The DARWIN initiative seeks to redefine how nuclear energy can serve society in the age of climate change. Traditional nuclear power plants are designed for static, century-long operation, delivering only electricity to established grids. But as extreme weather events, infrastructure failures, and mass climate migrations accelerate, the world requires energy systems that are mobile, flexible, and highly adaptive.

DARWIN’s primary goal is to pioneer a new generation of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) that can deliver not only electricity, but also direct heat, cooling, mechanical energy for pumping and purification, hydrogen production, and even medical isotope generation. By developing modular and reconfigurable systems, the project aims to build a foundation for future reactors that can quickly adapt to diverse and unforeseen challenges.

The project’s first phase focuses on conceptual research and design principles for a variable, reconfigurable reactor platform. The detailed objectives are:

• Investigate Use Cases – Map out future scenarios where flexible nuclear systems are critical, such as disaster response, water desalination, district heating/cooling, or off-grid power.

• Develop Conceptual Designs – Create reactor module designs tailored to different needs, maximizing versatility and applicability.

• Optimize Core and System Design – Use state-of-the-art simulation tools, machine learning, and fluid dynamics models to ensure reactor safety, adaptability, and performance.

• Open Roadmap – Provide a transparent development path that engages scientists, engineers, policymakers, and industry partners worldwide.

Through these objectives, DARWIN establishes the groundwork for long-term innovation in nuclear technology.

The urgency of DARWIN arises from changing energy demands in a climate-stressed world. Severe floods, heatwaves, droughts, and infrastructure breakdowns increasingly demand reliable power sources that conventional systems cannot provide. Existing nuclear plants are immobile, slow to build, and optimized only for electricity generation — leaving a major gap in society’s ability to respond to emergencies and sustain critical services.

DARWIN answers this gap by offering dispatchable, multi-functional, and mobile nuclear energy systems. These reactors can move where they are needed, scale output from 0–100% on demand, and switch between functions — from producing clean water to generating hydrogen fuel. By breaking free from the rigid, grid-dependent model of conventional nuclear plants, DARWIN positions itself as a cornerstone of resilient, low-carbon infrastructure for the future.