From the production of composites and advanced pharmaceuticals to the transition to Generation IV reactor systems and development of quantum and fusion technologies: Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev outlined Rosatom’s key areas of activity and discussed export opportunities, speaking to the representatives of the Russian nuclear community. Here are the main points of his speech.
When speaking at the Global Atomic Forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin identified the depletion of natural uranium reserves as a global challenge. He designated Generation IV nuclear energy systems with a closed fuel cycle as the solution. This fundamentally changes Rosatom’s entire operating paradigm. Previously, we viewed this task as an industry-specific goal for us to remain competitive in the future. Now, it has acquired national status and has become Russia’s high-tech mission in the world.
This places a special responsibility on the nuclear industry. We have to launch the BREST-300 [the world’s first lead-cooled fast neutron reactor, currently under construction as part of the Proryv (Breakthrough) project — Ed.] in 2028, and demonstrate the viability of the closed nuclear fuel cycle by 2030.
Research and development in controlled thermonuclear fusion is becoming a critically important field of activity. This is not about science alone, but about engineering and production as well. Fusion is the subject of a dedicated federal program within our national nuclear project. Its central component is the development and construction of a tokamak with reactor technologies (TRT).
Rosatom’s main objective is to advance fusion technology from the R&D stage into commercial implementation as quickly as possible. Rosatom must fortify its leadership in fusion research, as this will be a crucial driver of the world’s technological development in the second half of the century.
Activity on the Northern Sea Route (NSR) is growing. Year to date, 1,196 vessel passage permits have been issued, and 1,340 ship voyages have taken place, up 20% from last year [data as of October 2025 — Ed.]. Transit has increased, reaching 3 million metric tons of cargo this year, an 8% increase year-over-year [data as of October 2025 — Ed.].
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments have begun from the new Arctic LNG 2 project despite sanctions.
Rosatom is expanding its collaboration with Chinese partners. By the end of the year, the volume of container cargo from China to western ports will reach 400,000 metric tons, which is double the figure from last year.
Further developing its logistics business and the NSR, Rosatom is guided by the President’s instruction to establish the Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor (TATC). This will link all the territories adjacent to the NSR into a single system and integrate the capabilities of sea, river, rail, and road transport. The NSR will become the key section of the TATC. Cargo traffic on this sea lane will grow with mining in the Arctic, increased international transit, and the integration of the TATC with the domestic railway network. This is a task of immense national scale.
To date, all key components of Rosatom’s critical information infrastructure have been migrated to Russian software. This includes document management and billing systems, as well as vital national projects in engineering, production management, maintenance, and repair.
Rosatom has built a network of five data centers. They are becoming an important part of our export offer, alongside cloud infrastructure and trusted hardware and software solutions. We are currently working with more than 20 countries.
We are beginning to widely use artificial intelligence (AI) for image recognition, text processing, and software development. We are testing AI capabilities in design, quality control, and assistance to operating personnel.
We will deploy AI in engineering, production, and operation. And we will definitely expand our export offering.
At Rosatom, we have already launched a program for piloting quantum computing applications. Twelve projects have been deployed, with about 30 more in development for 2026.
We have begun working on quantum sensing. Here are our near-term tasks. First, we continue our research together with the Academy of Sciences, the country’s largest universities, and scientific centers, consistently increasing qubit capacity in terms of both quantity and quality. Second, we will offer our employees comprehensive training programs in quantum computing. Third, we must move toward the widespread use of quantum computing in the nuclear industry and nationwide. The groundwork is there; it needs to be expanded.
We see interest in the development of quantum technologies from international partners, including Egypt, Vietnam, Pakistan, Malaysia, and India. We expect to sign the first agreements in 2026.
We are working across several areas: producing medical equipment, producing radiopharmaceuticals and supplying isotope products, expanding medical infrastructure and developing cyclotrons.
Some devices, such as the Brachyum system, are already supplied to hospitals in Russia and abroad. Hemodialysis systems and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners are in the final stages of development.
We plan to expand the production of radiopharmaceuticals: in December 2026, we will finish installing the first line at a new factory in Obninsk.
Rosatom’s project pipeline includes over 40 large and small-scale power units in 11 countries around the world.
Rosatom has become the recognized leader in the Russian market for new materials. We have established two end-to-end supply chains for carbon fiber and glass fiber reinforced plastics, with 17 factories operating in 13 regions of the country.
Our current task is to both preserve the value created by our composite materials division over recent years and ensure consistent, steady development. This primarily involves the implementation of a comprehensive research and development program for composites. The overarching goal is to scale up the production of carbon and glass fibers and continue widening the range of finished products.
Photo by: “SCP” JSC, “KAMA” Plant, “Strana Rosatom” newspaper
