AXCEL Partners at GIFEN’s « Journées Perspectives »

AXCEL Partners at GIFEN’s « Journées Perspectives »

The “Journées Perspectives France », organized in early June by GIFEN, brought together over 600 participants.

Now in its sixth edition, the event has established itself as a key gathering for the nuclear industry.

AXCEL Partners, a member of GIFEN since early 2025 following the arrival of Gilles MAES, Partner and long-time expert in the sector with over 20 years of experience is fully committed to this momentum.

Interim management in the nuclear sector remains relatively uncommon. Yet, in the current context of a major industry revival, we are convinced that this practice can become a real asset.

AXCEL Partners is determined to contribute to this transformation and help the sector benefit from the tangible advantages of interim management.

Since Emmanuel Macron speech in Belfort in February 2022, the industry has been gearing up to accommodate new reactors. As is often the case, the main challenge is not technological but human. France boasts a world-leading nuclear supply chain built on more than 50 years of global leadership.

By 2035, the sector will need to mobilize nearly 100,000 full-time equivalents who must be recruited, trained, and managed across 2,000 companies, most of them SMEs and mid-sized businesses. This is where interim management truly proves its value.

Indeed, many seasoned experts in the field are approaching the end of their careers. Without a proactive effort to transfer their knowledge, a significant portion of critical expertise risks being lost. Yet, knowledge transfer cannot be improvised it lies at the very heart of interim managers’ missions. Structuring, supervising, training, and, most importantly, transferring or supporting the transfer of knowledge often within six months is the core value these professionals bring. 

Of course, the nuclear sector has its specific constraints: sovereignty, confidentiality, safety, and restricted site access, among others. But these barriers are not insurmountable.

The defense sector, which operates under similar constraints, has already adopted interim management practices. Opening the nuclear sector to interim management also means welcoming new profiles, fresh ideas, and innovative approaches.

As economist Philippe Dessertine pointed out during the « Journées Perspectives France », innovation is key especially with the advent of generative AI and the rise of SMRs/AMRs, which are set to disrupt traditional models of electricity and heat production.

The energy revolution is underway, and AXCEL Partners is ready to support this paradigm shift.