))
113: Renaissance of Fusion: Francesco Volpe on Reinventing Nuclear Energy
Manage episode 498006450 series 3462685
Content provided by Girish Shivakumar. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Girish Shivakumar or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.
In this episode of the Mission Shunya podcast, we enter the world of nuclear fusion startups — where physics meets entrepreneurial grit.
Joining me is Francesco Volpe, founder and CEO of Renaissance Fusion, a European company working to build the first commercial stellarator fusion reactor. Unlike the massive, government-led projects like ITER, Renaissance Fusion is a leaner, more agile operation — focused on new magnet technology, novel plasma confinement approaches, and ambitious timelines.
In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore:
Joining me is Francesco Volpe, founder and CEO of Renaissance Fusion, a European company working to build the first commercial stellarator fusion reactor. Unlike the massive, government-led projects like ITER, Renaissance Fusion is a leaner, more agile operation — focused on new magnet technology, novel plasma confinement approaches, and ambitious timelines.
In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore:
- 🔬 What makes stellarator fusion different — and why it’s hard
- 🇪🇺 Why Europe is taking a unique path in the fusion race
- ⚙️ How scientific R&D translates (or struggles) to become commercial tech
- 🧪 What makes building a fusion startup different from any other energy venture
- 🌍 How fusion fits into the broader clean energy transition
Francesco brings the perspective of a physicist turned entrepreneur — combining deep domain expertise with the urgency of climate innovation.
If you’ve ever wondered whether fusion is finally moving beyond the “30 years away” cliché — or what it actually takes to build a fusion company from scratch — this episode offers a clear-eyed, hopeful perspective from the front-lines.
🎧 Next in the series: A conversation with Westinghouse PRA engineer on nuclear safety, public trust, and what it means to assess risk in real time.
Follow Francesco Volpe: https://renfusion.eu/
If you’ve ever wondered whether fusion is finally moving beyond the “30 years away” cliché — or what it actually takes to build a fusion company from scratch — this episode offers a clear-eyed, hopeful perspective from the front-lines.
🎧 Next in the series: A conversation with Westinghouse PRA engineer on nuclear safety, public trust, and what it means to assess risk in real time.
Follow Francesco Volpe: https://renfusion.eu/
114 episodes
Share
