Štěpán Kochánek appointed Chair of the State Office for Nuclear Safety

The Government of the Czech Republic today appointed a new Chair of the State Office for Nuclear Safety. Following a selection procedure, Štěpán Kochánek - currently Director of the Office’s Nuclear Safety Section - was appointed to the post. He will assume office on 18 February 2026.

Štěpán Kochánek has been working at the State Office for Nuclear Safety since 2003. He originally worked as a lawyer and head of the Legal Department, where he was responsible for legal matters relating to all aspects of nuclear safety and security, radiation protection, crisis management, transport of nuclear and radioactive materials, and radioactive waste management. He was one of the main architects of the current nuclear law in the Czech Republic and played a key role in developing the concept of nuclear regulation.

As Director of the Nuclear Safety Section, he has been responsible for managing all aspects of nuclear safety, nuclear security, and radioactive waste management, including licensing, inspections, and safety assessments. In recent years, he has also focused on the future deployment of new nuclear units, including small and medium-sized modular reactors (SMRs), both in the Czech Republic and abroad.

Štěpán Kochánek participates as an expert in EU technical support projects (Armenia, Jordan, Ukraine) and acts as a lecturer and external expert within the technical cooperation program of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). He is the Czech representative within the IAEA's Nuclear Harmonization and Standardization Initiative and is involved in EU activities related to SMRs. He represents the Czech regulator in several NEA/OECD bodies and the Western European Nuclear Regulators Association.

Štěpán Kochánek will become the third chair of the office and successor to its long-time chair Dana Drábová, who died on October 6, 2025, after a serious illness. 
He holds a master's degree in law and legal theory. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, history, and riding his motorcycle.