Renaissance of Fusion: Francesco Volpe on Reinventing Nuclear Energy
Episode 113, Aug 03, 02:30 AM
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Can a fusion startup change the future of energy?
In this episode, Francesco Volpe, founder of Renaissance Fusion, shares how his team is building Europe’s first commercial stellarator reactor. We talk fusion tech, startup realities, and why the “30 years away” mindset might finally be shifting.
A bold, science-driven conversation on the future of clean energy.
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/