German Federal Government Backs Laser Fusion: Launch of the Laser Fusion Hub Led by Marvel Fusion and Focused Energy in Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein and Hesse

• Goal: Research to support construction of the first laser fusion power plant in Germany
• Industry-led hub open to the full ecosystem
• Strong R&D campus around European XFEL in Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein; second site in Biblis, Hesse

Munich/Hamburg/Kiel, 29 July 2026 — The German Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) today announced funding for the Laser Fusion Hub, with sites in Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein and Hesse. A central pillar of the hub is the Fusion R&D Campus Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein, with European XFEL at its center. This campus will serve as the center of German laser fusion research and development, with the clear goal of preparing for the construction of the world's first commercial laser fusion power plant in Germany.

Marvel Fusion and Focused Energy, co-founders and co-shareholders of the hub, are developing the campus together with European XFEL, DESY, the University of Hamburg, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, and the University of Rostock, along with a broad network of additional scientific and industrial partners and with the support of the states of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein. In addition to the hub’s second site – the Fusion Industrialization Campus in Biblis, Hesse – the hub incorporates satellite locations across the full Fusion State Alliance (“Länderallianz”). The BMFTR is funding the hubs under the “Hubs for Fusion” funding directive, which is part of the federal government’s Hightech Agenda.

The Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein campus focuses on laser physics, diagnostics, and materials research. European XFEL intends to expand its capabilities to enable precise measurement of laser-target interactions across a wide parameter range – a fundamental prerequisite for validating new ignition and compression concepts on the path to a fusion power plant. This infrastructure is unique in the world: the hub can draw on an established scientific base and decades of expertise from DESY in the development of high-power lasers.

The hub is led by the two German laser fusion companies Marvel Fusion and Focused Energy, together with the IFE Innovation Network e.V., an association yet to be formally established. A large number of scientific and industrial partners have expressed interest in joining – including 15 universities and research institutes, 13 industrial partners, and 3 technology transfer organizations. European XFEL, together with Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein, will coordinate the establishment of the association.

The Laser Fusion Hub is industry-led and complemented by public and scientific support. The hub is explicitly open to all ecosystem participants. It serves as a coordination center for the entire value chain required to build a laser fusion power plant: from laser physics through target manufacturing and materials development to supply chains and industrial partnerships.

Moritz von der Linden, CEO and Co-Founder, Marvel Fusion: “Fusion energy will be the energy source of the 21st century – unlimited, safe, and capable of providing baseload power. With today's funding decision by the BMFTR, the Laser Fusion Hub becomes the place where we accelerate research using existing infrastructure and translate it into market-ready technologies: industry-led, open to the entire ecosystem, and grounded in world-class science. This secures not only clean energy for tomorrow, but high-tech jobs, supply chains, and economic strength that will sustain Germany's prosperity for generations to come.”

Thomas Forner, CEO and Co-Founder, Focused Energy: “Affordable energy is the bottleneck of the 21st century. The availability of cheap, clean energy will determine where industry is built. For us, fusion is not a technology for short-term political cycles, but for the long-term security of clean, safe, and affordable energy. That is precisely why the hubs matter: they not only strengthen research and technology development, but also create the industrial foundation for a new energy infrastructure.”

Maryam Blumenthal, Senator for Science, Research and Equality, Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg: “The federal government's decision to fund the laser hubs sends a strong signal – for northern Germany and for Hamburg’s role in developing technologies that will shape our future. Fusion research could become a decisive factor in tomorrow's energy supply. With European XFEL and PETRA at DESY, Hamburg brings world-class research infrastructure to the table. The hands-on application experience that Focused Energy and Marvel Fusion contribute meets an exceptionally dynamic and innovation-driven environment in Science City. We have invested deliberately in recent years to create the best possible conditions here. I am delighted that together with Schleswig-Holstein and Hesse we are jointly supporting the hub, and I warmly congratulate everyone involved on this success.”

Dr. Dorit Stenke, Minister for Education, Science, Research and Culture of the State of Schleswig-Holstein: “Every major future technology begins with the decision to act. We are taking that decision together today. With European XFEL, CAU, and close partnerships with DESY, the north brings not only a globally unique research infrastructure to the partnership, but also particular expertise in innovative nanomaterial design, X-ray diagnostics, plasma simulation, and laser technology. This is not only a gain for science – it is a clear signal: Schleswig-Holstein is shaping the energy of the future as an innovation hub.”

Prof. Thomas Feurer, Chairman of the Management Board,European XFEL: “The European XFEL is one of the most powerful X-ray lasers in the world – our high-precision diagnostics for compression physics are unique globally. They are the key to experimentally validating concepts for laser fusion and making the right decisions as the technology develops.”

Prof. Franz Kärtner, Professor of Physics, DESY/University of Hamburg (UHH): “DESY and UHH have developed an efficient high energy and high power cryogenic laser technology scalable to the stringent needs of future Laser Fusion power plants operable with various ignition schemes. The Laser Fusion Hub is essential to perform this demanding scaling to unprecedented average power levels and high efficiency in close collaboration with industry.”

Five Research Projects – All with a Commercial Objective

The hub has submitted five concrete research proposals for funding at launch. Each addresses a specific technological and scientific milestone on the path to a commercial power plant:

• SAVGUR – Open-source 3D simulation framework for fusion target design: the foundation for developing targets cost-effectively and reproducibly
• SCALABLE-FI – High-efficiency fast ignition with nanostructured metamaterial targets: new ignition concepts that reduce laser energy demand and improve economic viability
• OCLIP – Lifetime models and test protocols for optical coatings in high-energy laser systems: long-lived optics for industrial-scale operation
• SCOPE-IFE – Shared diagnostics infrastructure with AI-assisted laser stabilization: precision and reliability for continuous operation
• METROTARG – Metrology for fusion targets at cryogenic temperatures: quality assurance as a prerequisite for scalable target manufacturing

Media Contacts

Marvel Fusion | Alena Bunz | alena.bunz@marvelfusion.com | +49 176 97706648

Focused Energy | Fink & Fuchs | press@focused-energy.co | +49 611 741310

Hamburg | Behörde für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Gleichstellung | pressestelle@bwfg.hamburg.de | +49 40 42863 2322

Schleswig-Holstein | Beate Hinse | beate.hinse@bimi.landsh.de | +49 431 988 5805

European XFEL | Dr. Bernd Ebeling | press@xfel.eu | +49 40 8998 6921