety oversight and meaningful engagement with local communities.
Questions concerning plant locations, emergency planning, radioactive waste and long-term environmental protection will need to be addressed openly.
Technological development alone cannot guarantee social acceptance.
Nuclear safety and radioactive waste remain central issues
No nuclear strategy can be considered complete without a credible approach to safety and radioactive waste management.
Italy still manages radioactive materials originating from its previous nuclear activities, scientific research and medical and industrial applications.
The existing waste is stored in authorised facilities while the country continues to work towards long-term management solutions.
The National Repository remains a central part of the national waste-management challenge.
The Italian nuclear safety inspectorate, ISIN, has repeatedly highlighted the importance of improving waste conditioning, storage and the long-term management of radioactive materials.
New nuclear projects would add further responsibilities.
Their environmental and economic assessment must include the entire lifecycle, from construction and operation to decommissioning and waste management.
Safety requirements also extend to physical protection, radiation monitoring, emergency preparedness and the qualifications of personnel.
These responsibilities require a strong and independent regulatory system.
Nuclear power and renewables: different technologies within one energy system
The debate is often presented as a direct choice between nuclear power and renewable energy.
In practice, the technologies can perform different functions within the electricity system.
Solar and wind generation depend on weather conditions and the availability of natural resources.
Nuclear power stations are generally designed to provide programmable electricity generation over extended periods.
A system combining these sources must also account for transmission networks, energy storage, demand flexibility and the costs of balancing electricity supply and demand.
Nuclear power does not eliminate the need for renewable energy.
Renewables, in turn, do not remove the importance of ensuring that electricity remains available when weather-dependent production is low.
The most appropriate energy mix depends on national circumstances, technology costs, investment requirements and the development of infrastructure.
The objective should be to assess the entire system rather than assume that one technology can solve every energy challenge.
The economic risks: construction costs, financing and technological maturity
The development of nuclear technology involves substantial financial and organisational challenges.
Large upfront investments, long construction schedules, licensing procedures and specialist supply chains can create significant risks.
SMRs are intended to improve modularity and standardisation, but lower costs are not guaranteed.
Their competitiveness will depend on manufacturing scale, repeat orders, factory productivity, financing conditions and the ability to standardise designs.
The first commercial units may face very different economic conditions from later installations built using established production processes.
Fuel costs, maintenance, waste management and decommissioning must also be considered.
For this reason, the IPCEI requires applicants to present credible business plans and demonstrate the need for public support.
The purpose is not simply to finance research for its own sake.
It is to help promising technologies overcome development barriers and reach a stage where they can attract further industrial investment.
Europe's strategy and the international nuclear competition
The European initiative is part of a wider international effort to develop advanced nuclear technologies.
The United States, China, Canada, the United Kingdom and several European countries are investing in new reactor designs and related industrial capabilities.
The European Commission's March 2026 strategy on SMRs and AMRs seeks to accelerate development and create the conditions for the first European projects to enter operation in the early 2030s.
The strategy emphasises coordinated investment, regulatory cooperation, industrial alliances and the development of European supply chains.
The wider objective is to prevent Europe from becoming excessively dependent on external suppliers for critical nuclear technologies.
Italy has an opportunity to contribute through its industrial and scientific expertise.
However, international competitiveness will require more than research excellence.
Companies must be able to manufacture components at the required quality, meet strict safety standards and deliver projects on schedule.
The IPCEI could provide a framework for building those capabilities through cross-border industrial cooperation.
What happens after December 3?
The December 3 deadline is the beginning of a longer process.
Once applications have been submitted, MIMIT will assess eligibility and conduct the preliminary national selection.
Projects that pass the first stage may enter the European matchmaking process, which aims to connect complementary proposals from different Member States.
The next stage will involve more detailed project documentation, financial assessments, business plans and evidence of cooperation.
The final European IPCEI structure must then be submitted to the Commission for assessment under State aid rules.
Only after the relevant authorisation and subsequent national procedures can financial support be formally granted.
This distinction matters.
The current call does not represent the final approval of a European nuclear investment programme.
It is the national selection stage of a wider industrial and regulatory process.
The coming months will reveal which Italian companies are prepared to commit substantial resources to the development of advanced nuclear technologies.
Can Italy turn its nuclear ambitions into an industrial advantage?
The launch of IPCEI INT creates an opportunity for Italy to participate more actively in Europe's emerging nuclear technology industry.
The country's existing manufacturing capabilities could become an important asset if they are supported by investment, research partnerships, skilled workers and a stable regulatory framework.
The potential economic figures are significant, but they should not obscure the challenges.
Nuclear technology requires long-term planning, high standards of safety, predictable regulation and a credible approach to radioactive waste.
The economic competitiveness of SMRs and advanced reactors will also need to be demonstrated through real industrial projects.
For Italian companies, the immediate opportunity is to become part of a European supply chain that could expand over the next two decades.
For policymakers, the task is to ensure that industrial development, energy security, environmental protection and public accountability progress together.
The December 3 deadline will provide the first indication of how much interest exists within Italy's industrial system.
The future of the sector will depend on what happens afterwards: the quality of the projects, the strength of European partnerships, the availability of investment and the ability to turn technological innovation into commercially sustainable infrastructure.
Italy has reopened the industrial discussion around nuclear power.
Now it must demonstrate that it can translate that ambition into lasting industrial capabilities.
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