Members access

Swiss Ecosystem (Academic & Industrial)

Switzerland hold most of the ingredients to be a major player un the fusion field thanks to its academic and industrial economic basis.

Swiss Plasma Center (SPC) – EPFL (Lausanne)

The SPC is the core hub of fusion research in Switzerland and is internationally recognized for its major contributions to magnetic confinement fusion:

TCV
Tokamak

(Variable Configuration Tokamak) A unique experimental reactor used to study, shape, and control diverse plasma geometries.

Heating & Superconductivity

Key breakthroughs in Electron Cyclotron Heating (ECH) systems and testing facility operations for low- and high-temperature superconducting cables used in projects like ITER and DEMO.

AI &
Plasma Control

Pioneering collaborations (including work with Google DeepMind) to stabilize and control magnetic plasmas using deep reinforcement learning.

Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), ETH Zürich & UNI Basel

  • PSI:
    World-class expertise in material science under radiation, neutronics, and the testing of components exposed to extreme thermal and radiation environments inside fusion reactors.

  • ETH Zürich:
    Leading research in electrochemical lithium isotope separation, advanced materials for lithium-6 enrichment, sustainable resource recovery, and fusion fuel-cycle technologies.

  • Uni Basel:
    Leading research in fusion diagnostic first-mirror coatings, advanced protective materials, plasma–surface interactions, and erosion mitigation to ensure optical performance in extreme fusion environments.

2. Industrial Fabric & Supply Chain

  • While Switzerland is not currently constructing a commercial fusion reactor on its home soil, its high-precision industrial ecosystem serves as a critical supplier for international projects:

    • Precision Engineering & Microtechnology: Manufacturing ultra-precise mechanical components with tight tolerances for vacuum vessels, divertors, and internal reactor structures.

    • Cryogenics & Vacuum Technology: Supply of ultra-high vacuum (UHV) pumps, cryogenic insulation, and cooling infrastructures for superconducting magnets.

    • Power Electronics & RF Systems: Development of high-power frequency generators and amplifiers for RF plasma heating.

    • Advanced Materials & Metallurgy: High-performance alloys and coatings designed to withstand extreme thermal fluxes and neutron bombardment.

3. Institutional Position & International Integration

  • EUROfusion & ITER: Through EPFL and the SPC, Switzerland has historically been an integral partner in the EUROfusion consortium, with Swiss industrial suppliers actively securing contracts for the international ITER tokamak project in Cadarache, France.

  • Industry Representation & Advocacy: Initiatives like the Swiss Fusion Industry Association aim to unite Swiss industrial suppliers, startups, academic institutions, and policymakers to structure the local supply chain, advocate for Swiss commercial interests in global procurement tenders, and accelerate the development of commercial fusion technologies (tokamaks, stellarators, and alternative approaches).