A consortium of six European nuclear and digital companies are co-operating to establish Data4NuclearX, a digital space for data exchange, managed by major clients in the sector and GIFEN (Groupement des Industriels Français du Nucléaire – French Nuclear Energy Industry Group). The consortium includes EDF, CEA (Commissariat à l’énergie Atomique et aux énergies Alternatives – the Alternative Energies & Atomic Energy Commission), Dawex, GIFEN, the Institut Mines-Télécom and Sopra Steria.

Data4NuclearX aims to provide the nuclear sector with a digital space for data exchange and trust, strengthening the performance, security and sovereignty of the data exchanged by the nearly 2,000 companies that make up the nuclear sector in France. This is seen as a crucial issue in a context of nuclear development where data exchanges could increase tenfold within five years to reach a volume estimated at 25m pieces of data exchanged each year.

The Data4NuclearX project provides a new solution to promote secure data exchange, and thus support the rise of the sector as part of the revival of nuclear power in France. It facilitates interaction between companies in the nuclear sector and the management of complex projects, making interfaces more reliable and accelerating innovation and digitalisation of the sector.

It aims to:

  • Guarantee each partner access to reliable data to make operational decisions at the right time. The data exchanged will cover all processes in the nuclear sector.
  • Use common languages to promote cooperation between nuclear companies.
  • Maintain control of data: each company maintains complete control of its data and manages access conditions.
  • Provide technologies based on European technical standards consistent with the principles of Gaia-X.

The project plans a first design and framing stage until 2027, a pilot phase on three first priority uses, followed by operational and widespread deployment from 2028. The project benefits are supported by the French State as part of France 2030, with the objective of mastering sovereign digital technologies.

The members of the consortium each contribute their special expertise to the project.

EDF will manage and coordinate the project.

CEA will use its expertise in data semantics and artificial intelligence to develop tools intended to streamline the integration of partners into the data space.

Dawex will constribute its data exchange technology solution to Data4NuclearX to share and distribute data products in compliance with data regulations.

Within GIFEN, companies in the sector work will collectively to digitalise processes and exchanges.

The Institut Mines-Télécom and its subsidiary IMT Transfert will contribute through the Data Space Lab to the prototyping and experimentation phases.

Sopra Steria will mobilise its architectural and development expertise alongside other consortium members to design and implement the specific components necessary for implementation of the data space.

(Image credit: Institut Mines-Telecom)