The Fusion Futures programme has moved the UK one step closer to the ultimate objective of commercial fusion energy, whilst securing value for the UK economy in the short term.
From the growth of industry capability in the supply chain, the development of key skills, and the establishment of first-of-a-kind facilities, the programme has made a sizeable impact on the fusion sector.
Fusion Futures objectives
The objectives of the Fusion Futures programme are:
- to maintain essential fusion research conducted in the UK and seek mutually beneficial international collaborations
- to enable the UK to maintain its global technical lead in fusion through the delivery of domestic capabilities
- to create a strong UK industrial sector that leads the world in operationalising and commercialising fusion energy
Programme highlights
Fusion Future programme highlights from 2024 to 2026 include:
- over 200 industry partners engaged, delivering scientific and financial benefits across the UK fusion supply chain and wider fusion ecosystem
- over 50 UK and international universities engaged on a broad range of scientific
and commercial activities through multiple projects, from experimental research to
programme delivery - over £100 million invested in partners across the fusion ecosystem
- neutron source procured for groundbreaking tritium breeding experiments at a new
Oxfordshire facility as part of LIBRTI programme - Civils contract of £34.1 million was awarded to McLaughlin and Harvey Ltd to for the design and build of LIBRTI facility
- international computing collaborations delivered with world leading companies, leveraging access to infrastructure worth billions of pounds
- 3 spinouts created, with several more to follow in 2026 and 2027
- over a thousand people have engaged in the programme’s FOSTER skills drive, from
apprentices to doctoral students
Fusion Futures is currently split into the following principal areas:
LIBRTI (Lithium Breeding Tritium Innovation)
LIBRTI aims to create a world leading facility and science programme to demonstrate the feasibility of power plant relevant fusion fuel technology.
From 2024 to 2026, LIBRTI provided £8 million to 11 experimental and digital simulation projects.
IRIS (International, Research, Investment & Skills)
IRIS is a package of activities to:
- access new international collaborations in fusion
- undertake essential research in partnership with European labs and facilities
- unlock investment into fusion tech and the UK fusion cluster
- boost skills growth at all levels
FOSTER (Fusion Opportunities in Skills, Training, Education and Research)
FOSTER is the skills sub-programme of IRIS. It aims to build a fusion skills ecosystem – with international reach – that can train, develop, and grow the fusion generation who will deliver fusion energy to the grid.
FOSTER has also created the Fusion Engineering Centre for Doctoral Training
(CDT), a new centre for doctoral training, led by the Universities of Manchester,
Sheffield, Liverpool and Birmingham. There is £9 million funding for the CDT from 2025 to 2030. In September 2025, 22 students started studies.
Technology Transfer Hub
The Technology Transfer Hub creates value for the UK economy by enabling technology transfer and commercialisation opportunities to grow from fusion into global markets.
From 2024 to 2026, the Technology Transfer Hub:
- announced 1 joint venture
- started 36 innovation projects
- created 2 spinout companies
- issued 11 open-source software licences
- issued 3 software trial licences
IRIS also includes:
Industry Capability
Industry Capability aims to create a strong UK industrial sector that leads the world in operationalising and commercialising fusion energy.
From 2024 to 2026, Industry Capability:
- enabled over 100 secondees and placements at 28 host organisations in 9 countries
- awarded £7.3 million to SMEs
- awarded over 400 contracts
- engaged over 150 suppliers
The Fusion Futures End of Year Report 2024-2026
The Fusion Futures End of Year Report 2024-2026 showcases the innovative and exciting work the programme delivered with the fusion sector from 2024 to 2026.
Download the previous end of year report for 2024 to 2025 (PDF, 4MB)
Looking ahead
Fusion Futures has helped to move the UK closer to commercial fusion energy. It has strengthened sovereign research capability, embedded industrial competence, built international influence, and accelerated innovation.
The objectives of Fusion Futures remain critical for the delivery of UKAEA’s fusion ambitions in line with the UK fusion strategy. The next phase will:
- accelerate efforts towards completion and exploitation of the LIBRTI facility
- progress technology transfer and commercialisation opportunities from across UKAEA’s activities
- bring forward new opportunities to grow supply chain capability in specific areas of fusion technology
- continue to grow a UK pipeline of fusion skills across the sector through the FOSTER programme
