Kyocera Corporation (President: Hideo Tanimoto) and Kyoto Fusioneering Ltd. (CEO: Satoshi Konishi) have signed a joint development agreement to co-create advanced ceramic materials for use in next-generation fusion energy plants.
As part of the partnership, Kyocera Corporation (“Kyocera”) has also made a strategic investment in Kyoto Fusioneering (“KF”) through the Kyocera Venture Innovation Fund I (KVIF-I), a corporate venture fund established jointly with the Global Brain Corporation (President: Yasuhiko Yurimoto). By combining Kyocera’s expertise in materials science with KF’s cutting-edge fusion technologies, the two companies are aiming to contribute to the rapid development and real-world deployment of fusion energy.
1. Background of the Collaboration
Fusion energy is widely recognized as a potential game-changer in addressing global energy demands and combating climate change. Compared to conventional thermal and nuclear power generation, fusion energy offers a clean, virtually limitless energy source with minimal greenhouse gas emissions and significantly less hazardous radioactive waste.
To make fusion energy a practical reality, however, specialized materials must be developed to withstand extreme environments, including high temperatures, intense neutron radiation, and high-voltage conditions. Ceramic materials are especially promising for this purpose, thanks to their outstanding heat resistance, electrical insulation properties, corrosion resistance, thermal conductivity, and durability under radiation exposure. These properties make ceramics ideal for a wide range of components inside of fusion reactors, from internal structural parts and insulators to systems for cooling and heat management. Under this new agreement, Kyocera will contribute its world-class ceramic technologies and manufacturing know-how, while KF will bring its advanced fusion engineering expertise and in-depth understanding of reactor materials. By working together, the two companies will jointly tackle key technical challenges and advance the development of materials critical to the future of fusion energy.
2. Overview of the Collaboration
Through this joint development agreement and strategic investment, Kyocera seeks to deepen its understanding of fusion energy technologies and explore new applications of its advanced ceramics in next-generation energy systems. At the same time, KF will enhance the performance of key fusion plant systems, including the blanket for heat extraction and the fuel supply system, by integrating Kyocera’s high-performance ceramic materials.
The collaboration will focus on three key areas:
- Developing silicon carbide composite materials for use in fusion energy plants
- Creating components related to solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) for efficient tritium recovery
- Jointly exploring additional component technologies to support fusion plant development
By driving innovation via cutting-edge technologies, both companies will continuously be committed to supporting sustainable development of the human society and the preservation of the global environment for the future.
3. Comments from Both Companies
Shoichi Nakagawa Executive Officer and General Manager, R&D Division, Kyocera Corporation
“We are delighted to join this ambitious endeavor to realize fusion energy—often referred to as the energy of dreams—by leveraging our long-standing expertise in materials technology, particularly in ceramics. By responding to Kyoto Fusioneering’s advanced requirements for materials and components, which are based on their extensive knowledge of fusion and outstanding engineering capabilities for power generation, we aim to further enhance our own materials technologies. We firmly believe that we can accelerate the development of technologies essential for the realization of fusion energy by combining the strengths of both companies. Through the continued close collaboration, we remain committed to contributing to the sustainable advancement of society and humankind.”
Satoshi Konishi Co-Founder and CEO, Kyoto Fusioneering Ltd.
“The success of fusion energy depends on collaboration with partners like Kyocera, whose world-class manufacturing technologies are essential to overcoming technical challenges. Together, we will develop advanced ceramic materials and components capable of withstanding the extreme conditions within fusion energy plants. By co-creating new energy systems, we are confident this partnership will accelerate the path to real-world deployment and contribute to a more sustainable future for humanity.”