Agenda

Thursday, September 24, 2026
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Registration & Networking Coffee

Arrival, introductions and informal networking.

9:00 AM - 9:10 AM
Welcome Remarks: Europe, France & the Future of Fusion
  •  France’s position in global fusion and nuclear technology
  • Grenoble as a European centre of science, engineering, and innovation
  • Fusion as an industrial, infrastructure, and energy-security opportunity
9:10 AM - 9:50 AM
Europe in the Global Fusion Race

For decades, Europe has pioneered public fusion R&D, with France hosting the flagship international project ITER and national project WEST led by CEA. Now, however, the global fusion landscape is evolving rapidly, with the US and China pioneering the transition to fusion commercialization– and Europe risks remaining behind. This session examines how Europe can capitalize on the experience in infrastructure, talent, and industrial capability developed through public projects to support the transition toward deployable commercial fusion systems.

  • What is Europe’s competitive position in the global race for commercial fusion?
  • What industrial capability is already created through the ITER supply chain?
  • How can Europe move from science to commercial deployment?
  • What gaps still exist between experimental fusion and bankable projects?
  • What role can France play in Europe’s fusion industrial base?

Moderated by Stuart Allen, CEO - FusionX

9:50 AM - 10:30 AM
Financing European Fusion

Europe possesses major scientific capability but has historically lagged the US in private fusion capital formation. This session examines how France and Europe can finance the transition from laboratory systems to commercial deployment.

  • What types of capital are required for pilot plants and FOAK systems? 
  • How important are public-private partnerships and strategic state support?
  • Can Europe finance long-duration deep-tech infrastructure effectively?
  • Which milestones matter most in attracting private capital?
  • How can Europe retain and scale its fusion companies domestically?

Moderated by Sergei Kniazev, Co-Founder - Module12

10:30 AM - 10:45 AM
Fireside Chat
10:45 AM - 11:15 AM
Networking Coffee Break

Connect with fellow attendees and network over coffee.

11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
Building a European Fusion Industrial Ecosystem

Fusion commercialisation will require far more than plasma physics. Magnets, materials, robotics, cryogenics, power electronics, digital engineering, advanced manufacturing, and supply-chain capability will all be critical strategic industries.

  • Which industrial capabilities can Europe realistically develop and lead globally?
  • How important are existing nuclear and aerospace supply chains?
  • How can Europe scale fusion manufacturing competitively against the US and Asia?
  • How should public and private sectors coordinate industrial development? What kind of partnerships should be supported?
  • What role can Grenoble play within the European fusion ecosystem?

Moderated by Ximena Vásquez-Maignan, Special Advisor & Nuclear Practice Lead - White & Case LLP

12:00 PM - 12:45 PM
AI, Energy & the Fusion Infrastructure Race

As AI accelerates electricity demand, energy availability, grid capacity, cooling, and industrial resilience are becoming strategic bottlenecks. Fusion is emerging not only as a future power source, but as a critical infrastructure layer for the AI era - driving advances in superconductors, advanced magnets, cryogenics, and high- density energy systems.

  • Is energy becoming the main bottleneck to scaling AI?
  • Which fusion-enabling technologies could commercialize before fusion power itself?
  • How could superconductors and advanced energy systems reshape AI infrastructure and data centers?
  • Where do fusion, AI, defence, and industrial sovereignty intersect?
  • How should Europe position itself in the global race for AI and fusion infrastructure?

Moderated by Fatimah Bello, Managing Director - SWD Futures

12:45 PM - 2:00 PM
Networking Lunch

An informal networking lunch connecting participants & panelists

2:00 PM - 2:45 PM
Supply Chain: High-Field Magnets, Cryogenics & the Fuel Cycle

As fusion programmes advance towards demonstration and first-of-a-kind (FOAK) power plants, supply chains for high-field magnet systems including HTS tape, cryogenic systems, and the fusion fuel cycle are becoming increasingly strategic. Availability, cost, manufacturing scale and security of supply across these critical systems could determine not only how quickly fusion is deployed, but also which technologies and companies are ultimately able to scale.

  • Where are the most significant supply-chain bottlenecks emerging across high-field magnet systems including HTS tape, cryogenics, and fuel-cycle technologies, such as tritium production, handling, breeding and recovery?
  • Can manufacturing capacity expand quickly enough to meet demand from multiple fusion programmes progressing towards demonstration and commercial-scale machines?
  • Which fusion supply-chain technologies offer the strongest commercial opportunities beyond fusion, and could adjacent markets help accelerate capacity, learning rates and cost reduction?
  • Where are the greatest opportunities to reduce costs through manufacturing scale, standardisation, design for manufacture, and improved production processes?
  • What investment, industrial partnerships and government interventions are needed now to establish a resilient and secure supply chain for commercial fusion?
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
Europe in the Global Fusion Ecosystem: Positioning for Leadership and Growth
3:45 PM - 4:15 PM
Networking Coffee Break

Connect with fellow attendees and network over coffee.

Afternoon Tour 

13:45 - 15:30 

           & 

14:45 - 17:30 

Grenoble Innovation & Fusion Ecosystem Tour

Delegates will visit Renaissance Fusion and selected facilities within Grenoble’s world-leading science and engineering ecosystem, exploring how the region is translating advanced plasma physics, superconductivity, materials science, and precision engineering into commercially scalable fusion technologies. Workshop sessions will run concurrently throughout the visit.

The visit will include:

  • Renaissance Fusion’s stellarator-based approach and strategy
  • HTS technologies and liquid metal wall concepts
  • Advanced manufacturing and precision engineering capabilities ecosystem
  • Research-to-commercialisation pathways: universities, start-ups, and industry
  • Q&A with Renaissance Fusion leadership, researchers, and engineering teams
  • Parallel workshop sessions running alongside the facility visits

Workshop Sessions Include:

4:15 PM - 5:30 PM
Enabling Fusion Industrialization: From EU Strategy to National Regulatory Frameworks 
Financing Fusion at Scale: Risk, Capital and Bankability Across the Value Chain