Six Months of the Open Fusion Collective — and What Comes Next
As the year comes to a close, we would like to take a moment to reflect on the story of the Open Fusion Collective (OFC) so far, and on how we see it moving forward in the year ahead.
Although we officially launched the OFC in June, we had been working behind the scenes well before that. Months of discussion, planning, and coordination went into clarifying our vision and developing the platform. Going live this summer felt like a major milestone.
With Michiel Bron joining in September, we strengthened our team with his expertise on the history and governance of nuclear energy.
The OFC stands for inclusivity, responsibility, and accountability where these may otherwise go overlooked. We are proud of this vision and deeply motivated by seeing that it resonates more broadly. The Collective is growing, and we are grateful for your support.
A special thanks goes to the authors of our contributed posts, who have been generous with their time and effort. They have shared thoughtful and important perspectives with the wider community. It is through their commitment that the space we set out to create is taking shape.
Looking ahead to 2026, we aim to continue on this path while broadening the range of topics on the platform — from philosophy and law to techno-economics and politics. We also want to underline that we warmly welcome critical perspectives on fusion energy and its development. Our goal is to continue offering space to as wide a range of voices as possible.
We also hope to strengthen our presence at events and conferences, as well as to begin organising our own gatherings. In parallel, we will continue sharing developments around the social and ethical dimensions of fusion through our Fusion Footprint newsletter and social channels.
To close the year, we would like to celebrate our contributors by spotlighting their posts once more below — we hope you enjoy them during a restful and celebratory holiday break.
Thank you for being part of the Open Fusion Collective.
Nordic Lessons for European Fusion Development
This blog post discusses physicist Katherine Dunne’s contribution to the European Commission's consultation on the EU Fusion Strategy. By drawing on lessons from Nordic energy transitions, the author suggests that the EU Fusion Strategy should combine technological progress with meaningful democratic governance.
How Fusion Can be a Diplomatic Tool
In this contribution, PhD researcher Abdus Saboor Shaik discusses how he thinks fusion can be used as a tool to facilitate global collaboration. He highlights how fusion technology development offers the opportunity to share knowledge across borders,
What People Think About Fusion: Insights from Two UK Communities
In this post, Dr Megan Connolly gives an overview of her PhD thesis titled ‘Public Attitudes to Fusion Energy: A Qualitative Study in the UK’. Through interviews with those living around two proposed sites for the STEP project - the UK’s programme to build a prototype power plant - and media analysis, she considers
Nobility In The Quest For Fusion: Pandora's Box or an Elixir Of Life?
In this thinkpiece, plasma physicist and data scientist Luke Simons explores how the ‘quest’ for fusion could unfold. Despite the potential for fusion to be transformational for societal wellbeing and development, Luke suggests that a long-term perspective helps us consider who might benefit, how they might benefit and whether these consequences square …
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