Accelerating Commercial Fusion: the Role of Industry and Academia
As part of Climate Week at Columbia Engineering, we invite you to a special event on fusion energy.
Is fusion energy just around the corner? Recent years have seen several dramatic advances in this field: fusion ignition by lasers at the National Ignition Facility, 59 megajoules of fusion energy by the magnetic approach in the United Kingdom, and most importantly the emergence of a vibrant fusion private sector backed by $7 billion of venture capital funding.
How can progress in fusion be accelerated? This panel and event will explore the progress and plans in the private sector, discuss the ambitious timelines of leading fusion startup companies, and identify the challenges facing the sector.
What is academia’s role? Hosted by Columbia University, one of the nation’s premier academic programs in this field, the panel will also discuss the essential role of university programs in performing early-stage R&D, developing new concepts, and building the fusion workforce of tomorrow.
You are invited to participate in this public event, which will feature a panel discussion, tour of the Columbia Plasma Physics Laboratory, and reception. A part of Climate Week NYC 2024, come visit a working laboratory at the cutting edge of this exciting clean energy technology.
SPEAKERS
- Opening remarks by Shih-Fu Chang, Dean of Columbia Engineering
- Alexis Abramson, Dean of Columbia Climate School
- Sam Wurzel, Founder, Fusion Energy Base
- Michael Segal, Senior Director, Open Innovation, Commonwealth Fusion Systems
- Michael Ginsberg, President, Tokamak Energy LLC
- Cary Forest, University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor of Physics and Co-Founder, CTO of Realta Fusion
- Charlie Baynes-Reid, CFO and General Counsel, Type One Energy
