Governments don’t build industries – they set the policy groundwork that lets innovators thrive. That truth is on display in the fast moving Small Modular Reactor (SMR) sector. While Canada navigates its regulatory path, led by pioneers like GE Hitachi, the United States is racing ahead. The winners aren’t legacy nuclear giants, but agile SMEs reshaping nuclear power into something smaller, safer, and scalable. Alberta can adopt this playbook.