University embarks on pioneering partnership with EDF Energy

The University is embarking on an innovative research partnership with EDF Energy, the company behind the UK's new nuclear power station project, Hinkley Point C in Somerset. The partnership will establish the Hinkley Point C Supply Chain Innovation Lab in our  School of Management , creating a community of academics, managers and policy-makers with the aim of improving the management of supply chains within complex capital projects. The construction of Hinkley Point C is one of the most complex infrastructure projects in the UK. Despite the challenges of orchestrating the global supply chain to deliver the project on time, to specification and on budget, EDF Energy is committed to devising innovative ways of working. Keeping contracts local. The company has developed a consortia approach for its suppliers, enabling local companies to join forces to bid for contracts that would otherwise remain out of reach. Research at the Lab could mean the model can help inform future capital projects within the UK, and potentially lead to the elevation of local suppliers in the construction process.