Hey kids, make your own nuclear power for your community. On the drawing boards of Hyperion Power Generation is a portable nuclear reactor about the size of a hot tub. Bury it in the back yard, fill up the ol' reactor with uranium, and if you don't blow up, you're making power. The plan is to have a factory in New Mexico by 2012.
Implications - Discussion of natural disasters and nuclear threats has increased in recent years. As a result, the importance of being prepared for 'the big one' has increased. Corporations that are able to harness these concern by developing products that would prove useful in the event of unforeseen circumstances can benefit by appealing to safety-conscious consumers.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Mini Nuclear Reactors
- Developing small, portable nuclear reactors for homes and small communities can provide a sustainable energy source with potential for disruptiveness.
- Alternative Energy Solutions
- In a world where natural disasters and nuclear threats are prevalent, companies that can develop alternative energy sources provide disruptive innovation opportunities.
- Retrofitting Infrastructure
- As backyard reactors hit the market, governments and utilities can explore retrofitting existing infrastructure to incorporate them, which can disrupt traditional power generation methods.
Where This Applies
- Energy
- The energy industry can benefit from developing smaller, more portable nuclear reactors as alternative energy solutions.
- Homebuilding
- The homebuilding industry can explore incorporating backyard reactors into the design of new homes, providing a disruptive innovation opportunity for the industry.
- Government and Utilities
- Governments and utilities can explore retrofitting existing infrastructure to incorporate backyard reactors, which can disrupt traditional power generation methods and provide a more sustainable energy source.
