CHICAGO — The mission of the Fusion Industry Association is to bring clean, safe, affordable energy to the grid through partnerships, policy and investment. More than $6 billion has been invested in fusion research to date, with the goal of the first fusion energy power plants coming online by the early 2030s.
An important next step in the journey was the first-ever Fusion Supply Chain Trade Show, held June 23-24 at Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The sold-out event brought together more than 50 exhibitors and 270 attendees — a mix of suppliers, developers, manufacturers, policymakers, researchers, investors and other industry stakeholders — all with the common goal of moving commercial fusion deployment forward.
Andrew Holland, CEO of the Fusion Industry Association, said the association had been aware of the need for a new show for some time. “We had repeatedly heard about a lack of communication and knowledge from companies about what opportunities there were in the industry for the supply chain.”
The outcome far exceeded Holland’s original target of 30 booths and 150 attendees. The aim was for fusion developers and suppliers to establish new partnerships, strengthen existing relationships and connect with companies representing every stage of the industrial supply chain.
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The show was timed along with the release of the 2026 Fusion Industry Supply Chain Report, the association’s fourth annual report on the fusion industry.
New Mexico has become a hub for the fusion industry, as the home of two major research centers (Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories) and a growing fusion ecosystem. New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich and New Mexico Cabinet Secretary of Economic Development Rob Black both addressed the group and spoke of the state’s growing role in supporting commercial fusion through its research institutions, manufacturing, workforce development and partnerships across industry and government. Speakers represented government, research, academia, investment and private fusion developers, including the industry leader, Commonwealth Fusion Systems.
The Fusion Industry Association holds several conferences throughout the year, including summits in Texas and Washington, the UK Fusion Forum September 14-15 in London, and the International Conference on Nuclear Energy January 12-14, 2027, in Aachen, Germany. Holland says plans are in the works to repeat the Fusion Supply Chain Trade Show in 2027, and an announcement of dates and location will come soon.
