Fusion energy is approaching a critical transition point—from scientific progress in the lab toward early-stage commercialization. While major advances have been made in plasma physics and confinement, the central challenge is increasingly about how fusion can be built, financed, regulated, and scaled into a reliable part of the global energy system.
This minicourse takes a systems-level view of fusion as an industrial and economic challenge, not just a technical one. It examines what will determine commercial viability, including how projects are financed, how costs evolve from first-of-a-kind systems toward scalable designs, and how supply chains, regulatory frameworks, and execution risks shape real-world deployment. Participants will analyze how different stakeholders—including developers, investors, governments, and customers—interact within the fusion ecosystem, and how risk is allocated across development stages. By the end of the course, participants will have a grounded understanding of what it takes to build a fusion energy industry at scale, and the conditions under which fusion can transition from a promising technology to a meaningful contributor of terawatt-level power to the global grid.
Speakers:
- Layla Araiinejad (B.E., M.S., Technology and Policy – Fusion, MIT) – Works on the economics and system planning of fusion energy at MIT
- Douglas Sutcliffe (M.S., Management of Technology – Fusion, MIT; Six Sigma; PSM II) – Builds and advises clean energy companies focused on bringing advanced nuclear technologies to market
- Sergei Kniazev (M.Sc. Physics; MBA, MIT Sloan) – Works in energy finance and strategy, advising on large-scale energy investment and development projects
In collaboration with Module12, a group founded by MIT alumni focused on turning fusion and advanced nuclear technologies into deployable energy systems.
Event Details:
Date: Friday, May 8
Time: 9 AM -- 1 PM
Location: Virtual
Registration: https://forms.gle/wJgoAaUGANS6XNWSA
Important note: This mini-course will consist of two 1.5 hour sessions with at least one break. The exact timing of the breaks, as well as a link for virtual participants, will be sent out to all who registered approximately one week prior to this event.
