The atomic business: structures and strategies

Abstract

Nuclear energy was one among business opportunities brought by the take off in science and technology after the Second World War. The narratives of the milestones of atomic history neglect the commercial, industrial and organizational aspects that made it possible. This paper concentrates on what makes the nuclear business exceptional (or not). We undertake an analysis of the nuclear supply business (designing, manufacturing and installing nuclear facilities) distinct from the analysis of the demand side (business operating nuclear power plants). We identify a continuing role of the state in civil nuclear businesses and a symbiotic relationship with private atomic business. And yet, for the most part the nuclear business applies the usual criteria of cost minimization and profit maximization within the boundaries of a non-perfectly competitive market. We argue that the development of civil nuclear projects is core not just to business history as a discipline but to post-war history.

Review of periodical literature for 2022: (vi) post‐1945

“…discuss how the availability of raw materials influenced nuclear development in the UK, Finland, and West Germany, describing how the UK was an early leader but then fell behind as the United States developed. More generally, Rubio‐Varas et al. explore how the commercial, industrial, and organizational aspects that facilitated the development of nuclear energy in Europe and the United States were supported by government efforts.…”