Fusion Now: Powering the UK’s Next Industrial Revolution
- Eric Lewis
- Nov 20
- 3 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Our most recent Foresight webinar focused on fusion energy, and explored not only the accelerating progress of the UK fusion sector but, more importantly, the breadth of industries that fusion is poised to transform.
Fusion energy, long seen as a vital element in the clean energy transition, is certainly central to the UK's Net Zero 2030 targets. However, this session highlighted a more expansive role for fusion. Its impact is already being felt today across multiple sectors, including healthcare, advanced manufacturing, data infrastructure, and broader industrial innovation, extending far beyond its future promise as an abundant, clean power source. The discussion demonstrated clearly that fusion should not be viewed as an isolated scientific endeavor, but rather as a foundational enabling technology capable of delivering significant strategic value across the UK economy.
This was expressed from the outset by Tokamak Energy's Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. David Kingham, who reaffirmed that fusion advancement is shifting from theory into engineered reality. He described his team’s recent work, showing high-field spherical tokamaks, 100-million-degree plasmas, and high-temperature superconducting magnet systems performing at record parameters.
"We build real devices to demonstrate new technology and push things forward"
While long-term focus remains on energy generation, he underscored that the derivative technologies from fusion research, particularly high-temperature superconducting magnets are already attracting significant cross-sector interest. These magnets, which can carry currents of millions of amps and operate at significantly elevated temperatures compared to conventional superconductors, offer transformative advantages for diverse applications, including next-generation data centres, electric aviation, and advanced precision medical systems.
He emphasised that some of the most economically significant outcomes of fusion research are likely to materialise well in advance of commercial reactors, designating High-Temperature Superconductor (HTS) technologies as "the big one" in terms of immediate industrial impact. This perspective is crucial: the UK need not defer its benefits from fusion for decades; it currently serves as a source of innovation contributing to contemporary industrial strategy.
Examples of the the sector where Fusion technologies are key
On the other hand, Astral Systems showcased a different dimension: fusion’s critical role in healthcare and medical isotope production. CEO Talmon Firestone presented perhaps one of the most consequential insights of the webinar when detailing Astral’s achievement as the first private company to breed tritium using a compact fusion neutron source.
Firestone explained that tritium, the essential fuel for deuterium–tritium fusion, is extraordinarily scarce. He noted, "There's only about 32 kilograms of tritium on the planet" an amount sufficient to power a single commercial fusion reactor for barely a month. Traditionally, tritium has only been produced inside large fission reactors or heavy-water systems, meaning the limited global supply is tied to both ageing infrastructure and non-renewable processes. The ability for a private company, using a device small enough to fit inside a laboratory assembly - to generate tritium marks a profound and disruptive shift in how fusion fuel can be produced.
“Within our systems, over 99% of the fusion is now attributed to the solid-state reaction
only 1% comes from the plasma itself”
As the UK works to meet its Net Zero 2030 ambitions, build sovereign capacity in nuclear medicine, and pursue growth areas in high-value engineering industries, fusion stands not only as a scientific endeavour but as a strategic national asset. The conversation in this webinar made clear that fusion’s impact will not be singular but systemic—shaping energy, healthcare, data, defence, and manufacturing all at once. What happens in the next decade will determine not just when fusion arrives, but how broadly its benefits are distributed across the UK economy.
Taken together, the insights shared in this webinar reflect a sector that is no longer defined by distant ambition, but by practical capability and rapidly unfolding opportunity. Fusion is transitioning from a future-facing aspiration to a present-day driver of industrial innovation—strengthening the UK’s technological sovereignty, advancing national health resilience, and shaping the infrastructure that will underpin a competitive low-carbon economy.
The coming decade will be decisive.
Fusion is no longer simply a question of when it will generate power - it is a question of how boldly we choose to harness its potential today.
To find out more about the Fusion sector and Data Centres and newest technologies join us in Liverpool in February 2026!
The Foresight Event 2026: Energy Tranistion Conference and Exhibition in Liverpool, Feb 4-5
