Date: March 16, 2026 Time: 5:30 PM Venue: Sala Consiglio EnLab Building, Bovisa Campus, Milan)

Abstract: Once the preserve of publicly funded institutes, research in nuclear fusion as a new energy source is being increasingly undertaken by private companies. Until a few years ago, efforts in this area were catalyzed by the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), but this intergovernmental project’s dominance has recently been challenged by dozens of start-ups that claim they can build their own proof-of-principle reactors as an alternative to ITER’s, through a faster, cheaper, smaller-scale approach. How should this sharp change in research strategy be interpreted? This lecture presents a qualitative analysis of expert discourses on the evolving political landscape of fusion research, using the theory of sociotechnical imaginaries to highlight the contrasting visions underlying the two approaches. Drawing on scholarship from Science & Technology Studies, International Relations, and Political Economy, the analysis shows that while ITER embodies a “just fusion” imaginary aiming to develop fusion as a common good, the private fusion movement reflects a “fast fusion” imaginary subordinating energy justice to market efficiency. The clash of fusion imaginaries is critically discussed to shed light on its implications for the global energy transition, particularly with regard to the trade-off between the rapid and equitable development of new energy technologies.

Alessio Giacometti obtained a PhD in Social Sciences from the University of Padua, Italy, where he specialised in Science and Technology Studies, Social Science Energy Research, and Environmental Sociology. During his PhD, he conducted extensive mixed-methods research into public discourse surrounding nuclear fusion. Since 2022, he has been a member of the Socio-Economic Studies (SES) research group on fusion energy at EUROfusion. In this role, he has co-authored numerous articles on public perceptions and the social acceptability of fusion energy. He also regularly contributes to several online cultural magazines as a science writer.