IPFN joins two Big Science projects for fusion energy
IPFN is participating in two collaborative research and innovation projects approved under the Big Science Technology Roadmaps initiative in the field of nuclear fusion. Together, the two projects represent a total consortium investment of €2.07 million, reinforcing the role of Portuguese research institutions and industry in developing the technologies required for future fusion power plants.
Both projects were selected under the COMPETE 2030 call “SIID – I&D Empresarial – Operações Individuais ou em Copromoção – Roteiros Tecnológicos Big Science (MPr-2025-3)”, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The programme supports collaborative research and development projects aligned with Portugal’s Research and Innovation Strategy for Smart Specialisation (RIS3) and strategic technology roadmaps in the areas of Astronomy, Particle and Plasma Physics, Nuclear Fusion and Space.
The Tungsten Additive Manufacturing for Fusion Applications (TAMFA) project, led by Hypermetal, with the participation of IPFN, coordinated by Bruno Gonçalves, President of IPFN and the institute’s coordinator in the project and by the Institute for Science and Innovation in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (INEGI), focuses on the additive manufacturing of tungsten, one of the most demanding engineering materials required for future fusion reactors.
Tungsten is expected to play a critical role in plasma-facing components due to its exceptional resistance to extreme temperatures and intense particle fluxes. Within TAMFA, the consortium will investigate advanced manufacturing techniques for tungsten, validate the resulting materials through extensive testing, and demonstrate the technology by manufacturing a microwave reflectometry antenna for a future fusion power plant.
Previous studies have shown that tungsten is the preferred material for these diagnostic components because of the harsh operating conditions expected inside commercial fusion reactors.
“I am excited to be working with Afonso Nogueira, Omid Emadinia, Lucival Malcher and the rest of the team,” said Bruno Gonçalves, highlighting the combination of expertise in fusion, materials science and advanced manufacturing to position Portugal in the global industry.
The second project, Intelligent Process Control for Advanced Material Production by Directed Energy Deposition (DED) Technology Related with Nuclear Fusion (CIPMAF), is coordinated by Moldetipo, with the participation of IPFN, INEGI and AGIX®. At the institute, the team is led by Marta Dias, Assistant Professor and researcher at Técnico and leader of IPFN’s Materials Processing and Characterisation Group.
CIPMAF focuses on the development of intelligent process control technologies for DED manufacturing of advanced materials for fusion applications. The objective is to improve manufacturing reliability and quality through data-driven process monitoring and control.
Within the project, Moldetipo will carry out the additive manufacturing campaigns required to generate the data necessary for developing and validating the process control models. The project will culminate in the production of a fusion divertor monoblock demonstrator, a key component of future fusion reactors that must withstand some of the most extreme thermal loads encountered in engineering.
The approval of these projects further strengthens IPFN's long-standing contribution to fusion research while expanding its collaboration with Portuguese industry in the development of advanced manufacturing technologies for future fusion power plants.
