The FS&T Roadmap was unveiled as part of a series of U.S. Fusion Energy Enterprise Events being held this week in Washington, D.C. this week. The Summit brings together leaders from government, industry, and academia to discuss the future of American fusion energy.
Developed with input from more than 600 scientists, engineers, and industry stakeholders, the Roadmap identifies the key research, materials, and technology gaps that must be closed to realize a Fusion Pilot Plant (FPP) and strengthen U.S. leadership in the global fusion industry.
The FS&T Roadmap establishes a unified strategy for the U.S. fusion enterprise built around three primary drivers:
- Build critical infrastructure to close fusion materials and technology gaps;
- Innovate through advanced research, high-performance computing, and artificial intelligence; and
- Grow the U.S. fusion ecosystem through public-private partnerships, regional manufacturing hubs, and workforce development.
"Fusion is real, near, and ready for coordinated action," said Jean Paul Allain, Associate Director of DOE's Office of Fusion Energy Sciences. "This roadmap provides the strategic foundation for building the scientific, technical, and industrial base needed to ensure American leadership in commercial fusion on an ambitious timeline."
With more than $9 billion in private investment already advancing burning-plasma demonstrations and prototype reactor designs, DOE is coordinating a national effort to close the remaining technical gaps-spanning materials, plasma systems, fuel cycles, and plant engineering. Through the Build–Innovate–Grow strategy, DOE and its partners across national laboratories, industry, universities, and allied nations are strengthening domestic supply chains, advancing fusion science, and securing America's leadership in the race to deliver commercial fusion energy. The Roadmap outlines DOE's plan to address these challenges through coordinated investments in six core fusion science and technology areas: structural materials, plasma-facing components, confinement systems, fuel cycle, blankets, and plant engineering and integration.
The activities outlined in the Fusion S&T Roadmap are focused on prioritizing strategic directions for the DOE to further collaborate with the US Fusion Industry. DOE's ability to support this Roadmap's milestones and timelines of scaling up the domestic fusion private sector by the 2030s is contingent on the development of future public private partnerships. This Roadmap is not committing DOE to specific funding levels, and future funding will be subject to Congressional appropriations.