Polytechnique Montréal aims to revive nuclear studies as Slowpoke reactor marks 50 years and backs a new research chair
Polytechnique’s Slowpoke research reactor turns 50. Polytechnique Montréal secured a $1‑million donation over five years from AtkinsRéalis to establish a nuclear engineering research chair; the school plans to hire five professors and to use the reactor for training, research and industrial/medical analyses.
Polytechnique Montréal is marking 50 years of its Slowpoke research reactor (Safe Low‑Power Kritical Experiment) and is using it to help revive nuclear studies in Quebec. The school has secured a $1‑million donation over five years from AtkinsRéalis to establish a nuclear engineering research chair and plans to hire five faculty members. Slowpoke supports hands‑on training, provides neutron activation analysis services for industry, and enables research with medical and mineral‑exploration applications. The reactor still has roughly 25 years of fuel, allowing continued use for education and medium‑term research projects.