Proxima Fusion and Fujikura plan German HTS tape supply chain

Proxima Fusion and Fujikura have signed an MOU to explore industrial-scale high-temperature superconducting tape production in Germany, aiming to support Europe’s emerging fusion supply chain. The partnership is designed to match Fujikura’s manufacturing expertise with Proxima’s long-term demand for stellarator magnets.

Why it matters: - The agreement could help Europe build the industrial base needed to supply fusion machines at commercial scale. - High-temperature superconducting tape is a critical input for compact, high-field magnets in stellarators. - A European production base could reduce supply-chain risk and support lower costs as fusion projects move closer to deployment.

What happened: - Proxima Fusion and Fujikura signed a memorandum of understanding in Tokyo on the occasion of Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit to Japan. - Naoki Okada, president and CEO of Fujikura Ltd., and Dr. Francesco Sciortino, CEO and co-founder of Proxima Fusion, signed the MOU. - The companies will assess the technical, commercial and economic requirements for industrial-scale HTS tape manufacturing in Germany. - The partners will accelerate a joint review of how they could support a European HTS tape supply chain in Lower Saxony.

The details: - Proxima expects to need about 20,000 kilometers of HTS tape for its Alpha demonstrator. - Proxima expects to need about 40,000 kilometers of HTS tape for each planned Stellaris power plant. - The collaboration is intended to match long-term demand from Proxima’s stellarator program with Fujikura’s manufacturing capabilities. - Fujikura brings experience in research, development and manufacturing of HTS tape. - HTS tape demand is expected to grow as fusion commercialization advances and as multiple regions build resilient supply chains. - Europe already hosts major fusion assets, including Wendelstein 7-X in Germany, JET in the United Kingdom and ITER in France. - Establishing production in Germany would help Europe convert research strength into industrial capability. - The partnership also aims to deepen industrial cooperation between Japan and Germany.

Between the lines: - Proxima needs supply-chain certainty years before its first plants are built, so the company is pushing upstream now rather than waiting for commercialization. - Fujikura appears to be testing whether its HTS business can become part of a broader European manufacturing platform. - The deal reflects a wider fusion trend: technical progress is increasingly tied to industrial planning, not just physics milestones.

What's next: - The two companies will study whether a German-based production setup is technically and economically viable. - The assessment will inform whether a broader European supply and manufacturing platform for HTS tape can move forward. - If the feasibility work advances, the collaboration could support future industrial investment tied to Proxima’s Alpha and Stellaris roadmap.

The bottom line: - Proxima Fusion and Fujikura are trying to secure one of fusion’s most important materials before demand outpaces supply.