Business View Magazine | July 2019

384 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE JULY 2019 work on medical and other safe applications of nuclear technology. In addition to its focus on the expanding nuclear sector in Ontario, the organization advocates for the continued production of nuclear electricity in New Brunswick and encourages the use of nuclear energy in Western Canada. Business View Magazine recently spoke with Ron Oberth, OCNI President and CEO, about the current state of domestic and international nuclear markets, and how OCNI is strengthening the thriving Canadian nuclear supply chain through innovation and leadership. The following is an edited transcript of that conversation. BVM: Congratulations to OCNI on its 40th anniversary. Has the mandate changed over the decades? Oberth: “Yes it has. When the organization was formed in 1979, the purpose was to represent the companies that supplied equipment and services to the major Canadian utilities, not the people who make the power, like Bruce Power and OPG (in those days Ontario Hydro). The Canadian Nuclear Association is the umbrella organization that embraces the power utilities– the nuclear utilities and the larger suppliers – but some of the smaller suppliers had separate interests from those of the utilities and they wanted to have a voice to support their needs. “Initially, much of the effort of the association, in those days called OCI (Organization of Candu Industries), was to support the Candu projects in Ontario and the export of Candu to countries such as China, Argentina, and Romania. It has evolved over the years, especially with increased work in the domestic market, as our companies are going into life extension. I joined almost eight years ago, when the association had 130 member companies. Between 2011 and 2019 our membership has grown substantially to 230. We also changed our name three years ago, from OCI to the OCNI because in offshore markets, where companies are building other than Candu reactors, we didn’t want to be branded as just Candu suppliers, but as suppliers capable of supplying to the light-water reactors that are the dominant type around the world. “Ontario is the focus of our activities right now, due to the major investments in extending the pictured above Canadian delegation (representing OCNI, ATS Automation, OPG, Rolls Royce, MDA, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Tyne Engineering, Laker Energy Products, SNC-Lavalin, Promation Nuclear and UNENE) with Trade Commissioner Denis Trottier (fifth from the left) greeted by ITER Director General Dr. Bernard Bigot (back row third from the right)