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Fusion Industry Association

FIA

The Fusion Industry Association is a non-profit organization composed of private companies working to make commercial fusion energy a reality.

Lobbying Activity

Response to Advanced Materials Act

13 Jan 2026

The Fusion Industry Association (FIA) welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the European Commission's call for evidence for the impact assessment of the upcoming Advanced Materials Act, which aims to strengthen Europes open strategic autonomy in advanced materials, reduce dependencies on critical resources, and boost EU industrial competitiveness. FIA is the leading voice of the fusion industry, representing companies across the global fusion value chain. When commercialised, fusion will provide clean, reliable baseload power that enhances Europes energy security while underpinning long-term industrial competitiveness. For fusion technologies, high-performance materials capable of withstanding extreme heat loads, radiation and plasma interactions are fundamental. The operating environment inside a fusion machine creates unprecedented materials challenges, requiring metals and advanced materials engineered for durability, structural integrity, radiation resilience, and thermal stability. Thus, advanced alloys, ceramics, composites, and cooling materials must be certifiable for long-term operation under high heat fluxes, neutron degradation, and cyclic stress. They must also support safe operation and enable the reuse or recycling of fusion materials at end of plant life. However, todays material families still face major limitations, including impurities, fabrication constraints, and insufficient pathways to qualification under fusion-relevant conditions. Addressing these issues is essential if Europe is to maintain leadership in a sector where global investment is accelerating. In this context, the FIA calls on the European Commission to initiate a European Fusion Materials Roadmap, developed alongside and aligned with the Advanced Materials Act. The purpose of such a Roadmap would be to provide long-term strategic direction for fusion-specific materials, identify the challenges unique to fusion environments, and define the research pathways, infrastructure, qualification processes, circularity strategies, and testing methodologies needed to deliver engineering-ready materials on the timescales required for EU fusion deployment. See our position attached.
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Response to EU taxonomy - Review of the environmental delegated act

5 Dec 2025

The Fusion Industry Association (FIA) welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the European Commission's call for evidence on the comprehensive simplification of the technical screening criteria of the EU Taxonomy Regulation. We appreciate the importance of the EU Taxonomy as part of the EU Sustainable Finance Framework. In the context of this call for evidence on the EU Taxonomy environmental delegated act to update and simplify the technical screening criteria, we urge the EU institutions to include fusion technologies as a separate eligible sub-category under the EU Taxonomy. This would ensure priority access to green financing and investment. The review also offers an opportunity to fix a long-standing issue and establish a level playing field for fusion, currently grouped under nuclear energy, by recognising its distinct merits alongside other clean technologies while supporting the EUs climate and energy objectives. It is worth noted that fusion has been recognised as a technology for a potential moonshot project under the proposed Horizon Europe programme. Given these differing technology profiles, fusion should be treated distinctly from nuclear fission under the EU Taxonomy in order to: avoid regulatory uncertainty arising from association with fission-based nuclear; provide clarity for investors and public authorities; reflect the unique developmental stage and timeline of fusion; ensure a level playing field with other breakthrough technologies already included in the Taxonomy; boost Europes industrial competitiveness and decarbonisation efforts while supporting the scale-up of European fusion companies.
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Response to European Innovation Act

30 Sept 2025

The Fusion Industry Association (FIA) welcomes the European Commissions initiative to develop a European Innovation Act. As identified in the Competitiveness Compass, this Act is essential to closing the innovation gap between the EU and global competitors by streamlining regulation, improving access to finance, and enabling startups and scaleups to bring new technologies to market. Fusion sits at the heart of this agenda. It represents a breakthrough clean energy innovation with the potential to be the greatest technological leap since the industrial revolution, driving competitiveness, strategic autonomy, and global leadership. Private fusion companies are advancing rapidly, with the first customer contracts already being signed and energy-yield demonstrations expected before 2030. Yet without targeted regulatory clarity, tailored financing instruments, and improved access to infrastructures, Europe risks falling behind international competitors who are moving faster with national strategies, proportionate regulatory frameworks, and milestone-based investment directly into fusion companies. The European Innovation Act therefore represents a timely opportunity to put in place the enabling conditions that can unlock fusions potential and help Europe remain a leader in this transformative technology.
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Meeting with Benoît Fourestie (Acting Head of Unit Energy)

15 Jul 2025 · Present on DG Energy current fusion/ITER priorities and the upcoming Fusion Strategy

Response to EU Fusion Strategy

1 Jul 2025

The Fusion Industry Association (FIA) welcomes the European Commissions initiative to establish a dedicated EU Fusion Strategy. The FIA considers this effort timely and essential, given the rapid global progress in fusion energy and its potential to transform the energy landscape. Fusion holds promise as a transformative clean energy technology capable of driving innovation across multiple sectors. With several private fusion companies expecting to demonstrate energy yield before 2030 and customer contracts already emerging, commercial fusion energy is approaching viability. While the EU has historically led in fusion research, it risks falling behind in commercial deployment. Other countries are advancing through clear regulatory frameworks, targeted funding, and national strategies. FIA asserts that an effective EU Fusion Strategy must address several core challenges: 1. There is currently no EU mechanism tailored to the funding needs of commercial fusion projects. FIA proposes a milestone-based funding model, similar to the U.S. ARPA approach, which links funding to technical progress and incentivises results. Such funding should be technology-agnostic and accessible under Horizon Europe or through a dedicated EU Fusion Fund. 2. There is an absence of a harmonised, fit-for-purpose regulatory framework that distinguishes fusion from nuclear fission. FIA calls for a proportionate, risk-based approach, aligned with global developments and suitable for radiation-generating technologies, like particle accelerators. 3. Private companies are insufficiently involved in EU-level coordination and strategic planning. The FIA urges that private actors be granted meaningful participation in shaping EU fusion initiatives, particularly in the Coordination and Support Action (CSA) on fusion energy. Feedback on the EU's Eight Strategic Pillars: While ITER remains a critical research project, FIA notes its limitations, including its focus on a single technology (tokamak) and slow progress. A successful strategy must integrate private-sector innovation alongside public research efforts. The FIA recommends the establishment of milestone-based funding to accelerate Pilot Fusion Power Plant deployment by the early 2030s. This should attract private capital, reduce risk, and align with venture capital investment logic. The current EU programmes are ill-suited for the long development timelines fusion requires. FIA calls for dedicated financial instruments in the next MFF, adjustments to Horizon Europe and the Innovation Fund, and the formation of a comprehensive and well-funded public-private partnership. A skilled and multidisciplinary workforce is vital for commercialisation. The strategy must support education, vocational training, and workforce mobility. Industry and academia should collaborate to co-develop curricula to prepare talent across the fusion innovation chain. The EU leads in the global fusion supply chain, but this position is precarious. FIA calls for coordinated efforts to support supply chain development through long-term visibility, standardisation, and investment incentives. Fusion should be treated distinctly from fission. The Nuclear Safety Directive must not apply to fusion. An EU-wide licensing approach is needed to reduce fragmentation and ensure predictability for developers and investors. FIA urges the EU to expand cooperation beyond ITER, through bilateral and multilateral engagements focused on regulation, supply chains, and pilot plant deployment. The EU should take a leading role in global governance fora such as the IAEA and IEA. FIA recommends the creation of a dedicated unit in the EU Commission within DG Energy to support private- sector fusion deployment. Effective governance must include inclusive structures to coordinate industry, public stakeholders, and research institutions. This will ensure accountability and private-sector input in decision-making processes.
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Meeting with Ekaterina Zaharieva (Commissioner) and

1 Apr 2025 · Discussion about the prospects and difficulties of fusion

Response to EU Start-up and Scale-up Strategy

17 Mar 2025

The Fusion Industry Association (FIA) is the leading voice of the fusion industry, representing over 140 companies across the fusion value chain, including 40 startups developing fusion projects around the world, and over 100 companies involved in the supply chain and manufacturing technologies needed to build and scale fusion. The FIA welcomes the European Commissions initiative to develop an EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy. Fusion technology offers unlimited clean energy that is reliable, scalable, and dispatchable. Once commercially available, fusion will provide decarbonised baseload power that can help reinforce Europes energy security while boosting our industrial competitiveness. Like many advanced technology industries, this ecosystem is composed of highly innovative startups that require long-term capital investment and regulatory clarity to deploy. The current European frameworks do not sufficiently support fusion startups due to funding models that are technology-biased, complex processes to access EU funds and a lack of appropriate financial instruments for capital-intensive, long-horizon projects. The FIA agrees with the identified challenges in the impact assessment, in particular those related to access to finance, bureaucratic burdens and fragmentation, access to infrastructure, knowledge and services. However, fusion startups face additional, specific structural barriers that require specific policy interventions in the Startup and Scaleup Strategy. Reevaluating EU funding for capital-intensive, long-term innovations: Commercial fusion is a capital-intensive endeavor with long development timelines, yet existing EU funding mechanisms often favor shorter innovation cycles. As fusion technologies progress, startups face a funding gap. A key challenge is that fusion projects develop different components at different speeds. For instance, a startup may have high-TRL superconducting magnets, while its plasma confinement system is still in early-stage testing. Current EU funding programs expect a single TRL level across an entire project, making it difficult for fusion companies to secure the right funding at the right time. To support fusion, funding mechanisms need to evolve to: Recognize fusions multi-track development, where different subsystems progress at different rates. Provide flexible financial instruments like loan guarantees or milestone-based grants that match fusions capital-intensive, long-term nature. Structural barriers in the EU startup funding landscape: The EU funding application process is often slow, with timelines ranging from 6 to 9 months, which poses a significant challenge for startups with limited resources and the will to build quickly. Additionally, the complexity and lack of transparency in identifying and accessing EU funding opportunities create further obstacles. To better support startups, the application process should be streamlined, and funding calls should be made clearer and more accessible. Technology-agnostic public investment: Currently, EU funding is heavily focused on ITER-related initiatives, which leaves private fusion startups using alternative technologies at a disadvantage. By shifting public funds towards technology-agnostic investments, the EU can better support a broader range of fusion projects. While ITER and academic research remain important, public investments should also be directed towards commercially-relevant fusion power plant technologies, ensuring that all innovative approaches have the opportunity to thrive, and that the EU expands the infrastructure to lead commercial fusion globally...... [SEE FULL COMMENT IN ATTACHMENT]
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Response to Delegated act on primarily used components under the Net-Zero Industry Act

20 Feb 2025

The Fusion Industry Association (FIA) is the leading voice of the fusion industry, representing over 140 companies across the fusion value chain, including 40 startups developing fusion projects around the world, and over 100 companies involved in the supply chain and manufacturing technologies needed to build and scale fusion. Fusion technology can offer unlimited clean energy that is reliable, scalable, and dispatchable. Once commercially available, fusion will provide decarbonised baseload power that can help reinforce Europes energy security while boosting our industrial competitiveness. The Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), which promotes cleantech manufacturing in Europe, includes a list of subcategories of net-zero technologies. The FIA supports the inclusion of fusion energy technologies but urges that it is specifically listed as its own subcategory under net-zero technologies, instead of listed under the Other nuclear technologies label. The distinction of fusion energy separate from nuclear fission is critical. As currently written, the designation of fusion included in Other nuclear technologies could have unintended consequences for both regional and international markets for fusion energy. Several states have nuclear power prohibitions intended for nuclear fission facilities, and the international landscape for export and deployment of nuclear fission is complex and difficult. When discussing fusion deployment, we request the use of fusion technologies as its own category. Additionally, knowing that fusion power will be eligible under the NZIA provides certainty to the industry and can unlock new or additional investment in the EU. Fusion energy is a clean energy source and so the FIA urges the distinct inclusion of fusion technologies as categorically qualifying as a zero-greenhouse gas emissions technology for the purposes of this Act. Fuel cycle technologies (tritium extraction, processing, monitoring, and breeding blanket) Blanket module (breeding blanket) Tritium fuel cycle systems (fuel injection, fuel processing, safety and containment) Plasma diagnostics and control systems Tokamak technologies Divertor technologies Cooling and Heat Extraction Systems Power conversion and electrical generation systems (heat exchangers and turbines, generators, energy distribution systems) Tokamak operations, maintenance, and control Magnet systems Materials development Large (and small) gate valves Large bellows (expansion joints) Vacuum vessels Gyrotrons Magnets Lasers Molybdenum & TZM beam parts, grids, dumps RF Transmitters Beam grids High temperature superconducting magnets High temperature superconductor tape or wire Fusion heating systems High voltage electrical capacitors Thin films used in high voltage electrical capacitors Plasma compression systems Semiconductor dies used in high power switches Casings used in high power switches High voltage conductors and insulators Composite materials used in vacuum vessels or structures Fused quartz and ceramic parts used in vacuum vessels Plasma formation devices Fuel processing and storage components High voltage power supplies Trigger generators High power gas breakdown switches Dielectric fluids and related infrastructure
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Meeting with Miguel Gil Tertre (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera Rodríguez) and WindEurope and

5 Dec 2024 · To discuss European wind industry

Response to Interim evaluation of the Euratom Research and Training Programme 2021-2025

24 May 2024

The Fusion Industry Association (FIA) is a global non-profit organisation and the voice of the private fusion industry. FIA members are working to accelerate and deploy commercial fusion energy in a decade. Its 37 members and over 80 affiliate members are the companies and research institutions involved with building fusion machines today that will show that commercial fusion will be deployed in a timeframe relevant for tackling the climate crisis. The world needs more affordable, baseload, clean, safe and secure energy and we believe fusion power to be the optimal solution. Moreover, fusion energy will become a key pillar to secure Europe's energy security and strategic autonomy in the future. The FIA is committed to collaboration across public and private sectors to accelerate the development of fusion power and deploy it widely on the grid. With the right combination of investments, policy incentives, regulatory certainty and by empowering fusion companies, suppliers and research institutions, fusion energy is what Europe needs to accelerate and facilitate its green transition. The FIA welcomes the opportunity to provide comments to the Euratom Research and Training Programme 2021-2025 and its extension for 2026-2027. The current programme aims to foster the development of fusion energy and contributes to the implementation of the European Research Roadmap to the Realisation of Fusion Energy. While, the FIA supports the overarching objective of the roadmap which is to align the priorities in fusion research and development towards the ultimate goal of achieving electricity from fusion energy, the Commission should take into account ongoing activities by private fusion companies and re-align timelines to match commercialisation needs going forward. It is critical that public fusion research be aligned to the needs of commercialisation. The clear R&D gaps in fusion science and technology are well-understood by both the public and private fusion sectors. To enable commercialisation in the near term, public research must prioritise closing those scientific gaps that would accelerate commercialisation such as advancing materials science for the first wall and divertors, tritium breeding, remote maintenance systems, and development of next-generation (HTS) magnets, among other things. We appreciate the Commissions suggestion to strengthen the focus on the involvement of the private sector as part of the extended Euratom Research and Training and look forward to working together to design new public private partnerships (PPPs) programs that would leverage the strengths of both the public and private sector. A strong scientific knowledge base is one of Europes key assets and has allowed the EU to become world-class in several research fields including fusion energy. To continue to build on this success, the EU should aim to improve knowledge transfer between public research institutions and industry. Private industry should be involved in setting direction for the applied aspects of research and manufacturing related to fusion. For this reason, the European Commission should take initiatives aiming at fostering a closer collaboration between research institutions, fusion start-ups, and large companies. Knowledge transfer is critical to ensure industry can benefit from publicly funded research and further advance the development of fusion. [Read FIA's full comments in the PDF attached]
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