Fraunhofer Fusion Industry Day 2.0

Supply Chain for Fusion Power Plants is Taking Shape

Press Release / August 18, 2026

Fusion has the potential to become a key pillar of a climate-neutral and reliable energy supply, creating enormous market opportunities. Around the world, the race to build the first commercial fusion power plants is well underway, and Germany is exceptionally well positioned to compete. Achieving market leadership, however, will require it to immediately develop industrial process and supply chains, as well as research and industry to closely collaborate and exchange know-how. The Fraunhofer Fusion Industry Day 2.0 provides the ideal platform for launching these efforts. On October 15 and 16, 2026, it will bring together stakeholders from industry, research, government, consulting, and the energy and financial sectors in Aachen.

Germany's High-Tech Agenda is moving from strategy to implementation—and with it, research and development for a fusion power plant made in Germany. In May, the German federal government presented a roadmap outlining the path toward the commercial deployment of fusion energy. During the current legislative period alone, it has committed 2.4 billion euros in funding to support this effort. According to the roadmap, fusion can make a major contribution to a climate-neutral, secure, and baseload-capable energy supply while strengthening Germany's technological sovereignty and creating new value, jobs, and export opportunities.

© Markus Jürgens / Fraunhofer.
In June 2024, Prof. Holger Hanselka, President of the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, opened the first Fraunhofer Fusion Industry Day in Munich.

© Markus Jürgens / Fraunhofer.
Prof. Constantin Häfner, Executive Vice President for Research and Transfer at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, delivering the first Fraunhofer Fusion Industry Day’s keynote address in Munich.

Mission Fusion gains momentum

Mission Fusion is gaining momentum now that the roadmap has been published and three hubs established; together these will concentrate fusion research and foster innovation ecosystems over the coming decades. Its objective is to decouple the energy system from the carbon cycle. Fusion power plants would provide an ideal complement to cost-effective but intermittent wind and solar power, which are expected to supply the majority of the world's rapidly growing electricity demand. At the same time, however, a reliable energy system also requires power plants capable of delivering electricity continuously. As a result, the global market is expected to support many hundreds of fusion power plants.

Germany is well positioned to play a leading role in this emerging market thanks to its strong photonics and optics industry, its well-established collaboration between basic and applied research, and its wealth of industrial innovators. To capitalize on this opportunity, however, robust process and supply chains for fusion power plants must be established without delay. Strong innovation ecosystems must come together to solve the technological challenges and make commercial fusion energy a reality. Breakthroughs will be needed in high-energy laser technology and optics, reactor materials, and highly automated manufacturing processes. Furthermore, new approaches must be developed for both the tritium fuel cycle and the injection of fusion fuel made up of the hydrogen isotopes deuterium and tritium. Achieving these advances will require substantial, high-risk investment. To reduce that risk and help offset development costs, the parties involved must identify promising spin-off technologies emerging from fusion research and transfer them to other markets as quickly as possible.

© Markus Jürgens / Fraunhofer.
On October 15 and 16, 2026, the technology-neutral knowledge exchange in Aachen will focus on magnetic and laser fusion, materials, and the fuel cycle of future power plants.

Fraunhofer Fusion Industry Day 2.0 brings together key stakeholders

The forward-looking Mission Fusion depends on close collaboration among stakeholders from industry, research, academia, government, consulting, and the energy and financial sectors. On October 15 and 16, 2026, Fraunhofer Fusion Industry Day 2.0 will provide the ideal forum for interdisciplinary, cross-sector, and technology-neutral exchange. The program will cover topics ranging from magnetic and laser fusion to advances in materials and the fuel cycle for future fusion power plants.

Take this opportunity to explore the technological challenges ahead and connect with the key stakeholders shaping the process and supply chains for future fusion power plants.