TO BE PUBLISHED November 2026
Starting from:
£99 + VAT
Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF
This conference will discuss next steps for nuclear fusion energy in the UK as focus moves from scientific research towards engineering, industrial development and routes to commercial deployment. Areas for discussion include implementation of the Government’s new direction for fusion energy, delivery of the UK’s prototype programme, opportunities arising for UK businesses and supply chains, sovereign capability, investment and commercialisation, and priorities for regulation, skills and international collaboration.
It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to examine the Government’s UK Fusion Strategy 2026, and the approach it sets out to accelerating the development and commercialisation of fusion energy and building the industrial capability needed to support it. Discussion will consider practical steps for this direction being able to be translated into delivery, alongside the UKAEA Strategy 2026-2030 and its priorities for the next phase of research, engineering, infrastructure, skills and industrial development.
Delegates will assess the respective roles of government, UKAEA and UK Fusion Energy, the national fusion systems integrator, as the UK moves towards prototype deployment and longer-term electricity generation. Areas for discussion include programme governance and funding, the infrastructure and capabilities required over the next decade, and how progress for a commercial fusion plant should be assessed in the lead up to operation.
The agenda will also consider the role of the STEP programme, which is intended to develop and demonstrate a prototype fusion power plant at West Burton, in moving fusion from research into an industrial delivery programme. Discussion will examine how STEP could best support UK engineering and manufacturing capability, create opportunities for suppliers and technology developers, and provide a foundation for future commercial plants, while addressing questions around investment, knowledge transfer and the retention of economic value from publicly supported innovation.
Strategy, delivery, governance & integration into long-term planning
Delegates will assess approaches for translating the Fusion Strategy into a co-ordinated programme of delivery, including governance, funding certainty and the allocation of responsibilities between DESNZ, UKAEA and UK Fusion Energy. Discussion will consider how delivery milestones should be set and assessed over the next decade, including measures of progress before prototype operation or electricity generation.
Further discussion is expected on how fusion energy should be integrated into longer-term energy and infrastructure planning. This will include the relationship between research, prototype deployment and commercial plants, as well as the sequencing of decisions on infrastructure, regulation, investment and industrial capacity.
STEP, infrastructure & lessons for wider programme delivery
The conference will examine progress on the STEP programme at West Burton and its development from a research and design programme into a major advanced engineering and infrastructure project. Delegates will consider the delivery timetable, design maturity, management of technical and programme risk, procurement strategy and the transition from design towards construction.
We expect a focus on issues that can also inform wider plans for prototype development on infrastructure requirements at West Burton, local and regional engagement, supplier readiness and the role of UK Fusion Energy in programme coordination. The agenda will assess how knowledge, skills and industrial capability developed through STEP can be transferred into subsequent commercial plants, including options for ownership, delivery and commercial models beyond the demonstrator programme.
UK capability, supply chains, enabling technologies & procurement
Delegates will consider priorities for developing sovereign and resilient UK capability in strategically important fusion technologies. Discussion will assess which research, fuel-cycle, engineering and manufacturing capabilities may need to be established or retained in the UK, how dependencies and supply-chain risks should be managed, and how domestic capability should sit alongside international partnerships and global markets.
The agenda will examine development of enabling technologies including high-temperature superconducting magnets, advanced materials, robotics and remote handling, digital engineering, and fusion fuel-cycle technologies such as tritium breeding, processing and handling. Attendees will consider access to testing and demonstration facilities, routes for technology transfer and scale-up, and priorities for supporting specialist businesses and domestic subsystem development.
Supply-chain participation will also be discussed, including approaches to procurement, early engagement with suppliers and the readiness of UK companies to meet future programme requirements. Sessions will consider how advanced manufacturing capacity can be developed, how smaller and specialist firms can enter fusion markets, and how industrial partnerships can support regional and national capability.
Commercialisation, investment & value capture
The conference will assess the commercial and financial arrangements needed as fusion energy moves beyond government-funded research and development. Areas for discussion include the respective roles of public and private investment, risk-sharing arrangements, potential revenue and ownership models, and what investors will require as projects move towards prototype and commercial deployment.
Delegates will consider how intellectual property and technologies developed through publicly supported programmes can be commercialised, including technology transfer, licensing, manufacturing scale-up and export development. Discussion will also examine how UK companies can capture value from domestic investment, retain ownership of strategically important technologies where appropriate, and develop products and expertise with applications in fusion energy and wider advanced technology markets.
Planning, regulation & future deployment
Attendees will consider the regulatory, planning and consenting frameworks needed as fusion facilities progress towards deployment. This will include the anticipated draft National Policy Statement for Fusion Energy Generation, EN-8, and the potential inclusion of fusion projects within the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project regime.
Discussion will assess how regulation can remain proportionate to the risks and characteristics of first-of-a-kind facilities while providing sufficient certainty for developers, investors and communities. The agenda will include considerations for siting, environmental assessment, regulatory capacity and the alignment of planning and consenting processes with programme delivery timescales.
Skills, research & international positioning
The conference will examine workforce requirements across systems engineering, advanced manufacturing, fusion science, plasma physics, cryogenics, materials, robotics, construction and digital engineering. Delegates will consider priorities for apprenticeships, graduate development, specialist training and collaboration between universities, industry and national laboratories, alongside competition for skills from nuclear fission, aerospace, defence and other advanced industries.
The UK’s position within international fusion energy partnerships and emerging technology markets will also be assessed. Discussion will consider how scientific and technical collaboration can be maintained alongside increasing international competition, and what will be needed for the UK to remain a leading developer and supplier of fusion technologies, expertise and industrial capability.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include officials from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; Environment Agency; HM Treasury; Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government; National Wealth Fund; and the Planning Inspectorate.
