A flurry of government plans
One after another, governments around the world are unveiling their strategies for national programs in fusion energy. Common themes consistently emerge: significant technical challenges remain on the road to commercialization, there is a need for a clear regulatory framework, and public-private partnerships are key to acceleration. Below is a selection of some of the most recent policy papers, announcements, and strategy documents released by the ITER Members.
China: China has emphasized its fusion energy goals as part of its recently released 15th Five-Year Plan for economic development covering 2026 to 2030. This follows an announcement this summer that China is setting up a state-owned fusion energy company, China Fusion Energy Co., which will be a subsidiary of the China National Nuclear Corporation. This is part of the country’s long-term fusion strategy that includes the newly baptized China Fusion Engineering Demo Reactor that will serve as a bridge between ITER and commercial fusion plants.
European Union: The new European Union strategy for fusion energy, planned for release later this year, is intended to clarify the pathway towards commercialization through increased coordination between the public and private sectors and a specific approach to regulation. Several recent reports and discussion papers are informing the debate. See Towards the EU Fusion Strategy from the European Union’s Fusion Expert Group published in April; Fusion energy: A paradigm shift in power generation for Europe? published in September by the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS); Regulatory Frameworks for Fusion Technologies published last month by the International Group of Legal Experts on Fusion Energy (FELEX).
India: Like other ITER Members, is exploring concepts for a demonstration reactor, DEMO, that will test technologies for a fusion reactor. The country is considering a four-stage approach to establish power performance, tritium breeding, fuelling over long-pulse operations, and technology integration on the way to the pilot plant (see more details here). At a recent event at ITER (India Fusion Day), government and industry representatives cited participation in ITER as a key element in India’s fusion research plans and the foundation for an Indian nuclear fusion industry.
Japan: In June 2025, Japan’s Cabinet Office updated its 2023 Fusion Energy Innovation Strategy, emphasizing the “industrialization of fusion energy” as a central component of its strategic vision (see all documents in Japanese here) and proposing a more ambitious timeline. The strategy seeks to leverage Japan’s expertise from projects such as ITER and the Europe-Japan JT-60SA tokamak, while strengthening the domestic supply chain to develop a homegrown nuclear fusion industry through coordinated public-private initiatives and an adapted regulatory framework. Also in 2025, the Japan Fusion Energy Council published a White Paper on Japan’s Fusion Energy Industry with recommendations on regulating fusion in Japan (available in Japanese and English).
Korea: At the Nuclear Fusion Energy Technology Development Strategy Forum held in October by Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT, officials unveiled a roadmap (see the Korean or English versions) to accelerate progress in eight core nuclear fusion technologies. Some of these—such as high-efficiency heating and current drive systems, superconducting magnets, and artificial intelligence applications—can be tested on the Korean Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) device, which serves as a scaled model for future reactors. Other key areas, including fusion materials, technologies for continuous long-term operation and power extraction, and the regulatory framework, will be advanced through strengthened collaboration among academia, industry, and research institutes, as well as the country’s participation in ITER. A preliminary feasibility study will be launched to select a site for advanced research infrastructure.
Russian Federation: The development of fusion and plasma technologies are part of the Russian Federation’s U3 Federal Project within the broader DETSR Comprehensive Program on nuclear energy. The work scope—designed to ensure “balanced progress toward nuclear fusion power”—covers five areas: basic nuclear fusion technologies, the development of hybrid (fusion-fission) reactor technologies and systems, innovative industrial applications, laser nuclear fusion, and the development of a regulatory framework for fusion and hybrid systems. The Program runs through 2030. (More detail here.)
United States: In October, the US Department of Energy (DOE) announced its Fusion Science and Technology Roadmap, a national strategy to accelerate the development and commercialization of fusion energy. It identifies the key research, materials, and technology gaps that must be closed to realize a Fusion Pilot Plant (FPP) and defines a “Build–Innovate–Grow” strategy to coordinate and align public investment with private innovation. A second paper published in October by the Special Competitive Studies Project’s (SCSP) Commission on the Scaling of Fusion Energy calls for the rapid commercialization of fusion energy as a strategic priority for the United States and suggests an investment of at least USD 10 billion.