Latest News

Three early-career physicists have been awarded a Prize in the 2023 STEM for BRITAIN poster competition for Physics – proudly sponsored by AWE as part of its commitment to supporting the next generation of scientists. STEM for BRITAIN is an annual poster competition and exhibition, held by the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee since 1997. It […]

AWE Burghfield has won an International Safety Award from the British Safety Council (BSC). The team gained a Distinction, the highest level of the award, with the highest mark possible. The international BSC awards recognise organisations which have demonstrated a commitment to preventing workplace injuries and work-related ill health. The awards also acknowledge organisations that […]

This year, AWE computational scientist Jennifer has been appointed Vice President of Industry and Professional Affairs at the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA). The IMA is a professional and learned society to support the advancement of mathematical knowledge and its applications and to promote and enhance mathematical culture in the UK and overseas, […]

Last year, five scientists at AWE achieved the prestigious accomplishment of Fellowship at the Institute of Physics (IOP). The IOP Fellowship is an honorary level membership awarded to individuals that have made a significant contribution to their sector. These Fellowships are important for advancing knowledge, celebrating exceptional work, and establishing leaders to represent innovation in […]

Over the years, AWE has built strong and enduring relationships with external institutions that allow collaboration between academia and industry. By leveraging such national expertise, AWE can develop better capabilities and methods to protect the UK. One way of achieving this is through AWE’s Centres of Excellence across the UK, which aim to foster closer […]

AWE has appointed Andrew McNaughton as its new Executive Director, Fissile Programme and Emma-Jane Houghton as Commercial Director, Fissile Programme.

AWE is delighted by the announcement that Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in the US, one of our key partners, has achieved ignition in a fusion experiment on the National Ignition Facility (NIF). This is a historic achievement, long anticipated by the fusion community, and will be an important step towards clean energy in the […]

We are thrilled to announce AWE as Gold winners in the ‘Candidate Assessment’ category at the prestigious In-house Recruitment awards. The award recognises the highly innovative, skills-based solution that was implemented for our Apprenticeship hiring in 2021-22. AWE’s Future Careers Team, in partnership with the Skills Academy, worked with Spotted Zebra to create a unique skills profile […]

Helen Peters, Senior Legal Counsel at AWE, recently presented on UK nuclear decommissioning at the prestigious International Nuclear Law Association (INLA) biennial conference in Washington, USA. The INLA’s purpose is to promote the study of legal issues associated with the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to encourage the exchange of information in this field. […]

It was a night to remember with AWE coming 21st in the list of the 2022 Top 25 Best Big Companies to work for, based on employee feedback. And it didn’t stop there with AWE receiving a further award. The Best Big Companies award is open to companies with over 2,000 employees – with those […]

AWE welcomes the Chief Nuclear Inspector’s Report  published today (12 October) by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR). The report highlights the AWE Burghfield site’s return to routine regulatory attention, driven by ‘demonstrable and sustained progress in safety performance, and with the leadership team showing a proactive approach to safety management and culture.’ The ONR […]

AWE’s Steve Fisher has received an Award of Excellence from the United States National Nuclear Security Administration, Office of Defence Programmes (DP) for his contribution to the U.S./UK Mutual Defence Agreement. Currently a Senior Manager, International Liaison, Steve will be retiring later this year, after 26 years of service to the UK at AWE. His […]

AWE representatives had a treat when recently visiting academic partner, Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. The visit provided a sneak preview of the National Robotarium, a multi-million-pound facility and the UK’s leading centre for robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), along with a chance to discuss future opportunities. The National Robotarium is due to open in the […]

It’s a double achievement for one AWE apprentice, as not only was Liam Jones our first degree apprentice, but he has also graduated with first class honours. Liam became AWE’s first degree apprentice in 2018, studying for a BSc in Nuclear Engineering. Over the next four years, in addition to studying at AWE’s apprentice academy […]

Giles Hartill, BEng MSc CEng FIMechE, will become President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) next year after recently being elected as Deputy President. Giles joined AWE as a graduate engineer in 2003 and is now a chief engineer. He has been a member of the IMechE since 1999, becoming a Fellow in 2014 […]

Members of the AWE and National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) Early Careers communities came together at the recently held NuLINKS Conference to share learning, complementary capabilities and innovations – highlighting collaboration on key areas of interest between the two organisations. Hosted by AWE, with the focus of the conference being security and non-proliferation, NuLINKS debated and […]

Joe Mahmoud, who completed his PhD at the University of Manchester in December 2021, won the prestigious 2022 Materials Science Thesis Prize – jointly sponsored by AWE and the Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers. Joe’s thesis concentrated on the development of new methods for the rapid separation of americium from complex matrices. This research […]

AWE has today (23 June) acknowledged a Prohibition Notice issued by the Office for Nuclear Regulation. The Notice prohibits entry into a part of AWE’s Plutonium Technology Centre, at the Aldermaston site, which is classified as a ‘confined space,’ unless a safe system of work is in place. An AWE spokesperson said: “We remain absolutely […]

To mark the achievements of women engineers, AWE celebrated International Women in Engineering Day on 23 June

Landmark commissioning project combines AWE’s experience in creating extreme environments with the world-leading capabilities of the European XFEL light source. Scientists can find out a lot about materials and the inner workings of our universe by recreating extreme environments, like those at the centre of giant planets, here on Earth. These experiments help to push […]