Federal government promotes European fusion technology

15.05.2026

Source: E & M powernews

Fusion technologies are to be transferred from the laboratory to industrial applications more quickly in Europe. Germany is participating in a new IPCEI.

Germany is participating in a new European funding project for fusion technologies. The Federal Ministry of Economics (BMWE) and the Federal Ministry of Research (BMFTR) announced on May 18 that the German government is joining the Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) "Innovative Core Technologies". The project aims to bring together research, start-ups, SMEs and industry along central value chains. German funding focuses exclusively on fusion technologies. Nuclear fission projects are excluded.

With this step, the German government wants to promote fusion as a strategic technology in Europe. Federal Economics Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU) said that fusion was "not a distant topic for the future", but a strategic task. The IPCEI should specifically link research, start-ups and industry. Reiche referred to the path from the idea to the first application. Speed is now crucial so that good ideas can be put into production and scaled up.

Research Minister Dorothee Bär (CSU) links the participation to the German government's goal of making the world's first fusion power plant possible in Germany. According to her, the High-Tech Agenda Germany and the Fusion Action Plan are intended to establish a fusion ecosystem. At the same time, Bär emphasizes the European dimension. The goal can only be achieved more quickly with cooperation at EU level.

Project start planned for 2027

According to the government, the IPCEI is intended to enable projects that can range from laboratory research to the first industrial applications. In this way, the government wants to support promising technologies for fusion. IPCEI projects combine private investment from companies with state funding. They are intended to strengthen European ecosystems for strategically important technologies.
The German government now wants to identify suitable projects and partners. To this end, it is planning a national expression of interest procedure. This is to begin soon and be coordinated with the participating EU member states. The federal government will then select national projects that it wishes to support. In addition, European partners are to come together and develop joint project lines.

According to the announcement, the projects are scheduled to start in 2027. The prerequisite is the approval of the individual projects by the European Commission. In this legislative period, the German government intends to support the merger with around 2.4 billion euros. The IPCEI funding format is now to be used specifically for this purpose.

Author: Davina Spohn