Connect | London // Panel: Plugging into the Atom - Can SMRs power Europe’s next generation of data centers?

As Europe accelerates its digital and AI ambitions, the search for reliable, low-carbon baseload power is driving renewed interest in nuclear - particularly Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). In March 2026, the European Commission unveiled a landmark strategy to bring Europe’s first SMRs online by the early 2030s, positioning the technology as a cornerstone of a resilient, decarbonised energy system. Designed to be smaller, factory-built, and more flexible than traditional nuclear plants, SMRs are increasingly viewed as well-suited to energy-intensive applications such as data centers, offering continuous, carbon-free power alongside renewables. But what is the reality on the ground and when, if ever, can we expect them to become mainstream?

This panel will explore:

• What growing partnerships across the UK, US and Europe including hyperscale aligned projects to drive collaboration between reactor developers and data center operators, indicate about industry momentum
• How initiatives such as those in Poland and Sweden, alongside vendor-led projects, indicate how co-locating SMRs with data centers could become a viable model for addressing grid constraints, energy price volatility, and sustainability targets
• What challenges nuclear faces; including regulatory fragmentation, financing and public acceptance and how these can be overcome to ensure that SMRs can scale quickly enough to meeting growing demand