The UK government launched its Fusion Strategy last month, directing research and development to yield near-term scientific and economic benefits and support the growth of a competitive domestic industry, backed by skills development at all levels, to lay the foundations for deployable fusion energy.
UKAEA said builds directly on the government’s Fusion Strategy. Its main objectives, it says, are: supporting UK Fusion Energy Ltd (UKFE) to complete a detailed design of the STEP Fusion prototype power plant; increasing the number of UK companies delivering fusion products and services around the world; completing new internationally leading research facilities at Culham Campus in Oxfordshire; and growing a new generation of fusion scientists, engineers, and technical experts.
The Strategy highlights the major technical outcomes UKAEA aims to deliver by 2030, incorporating a focused subset of flagship targets set out in the UK Government’s Fusion Strategy. The Strategy describes how these activities explicitly target scientific and economic benefits for the UK, collaborating internationally, undertaking cutting-edge research, commercialising technologies for adjacent applications and supporting UK industry to grow.
“Working to clear challenging but achievable targets, UKAEA’s Strategy will derisk the pathways to deployable fusion, stimulate the growth of the UK fusion supply chain and maintain the UK’s position as a global thought-leader in the field,” UKAEA said.
Tim Bestwick, UKAEA CEO, said: “Building on the UK Government’s ambitious Fusion Strategy, which was launched last month, the UKAEA Strategy provides further detail of our programme. We are focused on technical excellence and delivery in key technology areas essential for future fusion power plants and building a thriving commercial industry to support fusion.”
UKFE has published alongside the national laboratory, describing how it will partner with industry and with UKAEA to build the capacity necessary to develop and build STEP Fusion – the UK’s prototype fusion power plant – and successive fusion power plants.
Backed by GBP1.3 billion (USD1.8 billion) in government investment, the strategy aims to outline a pathway from world-leading science to commercial fusion energy, while creating significant opportunities for UK industry. The strategy sets out how UKFE will act as the national fusion systems integrator bringing together industrial partners, research expertise, and advanced digital and AI capabilities to deliver STEP Fusion at West Burton in Nottinghamshire. The plant is expected to begin operations in 2040.
“Fusion is a transformative opportunity, and the UK is exceptionally well placed to seize it,” said UKFE CEO Paul Methven. “Our strategy sets out how we will deliver STEP Fusion in partnership with industry and use it as the launchpad for a globally competitive commercial fusion sector. The rewards for the UK in jobs, innovation and long-term energy security are immense. UKFE is in a strong position to move into delivery. Not only do we have our strategy to 2040, but we also have our Construction Partner, Magnets Partner and Information Systems contract in place, with site ownership of West Burton now transferred to UKAEA. This marks a critical milestone as we make fusion energy a reality for the UK.”
David Gann, Chairman of STEP Fusion, added: “This strategy brings together the UK’s strongest capabilities science, our engineering and our industrial talent and directs them towards one of the defining energy challenges of our time. Fusion will be delivered through ambition, partnership and leadership, and the UK is ready to take that role on the world stage.”
Global Fusion Guide
UKAEA also announced the launch of the , providing UK businesses with practical steps on how to collaborate with, and supply to, fusion developers worldwide.
“As fusion moves from laboratory-scale research towards full demonstration power plants, companies are increasingly relying on external suppliers,” UKAEA said. “This shift is opening new markets for UK businesses with capabilities in engineering, manufacturing, robotics, advanced materials, digital systems and specialist services – including those that have no prior experience in fusion.”
The guide explores the key technologies required to deliver fusion power, with clear explanations of where demand is expected to grow and where SME capabilities are particularly well matched. This includes areas such as superconducting magnets and cryogenics, lasers and power supplies, robotics and remote handling, advanced materials, tritium systems, heating technologies, and the growing role of advanced computing and artificial intelligence. The guide also sets out global routes to market, providing region-by-region guidance covering the UK, the USA, Europe and Asia. It also offers an overview of fusion standards and regulatory frameworks in key markets.
“The Global Fusion Guide for SMEs shows that fusion is not a closed market,” said Fanny Fouin, Programme Manager for Fusion Futures at UKAEA. “Many of the skills required already exist across UK industry and the guide will help businesses see how their capabilities can translate across into this growing sector. Over the next decade, a significant share of the global investment in fusion will be spent on industrial systems, components and services. These represent long-term, high-value opportunities that UK SMEs are well placed to deliver.”
Diagnostics and robotics
UKAEA has launched a national centre to develop the advanced measurement technology needed to make fusion energy a reality. It said the Diagnostics Innovation Centre of Excellence (DICE), based at UKAEA’s Culham Campus in Oxfordshire, will “strengthen the UK’s position as a world leader in fusion diagnostics – the specialised systems that measure what is happening inside a fusion machine”.
DICE will act as a hub for collaboration between UK industry, international fusion partners, and other sectors that can benefit from fusion-derived technologies. The centre will also explore how its technology can benefit other industries, including medical research, opening up new commercial opportunities beyond fusion.
Since opening, DICE has already secured contracts with 10 organisations, with a combined value of more than GBP10 million.
“DICE’s capabilities are growing steadily, with cutting-edge equipment now installed in our laboratories,” said David Croft, Head of DICE at UKAEA. “But the greatest strength is our people. With decades of experience spanning diagnostics design, build, installation, analysis and operation, the DICE team provides expertise which is second to none.”
Meanwhile, UKAEA and the National College for Nuclear and Clean Energy have formally launched the Cumbria Robotics Operations Skills Centre (CROSS). The new facility and programme have been developed collaboratively to build the robotics-skilled workforce needed to deliver the UK’s future fusion ambitions and nuclear decommissioning mission.
CROSS, established with funding from UKAEA’s Fusion Opportunities in Skills, Training, Education and Research (FOSTER) programme, will embed robotics and automation skills across the workforce. It will combine UKAEA’s expertise in robotics and industry engagement with the National College for Nuclear and Clean Energy’s leadership in curriculum design and delivery.
