From August 25 to 28, 2026, the four-day 2026 Fusion Energy Conference and Fusion Week was successfully held in Minhang District, Shanghai. Under the theme "Pooling Innovation for a Fusion-Powered Future," the conference consisted of two core segments—the Fusion Energy Conference and the Fusion Week—which were held concurrently and advanced in tandem.
The conference was jointly organized by the China International Nuclear Fusion Energy Program Execution Center, the Southwestern Institute of Physics of the Nuclear Industry, the Institute of Plasma Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the China Academy of Engineering Physics. It was hosted by the China Fusion Energy Corporation and Shanghai State-owned Capital Investment Co., Ltd.
The event brought together over 1,900 experts, scholars, and representatives from enterprises and institutions across China's fusion energy community to discuss the latest research progress and future development pathways in nuclear fusion energy.
Zhang Guangjun, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology; Wu Xinbao, Vice Chairman of the Shanghai Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC); and Shen Yanfeng, Party Secretary and Chairman of the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches.
During the conference, eight parallel academic forums were established, covering the following areas: Fusion Experiment and Theoretical Simulation, Fusion Reactor Engineering and Technology, Inertial Confinement Fusion Science and Technology, Fusion Reactor Materials and Technology, Tritium Systems and Application Technology for Fusion Reactors, Superconducting Materials and Magnet Engineering Technology, Safety Analysis and Environmental Assessment for Fusion Reactors, and Multi-path Exploration of Fusion Energy. The forums featured 159 oral presentations and over 500 academic posters, fully demonstrating the concurrent advancement of fundamental research and engineering practice in China's fusion energy field, as well as the rapid growth of young talents in the sector.
The Fusion Week was held concurrently with the conference. A total of 60 research institutes, universities, commercial fusion companies, and supply chain enterprises participated in the accompanying industrial exhibition and related activities, showcasing 64 cutting-edge technologies and core products, which effectively promoted the deep integration of the innovation chain and the industrial chain.
Nearly 100 organizations took part in roundtable forums, which covered seven thematic sessions: New Patterns of International Collaboration in Fusion Energy, Multi-element Synergy for Deep Integration of Technological Innovation and Industrial Innovation in Fusion Energy, Social Capital Supporting Fusion Energy Development, Open Sharing of Large-scale Fusion Science Facilities, Fusion Talent Development, Enterprise-driven Innovation for Engineering Breakthroughs in Fusion Energy, and Artificial Intelligence Empowering Fusion Energy.
In parallel, a variety of public outreach activities on fusion energy were also held, including dialogue sessions between media and scientists, as well as live-streaming sessions by science popularization self-media bloggers.
