We sat down with Jin Wu Kim, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of EnableFusion, to discuss the company’s current work and its long-term vision for accelerating fusion development.
EnableFusion is a Korean fusion technology developer specializing in the design, procurement, construction, and development of the fusion machine core. Their Fusion Engineering Platform (FEP) acts as a two-sided marketplace connecting fusion developers with Korea's world-class precision manufacturing and specialized IT companies, covering components and systems, high-temperature superconductors (HTS), and fusion AI. The FEP enables fusion startups to procure, assemble, test, and operate fusion machines with ease and speed, allowing developers to focus on core innovation while EnableFusion manages manufacturing complexities.
You are introducing a foundry model (building based on provided designs, similar to TSMC’s model) to the fusion industry, which traditionally relies on vertical integration. Why is now the right time to decouple machine design from high-precision manufacturing? How does this shift lower the barrier to entry for new startups?
Increasingly, fusion is viewed not merely as a physics problem but as an engineering challenge. More than 70 startups worldwide are racing to design the optimal fusion power plant. For these fusion startups, building a pilot device requires coordination with numerous supply chain partners across multiple categories, making it a complex and inefficient undertaking that consumes substantial time and resources.
Our role is to serve as a single point of contact for the supply chain. We translate physics designs into manufacturable engineering specifications, leveraging Korea’s full industrial capabilities to build prototypes with speed and precision. As a result, fusion startups of all sizes, whether established or new, can accelerate their Design-Build-Test (DBT) cycles, reducing costs and improving efficiency.
South Korea possesses a world-class precision manufacturing ecosystem, honed by decades of work in shipbuilding, nuclear energy, and semiconductors. How does EnableFusion specifically use these national capabilities to serve the global fusion market?
The three verticals you cited are especially pertinent to fusion. National excellence in these industries can be leveraged to address the fusion supply chain’s “chicken-and-egg” problem. Shipbuilding requires precision welding, often at massive scale and with minimal tolerances, similar to those required for vacuum vessels. Nuclear energy shares significant commonalities with fusion in the balance of plant. Semiconductor thin-film deposition processes translate directly to High-Temperature Superconducting (HTS) magnet production. Taken together, Korea excels in precisely the areas where technical proficiency is required to build an efficient fusion supply chain.
South Korea is a leader in HTS cable and magnet manufacturing. How is EnableFusion working with local partners to ensure that a HTS bottleneck doesn't stall the progress of compact tokamak developers?
As noted, there are strong parallels between semiconductor thin-film deposition processes and HTS production. Korea’s semiconductor supply chain can be leveraged to improve HTS yield and performance. The Korean government has selected a site in Naju City, where more than 300 companies will be brought together to create 10,000 jobs focused on advancing fusion development. An “All-in-One HTS Magnet Complex” is central to this initiative, encompassing research, production, and testing.
As part of the complex, a state-of-the-art HTS validation facility, known as SUCCEX (SUperConducting Conductor EXperiment), will be constructed. It is expected to surpass the capabilities of the world-renowned SULTAN (SUpraLeiter TestANlage) in Switzerland, where ITER superconductors were evaluated. We will participate in the Naju project by leading a private consortium to develop a next-generation HTS cable pilot plant.
Your leadership team has deep roots in major projects like KSTAR and ITER. What is the most important lesson from those multi-decade projects that you are now applying to the faster-paced private fusion sector?
Our Co-founder, Dr. Gyung-Su Lee, led the development of the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) Project from initial concept through first plasma and full operations. He later lent his expertise to ITER as Deputy Director-General and COO. Perhaps surprisingly, given his distinguished work with KSTAR and ITER, Dr. Lee is an ardent advocate of private-sector-led innovation, maintaining that excellence in physics research alone is not sufficient to successfully and swiftly complete a pilot device. He often cites the example of SpaceX’s success in developing reusable rocket technology and has expressed the view that fusion must undergo similar acceleration through commercialization. Indeed, EnableFusion was founded to support this entrepreneurial spirit and help bring the market’s new ideas to life.
EnableFusion is a key contributor to the DTT project in Italy. What components are you planning to deliver for this facility, and how has your foundry model helped to streamline production thus far?
We have been awarded the Vacuum Vessel (VV) tender for the Divertor Tokamak Test (DTT) project in Frascati, Italy. The VV is widely regarded as the most challenging component to manufacture in a fusion machine. Accordingly, the tender process placed particular emphasis on technical capability, and this award confirms not only that EnableFusion’s expertise is second to none but also that Korea’s execution in precision manufacturing is among the world’s best.
Your Fusion Engineering Platform (FEP) acts as the bridge between designers and manufacturers. Can you walk us through how the FEP translates "fusion-grade" requirements into specifications that traditional high-precision manufacturers can actually execute?
Our FEP digital workflow optimizes and re-engineers customer orders for seamless execution by specialized suppliers through the following methodology:
- Requirements Analysis and Translation
- Digital Re-design and Engineering Optimization
- Manufacturing Procedures and Guidelines
- Outsourcing and Project Management
- Quality Control and Assurance
- Delivery and Installation
In the semiconductor industry, the disconnect between designers and manufacturers is addressed through Process Design Kits (PDKs). At the design stage, Nvidia already understands what TSMC can manufacture based on the information provided in the PDK. This reduces the need for redesign, saving time and money. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has described this type of collaboration as “extreme co-design.”
When building a fusion machine, similar challenges exist but have not yet been addressed. To bridge the gap, our FEP transforms physics designs into manufacturable engineering specifications, and in the future, we will release Fusion Design Kits (FDKs) in collaboration with our customers to bring “extreme co-design” to fusion development.
You’ve emphasized using digital twins to explore new architectures with minimal trial and error. How much time and capital do you estimate a developer can save by using your simulation environment versus traditional physical prototyping?
In the private sector race to Q>1, physical prototyping remains a necessary reality. However, advances in AI not only accelerate each prototype cycle but also enable larger leaps from one cycle to the next. In a recent Genesis Mission Report, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) identified digital twin technology as a key enabler, citing 2x faster development at 50% lower cost. As we move into execution, we are increasingly confident that the DOE’s expectation is not merely aspirational but operationally achievable. Korea is a global leader in deploying AI-powered solutions in precision manufacturing, and EnableFusion seeks to translate that capability into tangible gains in speed and cost efficiency for our customers.
AI is often discussed in the context of plasma control, but you are applying it to manufacturing support. How does your AI platform help in material discovery and the actual assembly of complex machine components?
AI enhances every aspect of precision manufacturing, including machining, forming, welding, and assembly. Traditional supercomputer simulations are often too slow to guide manufacturing processes. In contrast, Physics-Informed Machine Learning (PIML) can evaluate complex scenarios in real time, enabling first-time-right outcomes. When deviations occur, AI models can mitigate their impact by correcting nonconformities and ensuring tolerance requirements are met with minimal rework.
In addition to utilizing AI in precision manufacturing, we are also working on active plasma control. Google DeepMind and CFS have announced a partnership to develop plasma control algorithms, but the missing piece is real-world data. KSTAR was one of the world’s first superconducting tokamaks and has accumulated a substantial repository of experimental data over the past 15 years. We plan to leverage this data to train AI models and validate our algorithms directly in KSTAR’s live operating environment.
AI is enabling a paradigm shift from physics-perfect to engineering-optimized fusion. As Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs) have transformed mobility, Software-Defined Fusion (SDF) represents the future of the industry. Hardware and software no longer operate in isolation; instead, AI integrates the reactor core, ancillary systems, plasma control, and other critical fusion functions within a unified architecture designed to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and accelerate commercialization.
Most fusion projects today are one of a kind machines. As clients move toward pilot plants, how is EnableFusion preparing the Korean supply chain for serial production?
At present, few supply chain companies have sufficient experience in fusion physics. Consequently, they often struggle to incorporate physics-driven designs into standardized manufacturing processes. To bridge this gap, we assume responsibility for converting physics designs into manufacturable engineering specifications. This approach allows our member firms to focus on their core manufacturing strengths without requiring deep expertise in fusion physics.
By separating the design translation function from the manufacturing function, serial production can be executed more quickly, more efficiently, and at lower cost. Through our Virtual Integration framework, we are leading the effort to formalize this division of roles across the entire fusion supply chain.
The Korean government recently announced a major initiative (~$900 million) to foster a private sector-led fusion ecosystem. How do you see the Korean-PPP accelerating the delivery of a domestic pilot plant by the 2030s?
A9. Under the K-PPP framework, a Special Purpose Company (SPC) will be established to enable the private sector to lead the overall project. This structure will bring together the full Korean supply chain, leveraging deep experience from KSTAR and ITER and ensuring that Korea’s accumulated technical expertise is mobilized cohesively. Within this framework, EnableFusion will serve as the private-sector hub coordinator, aligning stakeholders and synchronizing execution. In this way, the K-PPP framework seeks to accelerate fusion development by consolidating Korea’s capabilities and experience under a unified governance model.
While your manufacturing base is in Korea, the fusion market is worldwide. What are your plans for establishing hubs or satellite engineering teams in the US or Europe to support localized fusion efforts?
We have already begun building a team in Europe and have recently established a legal entity in the U.S. Through our presence in these markets, we will bring international supply chain partners into EnableFusion’s Virtual Integration framework. Our FEP enables engineering and even manufacturing to be decentralized, with digital tools ensuring consistency and coordination among member firms.
In other industries, as supply chains matured, Korean companies made significant investments to establish production facilities in overseas markets. This type of cooperation has served the interests of both Korea and our allies. We expect fusion to follow a similar trajectory, with substantial manufacturing and engineering capabilities developed in both the U.S. and Europe.
How does EnableFusion define success in the future? Is it about the number of machines built on your platform, or the overall acceleration of the industry's timeline?
Fusion is not merely another emerging technology; it represents a potential civilizational inflection point. A strong sense of camaraderie defines the fusion community, whether one is advancing a novel machine design or strengthening the supply chain. We are united in the effort to realize the “Holy Grail of Green Energy,” and meaningful progress will depend on collective execution. As the overall industry timeline accelerates, the number of machines built on our platform will increase correspondingly, both more rapidly and at a greater scale.
To learn more about EnableFusion, contact Jin Wu Kim at [email protected] or visit their website.