Copenhagen Atomics to relocate headquarters to Zug amid Swiss nuclear vote

Copenhagen Atomics, a Danish startup developing thorium-fuelled small modular reactors, will transfer its main office from Copenhagen to the canton of Zug. CEO and co-founder Thomas Jam Pedersen explained that the company seeks a more favourable regulatory environment than it experiences in the European Union. The firm has completed two cold-run prototypes and intends to start series production of commercial reactors by 2031, pending extensive safety and licensing reviews.

Switzerland is set to vote in February on lifting its ban on new nuclear plants, a debate that has intensified recently. Pedersen added that the relocation will occur even if the vote rejects new reactors, and that the company also considered a U.S. base but rejected it to keep access to the Chinese market. In partnership with the Paul-Scherrer-Institut, Copenhagen Atomics plans a test facility in Villigen, hoping to secure the necessary permits by 2028.