Opening Remarks by Minister for Energy, Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) Dr Tan See Leng at FusionX:APAC 2026

To all local and international delegates – start-ups, investors, corporates, researchers, policymakers, and ecosystem partners,

1. A very good morning to all of you, and a warm welcome. It is my pleasure to speak at today’s FusionX:APAC conference.

2. I would like to especially acknowledge the FusionX Group, SGInnovate, A*STAR, and Enterprise Singapore. Today’s event underscores your collective commitment to driving innovation in fusion across the region.

METI and the energy transition

3. Today is significant for several reasons: One is that it marks the first day that the Ministry of Trade and Industry officially takes on its new name of the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry (METI).

4. This renaming reflects the increasing recognition of the importance of energy as an enabler for economic growth, climate goals, and resilience. Although this is a recent change in name, one could argue that Singapore has been in an energy transition for many years:

a. In the early part of this millennium, we had already shifted our energy mix from fuel oil to natural gas, and worked to phase out coal.

b. More recently, we have been scaling up solar energy deployment nationwide, and achieved our target to deploy 2 gigawatt-peak (GWp) of solar by 2030, five years early. So we are now going even further and have raised our 2030 target to 3GWp. We have also announced plans to import low-carbon electricity from the region, and invested in R&D to scale up other emerging low-carbon technologies.

5. We are also studying nuclear fission seriously. Earlier this year, our Prime Minister announced that Singapore will undergo Phase 1 of the IAEA’s Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review mission in 2027, to assess our readiness to make an informed decision about deploying nuclear fission energy.

6. Energy is an existential resource for Singapore that requires long-term planning to secure. Global developments have given us new impetus to leave no option unexplored, in our energy transition, and diligently study and build capabilities in more nascent energy pathways. Fusion energy is one potential pathway we are following closely.

7. I am therefore pleased to be at today’s event, and to see how the areas of energy, industry, and technology increasingly interface – and dare I say, fuse – with one another.

8. Allow me to make 3 points – why now, why fusion, and why Singapore.

Advancements in fusion

9. Why now?

10. The science behind fusion energy has been well-established since the 1960s. Unlike fission, which generates energy from splitting the nuclei of atoms, fusion does so by combining them together.

11. This has proven to be extremely challenging because the atoms need to be held at high energy and pressure to fuse. Moreover, these reactions need to be maintained at stable conditions, for extended periods, to achieve an overall net-positive return on energy.

12. In recent years, we have seen significant strides made in overcoming these challenges.

13. Advancements in key technologies such as gyrotrons and superconducting magnets have helped companies achieve record temperature and plasma confinement milestones. Encouragingly, a fusion reactor has demonstrated net energy gain under experimental conditions.

14. Such technical progress in fusion has been met with growing commercial interest, with sizeable investment flows going into fusion energy companies. The fusion ecosystem is forecast to reach a value of US$419.84 billion (S$535 billion) by the end of this decade.

15. The breadth and diversity of companies here today is also testament to the strong interest internationally in fusion energy.

16. Although we may be some years from a commercially operating fusion power plant, Singapore continues to monitor developments closely.

17. I visited Commonwealth Fusion Systems in Boston and the Institute of Plasma Physics in Hefei to witness the progress being made. The developments I have seen make me hopeful of fusion energy’s place in the world’s future sustainable energy pathways.

Fusion as economic opportunity

18. Secondly, why fusion?

19. Fusion energy has many attractive aspects – it is likely to generate lower levels of radioactive waste, and has limited risk of runaway reactions. But before the first commercial fusion power plant has been built, fusion energy has already created a range of new economic opportunities.

20. Dr Mark Lim from Aliena, one of our speakers today, is a good example of how capabilities in fusion can translate to benefit other industries. Trained as a plasma scientist, he has applied that expertise beyond fusion to develop plasma-based propulsion for spacecraft. Aliena has since tripled its operational footprint in Singapore, deepening its R&D and building full propulsion systems for global customers.

21. This is the sort of cross-sector collaboration and innovation that can be unlocked by developing capabilities in fusion technologies. We are now seeing countries starting to position themselves across the wider fusion value chain – not just to build reactors, but to capture value from the technologies, supply chains, and capabilities that will underpin this advanced industry.

22. So even for countries like Singapore without our own fusion reactor, we can leverage our talent, R&D, and industrial capabilities to support the broader fusion economy.

Why Singapore?

23. This brings me to why I believe Singapore has much to offer the global fusion economy.

24. First, talent. Singapore has built up expertise and a strong talent pipeline in areas relevant to fusion. This includes in precision engineering, advanced manufacturing, and plasma diagnostics.

25. For example, NTU and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) jointly established the Singapore Alliance with France for Fusion Energy (SAFE) in 2023. This partnership blends NTU’s experience in AI and computing with the CEA’s strengths in plasma physics, providing Singapore researchers opportunities to deepen their expertise and work with international fusion facilities such as France’s WEST tokamak.

26. Second, we have demonstrated that Singapore’s research and engineering capabilities can be applied successfully to overcome real-world technical challenges in fusion.

27. For example, A*STAR has worked with US fusion company Realta Fusion since 2025 and successfully delivered a diagnostic tool to measure plasma velocities. By measuring turbulence in the plasma, researchers can better understand and control conditions within a fusion system. A*STAR and Realta are now exploring further areas of collaboration in advanced plasma diagnostics and deployment.

28. A*STAR has also collaborated with ST Engineering to work with Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) to produce components for CFS’s SPARC demonstration reactor. More recently, A*STAR and CFS signed a research collaboration agreement to develop commercial fusion power plants, with a focus on CFS’ Affordable, Robust, Compact, or ARC, fusion power plant.

29. A*STAR is also exploring a strategic research collaboration with VDL Enabling Technologies Group, a global advanced manufacturing company. Together, they will combine their strengths in research, engineering and industrialisation to develop advanced materials, advanced manufacturing and diagnostic technologies for the demanding conditions required for fusion.

30. Third, beyond talent and expertise, Singapore has built a vibrant deep tech ecosystem bringing together research, industry, talent and capital.

31. This matters for emerging technologies like fusion, where turning scientific breakthroughs into commercial opportunities requires not just technical expertise, but patient capital and strong industry partnerships.

32. Platforms such as SGInnovate help bring these different parts of the ecosystem together, connecting deep tech companies with talent, investors, and industry partners, while creating opportunities for students and professionals to learn about emerging technologies and pursue opportunities in these fields.

33. Just yesterday, SGInnovate held its first one-day “Fusion School”, a new initiative to introduce students and young professionals to fusion technologies and the commercial opportunities emerging around this sector.

34. FusionX:APAC is another example of this ecosystem in action. This year, the Singapore edition has grown from a one-day conference to a three-day event, bringing together the fusion community from Singapore and abroad.

Closing

35. I had the opportunity to have a roundtable discussion with some of the FusionX partners and participants this morning.

36. Some of the leaders I spoke to proposed that Singapore could be a fusion hub and that there are many interesting and exciting opportunities to be explored.

37. I’ve asked my team to seriously consider this, and see how we can contribute to the development of fusion. I hope we can be ready to make some good proposals in the weeks ahead.

38. To conclude, I would like to thank FusionX and SGInnovate for organising today’s event. Platforms such as FusionX:APAC are invaluable for forging new partnerships, identifying new opportunities, and deepening collaboration across the global fusion ecosystem. Singapore looks forward to working closely alongside all of you to turn fusion into reality.

39. Thank you very much. May you not just come close, but also achieve your dream of being the Sun to give out that energy.