FUSION INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT | COVER STORY
Above: Tokamak Energy has secured north of $200m of investment to drive development of its fusion technology
(1,034 more employees), and up nearly 300% since 2021 (3,011 more employees), nearly half of those employed are engineers (48%), a quarter are scientists (25%), and a quarter are in other roles (27%). The report notes that the fusion industry workforce is
predominantly of scientists and engineers, who together constitute approximately 73% of all employees. This high concentration of technical expertise, the report says, is indicative of the intensive research and development efforts required to advance fusion technology. Furthermore, the sector’s ability to consistently increase employment underscores its resilience and adaptability in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. Workforce needs will continue to grow, and the industry has adopted an “all hands on deck” approach to hiring skilled employees from diverse backgrounds and outside the traditional scientific sectors. “We’ve got over 4,000 people in fusion companies right
now, but what we’re aiming for really is manufacturing at the scale of Boeing or Airbus or large auto manufacturers. In the long term that is the plan, but right now it is not necessary”. He also points to interest from governments, universities and other stakeholders in getting the STEM workforce in place. In particular he points to local government as a key driver, saying: “Regional governments are often very interested in supporting workforce development in multiple ways because if you have the workforce then you attract the companies”.
Pointing to global winners in the fusion race Considering the geographical concentration of fusion efforts, the US remains the global leader for commercial
fusion with 25 companies recorded in the survey. The US is followed by the UK, Germany, Japan, and China, all nations with three companies each. Switzerland is a new entrant, now hosting two fusion companies, while Australia, Canada, France, Israel, New Zealand, and Sweden all have one each. However, the specific number of companies is not necessarily a reflection of the national fusion efforts that are underway. Holland explains: “If you look at the numbers the largest number of companies and the largest amount invested in those companies is into American companies, it’s about $5.3bn of that $7.1bn, but then the second country for total amount invested is China. There are three Chinese companies mentioned in the report and if you add up the total invested into those three companies it’s over $500m. If you compare those companies that are serious with a very serious national programme I think that there is an emerging geopolitical race. It’s not just money, the Chinese are able to build very fast they don’t have to go through the rigorous planning permission processes. Government can make a decision and move quickly and historically we used to be able to do that in the West but haven’t recently.” Despite sounding a note of potential caution, overall
the message is one of growing confidence. As Holland concludes: “Continued growth in investment and employee numbers are exactly what we should be seeing in a maturing industry and underscores confidence in fusion technology’s potential. With government policies shifting to direct more public funding into private fusion companies, the major players are aligning behind a shared goal.” Sustainable and abundant energy from fusion is looking increasingly attainable. ■
www.neimagazine.com | August 2024 | 27
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