Knowledge management initiatives in the Canadian nuclear industry

The Canadian nuclear industry has been faced with many challenges in the area of Knowledge Management (KM) over the past decade. Increasing levels of retirement have come at a time when the industry is facing increased demand for experienced nuclear scientists and engineers for refurbishment, decommissioning and new builds. In the mid-1990s, the industry was faced with the prospect of a growing shortage of specialist skills and the loss of important technical knowledge and experience. The recognition of the importance of the problem and the need to act prompted the Canadian nuclear utilities, Atomic Energy Canada Ltd (AECL) and the CANDU Owner's Group (COG), to undertake several proactive measures to address the problem. This paper outlines several of their initiatives that have helped to address these challenges.