Fraunhofer-Institut für Lasertechnik ILTDue to the widespread interest within Fraunhofer, we will be broadcasting Dr. Allain's presentation via MS Teams on Friday. This will be followed by a moderated discussion with Prof. Dr. Constantin Haefner, Commissary for Fusion Research at Fraunhofer, and Head of the BMBF Expert Commission for Inertial Fusion Energy. You can participate live via chat.
You may recall the "Fokustag Fusion" event at Fraunhofer ILT last year, where we shared information about the breakthrough in laser fusion energy and the potential for developing key technologies for the fusion energy industry and research.
Since then, there have been significant advancements. NIF has achieved fusion ignition reliably in every shot, breaking the ignition barrier five more times. The BMBF expert commission on laser fusion energy submitted a comprehensive report (Memorandum Laser Inertial Fusion Energy - BMBF) and recommendations to Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger, followed by the release of the BMBF position paper on fusion energy in June 2023. As a result, the German government has made significant progress in the development of a new fusion energy research program called Fusion 2040, which is scheduled to launch late spring 2024.
As we continue preparations at Fraunhofer to support industry in fusion R&D (we will soon send out invitations for an industry day), we are thrilled to announce the upcoming visit of Dr. JP Allain, the Associate Director for Fusion Energy at the United States Department of Energy, to Fraunhofer ILT in Aachen later this week. During his visit, Dr. Allain has kindly agreed to present his new vision and strategy for R&D and the delivery of fusion energy in the United States. There are many similarities between the German and American roadmap and programs, and he is eager to hear your questions and discuss your insights Enabling Technologies R&D and business models, and how we can bring these innovations to fruition.