The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) Group has launched its 2026–2030 organisational strategy for its national fusion laboratory, based on the UK Government’s Fusion Strategy launched in March. It aligns with the Strategy of UKAEA Group’s subsidiary company, UK Fusion Energy Ltd.
The UKAEA Strategy outlines objectives for 2030, including:
- supporting UK Fusion Energy Ltd to complete a detailed design of the STEP Fusion prototype power plant;
- increasing the number of UK companies delivering fusion products and services around the world;
- completing new internationally leading research facilities at Culham Campus in Oxfordshire;
- growing a new generation of fusion scientists, engineers, and technical experts.
“Building on the UK Government’s ambitious Fusion Strategy, which was launched last month, the UKAEA Strategy provides further detail of our programme,” said UKAEA CEO Dr Tim Bestwick, speaking at The Economist’s second annual Fusion Fest. “We are focused on technical excellence and delivery in key technology areas essential for future fusion power plants and building a thriving commercial industry to support fusion.”
UKAEA’s Strategy sees fusion as four interrelated challenges:
- Effective fusion core – to deliver sufficient power output from the heart of the fusion machine, controlling the plasma while managing the demands on the components inside to export more energy out than goes in.
- Fuel self-sufficiency – to operate an efficient, closed cycle without the need of a sustained external supply of fusion fuel.
- Systems integration – to combine diverse components and systems into one energy-producing installation while delivering all required performance objectives.
- Affordability and attractiveness – to do all the above in a way that is affordable and attractive in a global energy market.
UKAEA will focus its work with industry and academia to build knowledge and capability across the technical disciplines required: plasma understanding and control; fuel cycle development; advanced materials; robotics and automation; fusion technologies including high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets; components production; integration and design; and advanced computing.
UKAEA will also serve as the ‘Fusion Partner’ to UK Fusion Energy Ltd, applying technical knowledge in these areas to advance the design and development of the STEP prototype power plant.
Efforts will be spread across its four sites – Culham Campus in Oxfordshire, West Burton in Nottinghamshire, Cumbria, and South Yorkshire.
As part of UKAEA’s 2026-2030 Strategy rollout, it is launching:
- an SME guide to facilitate small- to medium-sized enterprises navigate opportunities in the fusion supply chain;
- the Diagnostics Centre for Excellence (DICE), leveraging UKAEA’s decades of plasma science expertise;
- the Cumbria Robotics Operation Skills Centre (CROSS) to build the robotics workforce needed for fusion.
UKAEA welcomes increased investment and new partnerships to accelerate fusion development. Domestic as well as international governmental and private sector companies are invited to engage with UKAEA’s programmes, facilities and expertise to contribute to a world-leading UK fusion ecosystem.
In parallel, UK Fusion Energy Ltd (UKFE) published its new Fusion Strategy describing how it will partner with industry and with the national laboratory to build the capacity necessary to develop and build STEP Fusion – the UK’s prototype fusion power plant – and successive fusion power plants.
The strategy sets out how the UK will deliver its prototype fusion power plant, STEP Fusion, and secure a leading position in the emerging global fusion market estimated to be worth up to £12,000bn ($16,135bn) by 2100. Backed by £1.3bn in government investment, the strategy outlines a clear pathway from science to commercial fusion energy, while creating significant opportunities for UK industry.
Building on more than 70 years of UK leadership in fusion research, the strategy sets out how UK Fusion Energy Ltd will act as the national fusion systems integrator bringing together industrial partners, research expertise, and advanced digital and AI capabilities to deliver STEP Fusion at West Burton in Nottinghamshire. The plant is expected to begin operations in 2040.
Together, the Government’s UK Fusion Strategy, UKAEA’s Strategy and the UK Fusion Energy Strategy signal a clear and coordinated national mission: to translate decades of scientific leadership into commercial fusion energy, unlock high‑value industrial opportunities across the UK and secure the UK’s place at the forefront of fusion.
UKFE has also confirmed two major programme milestones. The organisation has awarded a £70m contract to Tokamak Energy as its first engineering systems partner for next‑generation magnet technologies. The partnership brings UK-leading expertise in high‑temperature superconducting magnets and access to Tokamak Energy’s advanced ST40 facility, accelerating design iteration, reducing technical risk and strengthening essential sovereign capability.
UKFE has also signed a £30m agreement with Dassault Systèmes to expand STEP’s Product Lifecycle Management capability through the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. This marks a critical milestone in establishing the digital information baseline for STEP, providing a unified engineering environment and laying the foundations for the programme’s long‑term digital twin. Together, these partnerships show the programme moving decisively from concept into delivery.
