F4E and Amazemet sign a collaboration agreement

Fusion for Energy (F4E) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with AMAZEMET, a Polish SME specialised in advanced materials and metal additive manufacturing. The agreement stems from F4E’s Call for Expression of Interest, aimed at strengthening ties with private initiatives and supporting the growth of the European fusion ecosystem.

The five-year agreement sets the framework for the exchange of information, best practices and technical knowledge. It covers five areas: advanced materials and manufacturing methods; fusion-specific requirements for materials and manufacturing solutions; manufacturing, joining and coating technologies; testing and qualification; and codes and standards.

These fields are particularly relevant to in-vessel components, such as ITER’s first wall. These metal ‘tiles’ will be exposed to the plasma’s extreme heat and radiation loads, so they must meet very demanding requirements. One of the manufacturing complexities lies in joining the armour and heat sink materials, which needs special bonding techniques.

Amazemet, founded in 2019 as a spin-off from the Warsaw University of Technology, saw an opportunity in these challenges. “Fusion sets requirements that most industries never encounter. Materials must survive heat loads and neutron exposure, and the components that face the plasma are rarely made of a single metal. Working with F4E gives us access to those requirements at the point where they are defined, rather than years later when they reach the supply chain,” said Łukasz Żrodowski, CEO of AMAZEMET.

“We are happy to establish a cooperation with AMAZEMET, a young company with a strong interest in contributing to fusion. Their know-how can bring new solutions to fusion engineering challenges, and, in return, F4E’s insight and experience from ITER can help them further develop and tailor their expertise,” explained Pierre-Yves Chaffard, Senior Projects Adviser at F4E.

The cooperation involves no transfer of funding between the parties. Specific technical activities will be defined in separate agreements as the collaboration develops.