113: Renaissance of Fusion: Francesco Volpe on Reinventing Nuclear Energy
Update: 2025-08-03
Description
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/
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