UK-Japan fusion partnership strengthened by UKAEA and QST

The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and Japan’s National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST) have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) to deepen collaborative activities and cooperation mechanisms in fusion energy development.

Coinciding with the recent visit to the UK by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the MoC builds on the UK–Japan Fusion Memorandum of Cooperation agreed in June 2025, reflecting both nations’ shared ambition to accelerate the development of fusion as a safe, sustainable and secure energy source, while unlocking economic growth and industrial opportunities.

The UKAEA-QST MoC signed establishes a framework for joint research, engineering development and knowledge exchange, strengthening international collaboration to address key scientific and engineering challenges on the pathway to commercially deployable fusion energy.

Areas of collaboration may include:

• Fusion core and plant technologies, including breeding blanket systems, plasma science and materials
• Fusion plant systems engineering and integration, covering whole-plant design, operation and maintenance, including robotics and autonomous systems
• Fuel cycle and safety, including tritium technologies
• Regulation, standards and skills development, supporting clear deployment pathways and a skilled fusion workforce
• Affordability and commercial viability, supporting the delivery of economically attractive fusion energy.

Through this framework, the partnership will enable the development of targeted collaborative projects, joint research, exchange of expertise, and shared use of facilities.

Lord Vallance, Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear, said:

This Memorandum of Cooperation between the UKAEA and Japan’s QST on fusion energy marks a significant step in strengthening our global partnerships and accelerating progress towards clean, secure energy.

Britain is a world leader in the fusion industry, and the UKAEA working closely with international partners will help enable us to move ever closer to unlocking fusion’s potential to provide virtually limitless clean energy.

This builds on backing the sector with over £2.5 billion and launching our national Fusion Strategy — supporting thousands of high-skilled jobs across the country, from Nottinghamshire to Oxfordshire and South Yorkshire.

Yasuyoshi Kakita, Vice-Minister for Policy Coordination, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), commented:

We are very pleased with the conclusion of this Memorandum of Cooperation between the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.

The governments of Japan and the United Kingdom signed an MOC in June 2025, agreeing to deepen collaboration in research and development, skill and workforce development, and other areas.

This institutional cooperation further concretizes the partnership between the two countries, and we look forward to the creation of outcomes that will be of value to both nations. In Japan’s new growth strategy, fusion energy has been designated as one of 17 key strategic areas, and efforts are underway to explore initiatives toward societal implementation, including research and development.

We hope that this cooperation with the UK will contribute to accelerating the early realization of fusion energy.

Tim Bestwick, CEO, UKAEA, said:

Fusion energy is a global challenge that requires international collaboration. This cooperation with QST strengthens our long-standing partnership with Japan in fusion-related technologies and creates new opportunities to combine our expertise to tackle key challenges in delivering fusion power. By working together, we can accelerate progress towards commercially deployable fusion and its long-term economic and energy benefits.

Shigeo Koyasu, President of QST, commented:

Fusion energy research and development is essential to addressing global challenges. This collaboration with UKAEA provides a new opportunity to further strengthen the long-standing partnership between Japan and the United Kingdom in fusion energy development, while bringing together the expertise of both sides to tackle key challenges toward the demonstration of fusion power generation. Through this cooperation, I hope this will contribute to the creation of significant social and economic value, particularly in the fields of energy and the broader economy.

source: GOV

photo credit: No 10 Downing Street