German Federal Minister for Education and Research, Dorothee Bär (CSU), anticipates a near-future breakthrough in fusion research and has reaffirmed the commitment to constructing the world’s first fusion reactor in Germany. Speaking to “Politico” on Saturday, Bär noted that enshrining the goal of housing the world’s first fusion reactor in Germany is also part of the coalition agreement.
She identified fusion power as one of the “very major key technologies” within the national high-tech agenda. Bär also mentioned that the ministry has developed and adopted a fusion roadmap, noting that ongoing funding streams are already in place.
Regarding a potential timeline, Bär estimates that a breakthrough is most likely to occur between the early and mid-2030s, and her department is deliberately focusing its efforts on this timeframe. The Federal Minister for Research stated that her budget allocates 2.4 billion euros for fusion, emphasizing that the approach will be targeted rather than involving untargeted spending.
Separately, Bär believes that Germany is well-positioned to establish a European “AI Gigafactory” predicting that at least one will be located within the country. She confirmed that the national financing for this endeavor is secure, having already included it in her budget. Germany has established several consortia, and the final decision rests with the European Commission.
