Keio University KMD Research Institute Launches New “Fusion Industry Research Center”
News
—Towards Fusion Energy that Supports Society and Enriches People’s Lives —
Keio University Graduate School of Media Design (Location: Kohoku-ku, Yokohama; Director: Masa Inakage) has established a new research center, the “Fusion Industry Research Center,” which began operations on December 1st.
Going forward, the center will work on new research activities that connect academia, industry, policy, and local communities to realize the implementation of nuclear fusion energy, benefitting society and enriching people’s lives.
Background of the Establishment
As relates to the energy transition, fusion energy is attracting attention as the ultimate form of clean energy. However, despite rapid technological progress, the social infrastructure, including institutional design, market formation, and social acceptance, is not yet sufficiently developed.
To address these challenges, the center was created to bring together knowledge across academia, industry, and local communities, and to co-create the social implementation of fusion energy.
Purpose and Overview of the Center
By gathering leading experts from industry, government, academia, and civil society, the center aims to approach fusion not only from a technological perspective, but also from an economic, public policy, and ethical perspective. Its goal is to lead institutional design, policymaking, and market creation in its role as a hub for research on social implementation.
With the mission of turning fusion energy into a force that enriches people’s lives, the center will work together with industry, government, academia, and citizens to shape a future where fusion is rooted in society.
The center’s research activities cover the following three areas:
- Fusion Policy & Strategy Research Think Tank – Conducts systematic research on nuclear fusion, industrialization strategies, policy frameworks, and investment trends amid the global race to develop nuclear fusion. It scientifically analyzes institutional, policy, and regulatory issues based on evidence, and uses this to offer highly transparent policy proposals to the national government, local governments, and industry, supporting a sustainable energy transition.
- Industry–Local Government–Citizen Co-Creation Platform – Through collaboration and matchmaking between industry and academia, building cooperative relationships with local governments and residents, citizen dialogue, educational programs, and co-creation events, the center advances the social implementation of fusion energy, rooted in local communities.
- Demonstration & Social Implementation Support Program – To accelerate early power-plant deployment and subsequent social implementation, the center supports regulatory and safety issues, examines business models, and develops commercial roadmaps.
Industry-Academia Collaboration Projects
At our center, fifteen researchers from diverse fields advance academic research in their respective areas. In parallel, they also design original events and educational programs, and carry out commissioned research projects from the Japan Fusion Energy Council (J-Fusion), The Kansai Electric Power Co.,Inc., and other industry organizations and private-sector partners.
“How to Build a Fusion Power Plant: Designing the Future in Three Days” [feat. J-Fusion]
The center will co-host with J-Fusion a three-day intensive learning program that covers technology, industry, and society related to fusion. The program, “How to Build a Fusion Power Plant: Designing the Future in Three Days,” will be held at Keio University from January 30th to February 1st, 2026.
By combining lectures, site visits to J-Fusion member companies, and a hackathon, the program aims to give participants a multidimensional experience of “social implementation of fusion power plants” and foster their ability to conceptualize solutions.
This program also serves as a practical educational opportunity where participants receive a J-Fusion certificate, contributing to talent development and ecosystem-building for the future fusion industry.
This project has been selected as the 2025 Fusion Science School program under the National Institute for Fusion Science’s Schooling and Networking Scheme.
Joint Research with Starlight Engine Ltd. and Kyoto Fusioneering Ltd.
In collaboration with Starlight Engine Ltd. and Kyoto Fusioneering Ltd., the center is estimating the socioeconomic impact of fusion energy plant construction and operation on local communities and industries, and conducting research and analysis on public acceptance of fusion energy.
The socioeconomic impact analysis clarifies the economic effects of fusion plant construction through an expanded multilateral input–output analysis based on international trade statistics.
The 42nd Annual Meeting of The Japan Society of Plasma Science and Nuclear Fusion Research “Toward the Social Implementation of Fusion Energy: Perspectives from Economics, Ethics, and Industry”
At the 42nd Annual Meeting of The Japan Society of Plasma Science and Nuclear Fusion Research, held December 1st–4th, 2025 at Kyoto Institute of Technology, center researchers will host a symposium discussing fusion energy’s social implementation. The symposium will cover initiatives, challenges, and future prospects from perspectives across policymaking, academia, and industry.
Comment from Satoshi Konishi, Chair, Japan Fusion Energy Council (J-Fusion)
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Representative Director and Chief Fusioneer, Kyoto Fusioneering Ltd.
I extend my sincere congratulations on the launch of this research center, aptly named the Fusion “Industry” Research Center, established at a time when expectations for the development of the fusion industry are rising. I have high hopes for the center’s establishment as a catalyst for the industry-government-academia-society collaboration that fusion industry will require going forward, and for the wide-ranging achievements and partnerships it will generate. Although the term Fusion “Industry” may be new, the industrial foundations supporting it are already substantial. The many companies affiliated with the Japan Fusion Energy Council (J-Fusion), together with Japan’s broader industrial community, have accumulated expertise that will contribute meaningfully to fusion-energy initiatives both in Japan and around the world. We are excited for the future we will build together with the Center.
Comment from Hakuto Watanabe, Managing Director, Accenture Strategy & Consulting
Researcher
I am delighted, on behalf of the visiting researchers, to extend my heartfelt congratulations on the establishment of the Fusion Industry Research Center as a new interdisciplinary research hub. While attention tends to focus on revolutionizing energy from the perspectives of energy security and environmental sustainability, I strongly support the broader vision of harnessing the power of industrialization and regional development—captured in the mission “For fusion that supports society and enriches people’s lives.” I have high expectations that this new center will foster initiatives that broadly link the horizontal dimensions of industry, government, academia, and regions, as well as the vertical dimension of generations, bringing together diverse talents and wisdom. I intend to do my utmost, as a member, to support the advancement of the center’s research activities.
Comment from Center Director, Associate Professor Shutaro Takeda
“Fusion energy, recreating the reactions of the sun here on Earth, is the ultimate decarbonized energy source, combining cleanliness, safety, and virtually inexhaustible potential. With milestones such as the first plasma generation in the world’s largest superconducting tokamak device, JT-60SA (October 2023), and the achievement of net energy gain at the U.S. National Ignition Facility (December 2022), humanity is steadily approaching the realization of this highly coveted energy source.
However, alongside scientific and technological progress, the realization of fusion energy also requires social readiness, through institutional design, market formation, and the establishment of public acceptance.
The Fusion Industry Research Center serves as a bridge of knowledge connecting academia, policy, and practice, transforming fusion energy from a “scientific achievement” into the “foundation of society.” The potential of fusion energy extends far beyond decarbonization and energy security; it offers transformative value across society, from industrial restructuring and regional economic revitalization to the creation of a sustainable foundation for future generations.
By approaching fusion energy from the combined perspectives of industry and society, and through scientifically objective analysis and dialogue with industry and local governments, we aim to co-create a fusion-powered future society that enriches people’s lives.”
Contact
Keio University Graduate School of Media Design Fusion Industry Research Center
Address | Room C6S14, 6F, Keio University Kyosei-kan, 4 Chome-1-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-0061
TEL | 045-564-2491
Email | firc@kmd.keio.ac.jp