The Innovation Network for Fusion Energy (INFUSE), a DOE program launched in 2019 that pairs private fusion companies with national laboratory expertise — accelerating commercial fusion development.
INFUSE (Innovation Network for Fusion Energy) is a program of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fusion Energy Sciences, launched in 2019. It provides private fusion companies with access to national laboratory capabilities — including specialized diagnostics, computational tools, materials testing, and scientific expertise — through competitively awarded vouchers.[1]
INFUSE represents a shift in DOE policy toward actively supporting private fusion companies alongside the traditional government-funded research program. It acknowledges that commercial fusion requires capabilities — high-flux neutron sources, tritium handling facilities, validated simulation codes — that only national laboratories possess.[2]
The program has facilitated collaborations in areas including plasma diagnostics, materials characterization, tritium science, magnet technology, and computational modeling. It has helped private companies access ITER-relevant expertise and de-risk their technology development paths.[3]