Commercial fusion will not be built by a single company. It depends on a wide network of scientists, engineers, and universities solving the hard problems that sit between a working machine and a working power plant. Through the HERCULES program, Techno has awarded $4 million to 20 research institutions focused on the enabling technologies that will make fusion practical, affordable, and ready for global deployment.

• Advanced plasma-facing materials

• High-temperature superconductors

• Tritium breeding & handling

• Power electronics & energy storage

• Diagnostics & machine learning

Grant recipients span 11 countries and include national laboratories, leading research universities, and smaller technical institutes. Each team brings a distinct specialty, and together they form a research pipeline that feeds directly into the design of our next-generation machines.

HERCULES follows a clear, outcome-driven model.

Every project begins with a defined technical question and a set of measurable deliverables. Research teams work alongside Techno engineers through quarterly reviews, shared data platforms, and access to our test facilities, so promising results can move quickly from the lab bench to real hardware.

Findings are published openly wherever possible, strengthening the wider fusion community. Graduate students and early-career researchers funded through the program also gain hands-on experience, building the talent base the fusion industry will need for decades to come.