SAXFUSION connects research institutions with traditional Saxon industry to unlock commercial opportunities in fusion energy technologies.
Nuclear fusion has long captured humanity’s imagination. It is the ultimate clean energy promise: the power of the stars brought down to Earth. In an era defined by climate urgency, geopolitical instability, and the accelerating global demand for reliable energy, fusion is no longer merely a scientific aspiration. It is increasingly viewed as an industrial and strategic necessity. The same reaction that fuels the Sun offers the prospect of an abundant, carbon-free, and inherently safe energy source — but only if the scientific breakthroughs of today can be translated into the industrial capabilities of tomorrow.
That translation cannot happen in isolation. Fusion demands ecosystems: places where research excellence, industrial strength, and political foresight come together with a shared purpose. And in the heart of Europe, Saxony is positioning itself to become exactly that kind of ecosystem.
Pioneering fusion research and development in Saxony
SAXFUSION is the state’s coordinated answer to the fusion challenge. Conceived as Saxony’s dedicated competence network for fusion technologies, it unites the region’s leading research institutes, universities, and industrial partners under one strategic roof. Rather than waiting for fusion to arrive as a finished technology, SAXFUSION is shaping the conditions that will allow Saxony — and, by extension, Germany and Europe — to play a defining role in the global fusion economy.
At the core of this network stands the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf. With its internationally recognised Institute of Radiation Physics and its high-power laser systems DRACO and PENELOPE, the Helmholtz Beamline for Extreme Fields at the European XFEL and the CASUS Center for Advanced System Understanding, HZDR provides the scientific backbone for SAXFUSION. Its researchers are working at the frontier of plasma-material interaction, high-power laser experimentation and artificial-intelligence–driven modelling. Their expertise does not simply advance fusion science; it enables the technologies that future reactors will require.
Translating that scientific capability into industrial reality is the task of the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS. Known for its strengths in advanced manufacturing and technology transfer, Fraunhofer IWS brings an essential dimension to the network: the ability to scale. It ensures that the innovations emerging from laboratories can be adapted, engineered, and ultimately produced for industrial markets.
Fraunhofer IFAM complements this strength with deep expertise in powder metallurgy, additive manufacturing, and the development of alloys engineered to withstand extreme thermal and mechanical stress. Fusion systems will operate under some of the harshest conditions ever engineered, and IFAM’s work is critical to developing materials capable of surviving and performing reliably in such environments. The existing expertise in hydrogen technology provides a strong basis for substantial contributions to fuel supply and processing.
Academic depth is provided by the Dresden University of Technology – one of Europe’s most respected institutions in nuclear science, fusion neutronics, laser-based high-performance materials, and molten salt technology. Utilising both the AKR-2 training reactor and the DT neutron generator, the university is not only advancing technical knowledge but training the next generation of engineers and physicists who will build and operate future fusion power plants.
The network’s technological excellence is rounded out by two prominent Leibniz Institutes. IFW Dresden, Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research, focuses on the development and characterisation of advanced structural materials, while IOM Leipzig, Leibniz Institute of Surface Engineering, provides leading knowledge in surface engineering and precision optical finishing. These disciplines are not peripheral to fusion, they are fundamental to ensuring reactor longevity and system efficiency.
Together, these institutions create a comprehensive fusion ecosystem that spans plasma science, materials research, optics, manufacturing, and digital simulation. It is this breadth – this integration – that gives SAXFUSION its distinctive character and strategic value.
A focused activity programme
During its three-year development phase, SAXFUSION is focusing its activities on four central technology pillars. Laser and optical technologies form the first, because high-energy laser systems are indispensable for the initiation and control of fusion plasmas. The second pillar centres on the development of fuel capsules and fusion targets – a field especially relevant for inertial confinement fusion concepts. The third pillar addresses reactor materials that must withstand intense radiation and thermal loads. And the fourth pillar is simulation, artificial intelligence and data management, and analysis for fusion. Here, the region’s leadership is already internationally acknowledged, with high-performance codes such as PIConGPU and ISHTAR enabling sophisticated multi-scale modelling of fusion plasmas and materials behaviour.
This emphasis on simulation is more than an academic advantage. It allows SAXFUSION to create digital twins of fusion research infrastructures and future power plants, dramatically accelerating design cycles and improving system reliability. In a technology as complex as fusion, digital competence becomes a cornerstone of industrial readiness.
What makes SAXFUSION especially compelling is its relevance for industry today. While commercial fusion reactors are still under development, global fusion programmes and private fusion companies are already defining the manufacturing and material requirements of the future. Companies that position themselves early can become indispensable partners within the global fusion supply chain.
For many small and medium-sized enterprises, however, fusion remains a difficult field to access. The technological thresholds are high, and the strategic landscape can appear uncertain. SAXFUSION lowers these barriers. It provides structured access to knowledge, partners and innovation pathways, helping companies evaluate their capabilities, identify market potential and develop long-term strategies for engagement.
Beyond consulting and competence mapping, SAXFUSION also functions as a platform for visibility and collaboration. Companies and institutions become part of a living network that shares information, hosts events and promotes exchange between science, industry, and policymakers. In doing so, SAXFUSION fosters not only technological development, but also the kind of transparent, fact-based public dialogue that is essential for broad societal acceptance of fusion energy.
Regionally, the initiative strengthens Saxony’s innovation landscape and ensures that local talent and expertise are retained and expanded. Nationally, it positions Saxony as a key contributor to Germany’s high-tech energy agenda. Internationally, it connects the region with European and global fusion networks, reinforcing its role as a competitive and forward-looking technology hub.
This strategic ambition is backed by long-term funding. Supported by the European Regional Development Fund (EFRE) and the Free State of Saxony, SAXFUSION benefits from the political and economic commitment required to build sustainable structures for fusion research and industry alike.
Building the foundations to make fusion possible
In the final analysis, fusion is not simply about the energy of the future. It is about the industries, skills, and infrastructures we build today in order to make that future possible.
SAXFUSION embodies this philosophy. It unites Saxony’s scientific excellence, industrial competence, and academic leadership into a powerful, coordinated engine for fusion innovation. It strengthens dialogue, opens new markets, and prepares the region to take its place within the next generation of global energy technologies.
SAXFUSION stands for the future, for cooperation, and for Saxony’s determined step into the era of fusion energy.
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