Shelia Webb, Business Unit President, Mirion, explains how significant this recognition is for Mirion and for the Vital Platform journey so far. At the time of the interview, Webb was serving as Chief Digital Officer, a role she has held since 2023. Prior to that, she served as Chief Technology Officer
SW: We are so honored to be recognized, especially in the categories of safety and innovation. These categories signal that Vital is more than just software; it’s a digital platform that meaningfully advances how safety can be delivered in modern nuclear operations, putting Mirion’s mission to harness its unrivaled knowledge of ionizing radiation for the greater good of humanity into action.
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Vital started as a vision and it was brought to life by a team of best-in-class professionals who believe this solution will have a lasting impact on the nuclear field. The award reinforces that we are building exactly what we set out to create with Vital: a trusted digital foundation that will continually strengthening safer, more efficient radiation protection operations—now and into the future.
2. In simple terms, what core problem in nuclear operations was Vital designed to solve?
The core drivers are operational efficiency and effectiveness. Nuclear plants often have many separate systems and manual processes for monitoring radiation and managing operational data. These disconnected tools create silos of information, slow response times, increase cost and make it nearly impossible for teams to see everything they need to see to make faster, more accurate decisions. Vital Supervision, the first application built on the Vital Patform, allows access to real-time data, historical trends and alarm events in one connected ecosystem, which allows for faster, smarter decision-making during daily operations AND urgent situations.
3. What did your customers tell you that convinced you a single integrated platform for radiological data was needed?
For years, we’ve been hearing from customers that they need to do more with less (fewer people, tighter budgets, and stricter regulatory expectations). The problem wasn’t that they lacked data or instruments, it was the complex, time-consuming work required to integrate information and build efficient workflows. Our customers’ time is best spent quickly analysing data to inform decisions, rather than manually integrating data in spreadsheets. They want digital tools that make it easier to understand what needs to be done, and confidently keep people, facilities, and the environment safe.
Essentially, the industry didn’t need just another software application – it needed a single, integrated radiological data platform to do more with less.
4. Remote supervision reduces entries into higher‑dose areas. How do you see this reshaping the role of radiation protection teams over time?
We are starting to see a desire in the nuclear field to evaluate how effective today’s longstanding principles are in balancing radiation safety with cost constraints. We anticipate a revaluation of current thresholds based on recent industry discussions.
Decades ago, we didn’t have the data analysis tools that we do today to accurately inform practices, potentially resulting in more conservative worker dose limits. That’s where the Mirion Vital ecosystem can assist. Over time, as these thresholds are reevaluated and remote supervision becomes available for certain situations, radiation protection professionals are likely to become more data-driven and forward-thinking when it comes to optimizing radiation safety and operations. Safety is and always will remain a non-negotiable priority. However, these changes could provide an opportunity to apply protection measures more precisely, resulting in cost-savings and faster, more accurate results.
5. Mirion also serves medical, defense, and research markets. How does that cross‑sector experience influence what you build for the power industry?
While regulatory frameworks may differ slightly across these sectors, the underlying principles of radiation safety are universal – it’s about protecting people, property and the environment. Serving multiple markets helps us provide solutions that remain focused on these fundamentals. By streamlining workflows and strengthening data management, we enable the use of AI to accurately identify trends and insights, bringing modern, best-in-class practices to any demanding environment.
6. Vital Supervision is the first application on the Vital Platform, so it’s reasonable to expect there are future advancements in the works. What insights can you provide fit into Mirion’s broader digital roadmap?
Correct – there’s more to come. We started with Vital Supervision, which allows our customers to collect, monitor, visualize, and manage radiological instrument data in real time. When we think about the future needs and what’s possible, especially when it comes to exposure and alarm events, we are just getting started with relevant industry applications. Mirion’s strength has always been instrumentation – we offer one of the most comprehensive and advanced portfolios in the industry. Now, we have a foundation for connecting everything together. The Vital Platform is the digital platform that everything else is built upon – it is the connective tissue between devices, people, and decisions. As we create new modules and applications to continue solving problems for our customers, those features will be added without creating new silos.
7. Over the next decade, how do you expect nuclear plants’ use of data and digital platforms to change, and where does Vital fit in that future?
Nuclear plants will increasingly rely on unified digital platforms that aggregate data across systems, enable advanced analytics, and support cloud-based and AI-driven applications.
The industry is undergoing a major generational transition. Many of the leaders with the institutional knowledge are retiring, while the incoming workforce expects modern, intuitive, and integrated digital tools. At the same time, new nuclear developers are designing plants to operate in completely digital environments from day one. That means disconnected instrumentation and siloed supervisory systems will no longer be acceptable.
For Mirion, Vital is the foundation to bring this to life for our customers. It provides a common, scalable system that supports rapid deployment of cost-effective solutions today, while remaining adaptable to future needs. By standardizing the underlying digital foundation, Vital accelerates innovation and allows us to focus on delivering high-value, plug-and-play solutions. In short, Vital is the platform that enables nuclear operators to move confidently toward a digital, future-ready operating model.
Contact Details: Erin Schesny, media@mirion.com
