Yesterday ExoFusion, a leading innovator in fusion energy, announced a series of groundbreaking developments that could significantly accelerate the path to Commercially Viable Fusion (CVF). The company received the prestigious INFUSE award for their work in partnership with Penn State University, focusing on “Testing Novel Liquid Metal PFC compositions.” This research is crucial for the advancement of Plasma-Facing Components (PFCs), which are vital to achieving the high-confinement regimes necessary for sustained fusion reactions.

ExoFusion’s Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Mike Kotschenreuther, highlighted the importance of this award, stating that their innovations in PFCs are part of a broader strategy to rethink the industry’s approach to plasma dynamics and confinement. The company has made significant strides in three key areas:

1. Transport Barriers:
   ExoFusion’s research has demonstrated that turbulence, which typically causes heat to leak out from the plasma core, can be prevented under specific conditions. This finding is critical for maintaining the extreme temperatures required for fusion, potentially revolutionizing the way various machine types handle plasma confinement.
2. Confinement Data Analysis:
   The company’s analysis of tokamak data has validated their scientific approach, showing that their patented Super-XT Divertor™ operates effectively under fusion-relevant conditions. This breakthrough supports their thesis that high confinement is the key to achieving CVF.
3. Space Thruster Breakthroughs:
   ExoFusion’s work on liquid metal alloys has not only advanced fusion technology but also holds promise for the next generation of space thrusters. These innovations could extend the lifespan and operational capabilities of satellites and support more ambitious interplanetary missions.

According to ExoFusion CEO Romi Mahajan, these breakthroughs exemplify the company’s leadership in both scientific and business innovation. As they continue to develop solutions that benefit the entire industry, ExoFusion is poised to play a pivotal role in the collective march towards CVF.

A guest blog by Romi Mahajan

In her path breaking book “The Entrepreneurial State”, Marianna Mazzucato argues cogently, and with plenty of evidence, that the State is the key actor in technology innovation and development. We use the words “the” and “key” purposely- for four reasons:

1. The State creates and/or underwrites new technologies with a long-term view.
2. The State’s investment and ongoing incentives limit private risk.
3. There is no private investor that can compete with the State with regard to pool of available capital.
4. The State’s investments are not measured with the same ROI calculations and over the same periods.

One can go-on (and on) but these four parameters themselves make the case. Mazzucato isn’t alone in her analysis- most scholars agree- though her ideas might seem anathema to those in the technology sector who like to excessively laud private “innovation” and simultaneously lambast “government.” We can discuss this victory of Public Relations later. Here, we are interested more in understanding this idea as it pertains to the march to Commercially Viable Fusion (CVF).

Fusion has been underwritten almost exclusively the State. For seven decades, the quest for CVF has been ongoing. The carriage of Fusion has been characterized by fits and starts, but the overall vector has been positive. For many, the quest for CVF is seen as a bottomless pit of investment, but others see this as the standard manner in which science progresses- a sort of punctuated equilibrium of change. Each success and each failure begets something better.

While the State might be the key actor, there is no suggestion that private investment and innovation is unnecessary; it is in fact crucial. Private investment typically comes later in the game, when the infrastructure and basic science undergirding technology innovation has been developed. So too with CVF.

At some point in the innovation and development cycle, a sufficient critical mass of knowledge, talent, and advanced methods generates interest in the private sector and propels investment in the space. At this point, the punctuation can begin in earnest, as a variety of both competing and collaborative players strive to push the industry forward rapidly and with hope of private profit as well as public benefit. That’s where we are with CVF today. It’s indeed a heady era.

At this stage, with the efflorescence of interest and investment, firms in the CVF space must be willing to share, collaborate, and enhance each other. The stakes are high. An ecosystem must be built with intention.

Clearly, there are competing ideas, some more solid than others (forgive the pun.) Clearly, there are companies that will fail and some that will succeed. But, as with science, both successes and failures advance the industry.

It is our time.