Japan’s Kyoto Fusioneering (KF) and Germany’s Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have signed a Cooperation Agreement to advance research and development in fusion power plant technologies. The partnership lays the ground for joint efforts in key fusion plant engineering. The initial focus will be on fuel cycle technology, specifically tritium handling, aiming to rapidly advance essential fusion plant engineering technologies. Going forward, the partnership “aims to extend into high-priority and challenging domains crucial for the societal implementation of fusion energy across various fusion fields”.
Satoshi Konishi, KF Co-founder, CEO & Chief Fusioneer said the collaboration with KIT “is an honour and a source of excitement”. He added: “Achieving socially implementable fusion energy requires collaboration transcending government, private industry, and academia. Our partnership embodies a global trend, poised to be a historic milestone, significantly expediting the societal implementation of fusion energy.”
Dr Klaus Hesch, Head of KIT Fusion Programme said KF “is an ideal private fusion company to partner with because of its expertise in plant engineering and its accelerated timeline for deployment of commercial fusion plant technology”.
KIT is a global leader in fusion research, boasting extensive expertise across many fusion technology fields, including neutron-resistant materials, liquid metals for heat transfer, tritium breeding blankets, fusion fuel cycle and tritium handling. KF makes an ideal private partner in fusion acceleration for its expertise in plant engineering and an accelerated timeline for deploying commercial fusion plant technology.
KIT, the Research University in the Helmholtz Association, is one of Germany’s universities of excellence. It 9,800 employees offer a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. Kyoto Fusioneering is a privately funded technology start-up founded in 2019, with its headquarters in Kyoto, Japan. It is based on decades of research at Kyoto University and is focused on developing advanced technologies for commercial fusion reactors.
