Arrival, introductions and informal networking

Welcome and framing: fusion as a capability ecosystem for defence and national security.

This session provides a foundational understanding of fusion energy, the relevant spin-out technologies and pathways to commercialization. It will explore why defence investment in fusion today is justified even ahead of grid-scale power generation.

• Core Fusion Principles: the fundamental physics of fusion
• Pace and Direction: the rapidly growing private fusion industry, increasing investment and the strategic implications, including China’s growing capabilities and ambitions.
• Defence and Energy Sovereignty: how fusion energy could ultimately provide a resilient power source, reducing reliance on vulnerable fossil fuel logistics
• Near-Term Defence Applications: a short overview of the dual-use technologies emerging from fusion R&D, including lasers for directed-energy weapons and anti-drone systems, neutron sources for materials testing and threat detection, and advanced shielding and electronics hardening for EMP-resilient platforms.

Presentations: Two 10 minute presentations, the first from the market and the second from an innovator, exploring the requirements of DEW and the fusion-derived technology.

Panel Discussion: fusion-derived advancements in high-power systems and applications in next-generation defence platforms as disruptive directed-energy weapons, and countermeasures. The discussion will explore what fusion programmes uniquely enable versus adjacent laser & RF development pathways.

• High-Power Architectures: a technical overview of cutting-edge fusion-derived RF and laser designs, including novel amplification techniques, and their respective advantages for defence applications.
• Directed-Energy Weapons (DEW): operational advantages and challenges of current laser-based DEWs – including examples such as the US Navy’s HELIOS system – and the potential for fusion-derived advancements.
• Countermeasure Precision Effects: the use of lasers for dazzling optical sensors, or generating laser arrays to defeat incoming threats.
• Mobile Integration: the engineering challenges of integrating high-power laser systems onto tactical platforms, including power, thermal management, beam control, and survivability.

Connect with fellow attendees and network over coffee

Presentations: Two 10-minute presentations, the first from the market and the second from an innovator, exploring the potential dual-use and defence applications of fusion-derived particle sources.

Panel Discussion: The strategic applications of compact neutron and particle sources derived from fusion research, particularly in threat detection, and in hardening critical infrastructure against radiation and EMP effects.

• Compact Neutron Source Technologies: an overview of emerging compact, high-flux neutron sources and their advantages over traditional reactor-based sources.
• Materials Testing and Radiation Hardening: the critical role of neutron sources in qualifying materials and electronics for harsh radiation environments, ensuring the resilience of military assets in space and other contested domains.
• Threat Detection and Non-Destructive Inspection: neutron and particle beams for detecting shielded special nuclear materials, identifying explosives, and structural defects in critical components.

An informal networking lunch

Presentation: A presentation exploring the current and potential applications of fusion-derived technologies in space.

Panel Discussion: The transformative impact of fusion technologies on space propulsion, offering the potential for unprecedented speed, endurance, and manoeuvrability. The conversation will focus on how fusion-derived technologies can enhance the resilience and operational capability of space-based systems.

• Advanced Plasma Propulsion: an exploration of next-generation plasma thrusters, such as Hall thrusters and MPD thrusters, and their ability to provide high-efficiency, long-duration propulsion.
• Enhanced Manoeuvrability and Resilience: how advanced propulsion can provide satellites with greater agility to evade threats, reposition assets, and maintain orbital dominance in a contested space environment.
• Power for Space and High-Energy Systems: the dual role of fusion systems in providing both propulsion and high-capacity electrical power for advanced sensors, directed-energy weapons, and other power-intensive payloads in near space.

A presentation exploring the longer-term but potentially transformative role of compact fusion systems in providing modular, high-density energy for defence applications covering system designs and pathways to commercialisation and intended deployable machines.

Connect with fellow attendees and network over coffee

An interactive dialogue between a leading innovator and a frontline end-user, exploring the cutting edge of robotics and autonomous systems – from the extreme environments of nuclear fusion to the complex demands of modern defence. This session examines real-world deployment challenges, emerging capabilities, and the technologies shaping the future of both sectors.

A presentation exploring a newly deployed, deep-tech driven system outlining the process of taking leading-edge innovations from lab to system to deployment in dual-use and defence.

Transitioning fusion-derived technologies from laboratory prototypes to mission-ready platforms requires a coordinated ecosystem of standards, validation, supply chains, and procurement. This session addresses both the technical and programmatic challenges of accelerating fusion technology adoption across defence systems.

• Interface Standards, Testing, and Qualification: ensuring interoperability, testing and evaluation protocols that validate performance, reliability, and safety in operationally relevant environments, enabling integration of fusion-based subsystems into existing platforms.
• Supply Chain Resilience and OEM Co-Development: building secure and scalable supply chains and fostering collaboration between fusion innovators and defence contractors to de-risk tech integration and establish pathways for platform adoption.
• Innovative Procurement and Dual-Use Pathways: leveraging agile procurement mechanisms such as the US OTAs and pilot programmes to accelerate adoption while sharing risk with the private sector
• International Collaboration and Pilot Demonstrations: identifying and prioritizing a portfolio of near-term pilot projects and capability demonstrators to validate fusion technology military utility and de-risk integration into future defence programs.

Synthesis of opportunities, concrete follow-ups, group photo.