Europe’s First High‑Temperature Superconducting Tape Factory Set to Power Fusion Future

In a move that feels part‑science‑fiction, a Munich start‑up called Proxima Fusion has just inked a Memorandum of Understanding with the state of Lower Saxony to roll out Europe’s first large‑scale production line for high‑temperature superconducting (HTS) tape. The plan isn’t just about making a fancy metal strip – it’s about giving the continent a home‑grown supply chain for the magnetic heart of tomorrow’s fusion reactors.

Why does a thin metallic tape matter? When cooled to a “high” temperature (still cryogenic, but much warmer than classic superconductors), HTS tape can carry electric current with almost zero resistance. That means you can build magnets that are both monstrously powerful and surprisingly compact. Those magnets are the core of stellarators – a type of fusion device that traps scorching plasma with magnetic fields. In short, better tape equals tighter, cheaper fusion machines, and eventually, clean electricity for the grid.

The German government is putting its money where its mouth is. About €140 million is earmarked for the first two phases of the plant, slated to be up and running by the end of 2029. Lower Saxony will chip in roughly €21 million – just under 30 % of the public funding – while the rest will be raised from private investors. As Olaf Lies, the state’s Minister‑President, put it, Lower Saxony wants to become “a magnet for a new critical technology.”

Proxima’s own roadmap is ambitious. Their Alpha demonstrator will need roughly 20,000 km of HTS tape, and the follow‑up Stellaris power‑plant concept will double that to another 40,000 km. Those numbers sound huge, but they’re exactly the kind of volume needed to move production from a boutique Asian operation to a European factory line, driving down the cost per metre and keeping the know‑how on German soil.

Beyond fusion, the tape could find life in high‑performance power grids, MRI machines, advanced propulsion systems and any other tech that craves high‑field magnets. That cross‑industry potential is why the state’s science minister, Falko Mohrs, highlighted the collaboration between research institutions and industry as a blueprint for future‑proof manufacturing.

Critics might wonder whether the gamble will pay off. Yet Dr. Francesco Sciortino, co‑founder and CEO of Proxima Fusion, argues that “HTS tape is one of the critical technologies needed to scale fusion rapidly at an industrial level.” By anchoring the supply chain in Europe, the region not only safeguards its fusion ambitions but also creates a new export‑ready sector.

When the first rolls of superconducting tape start humming out of the Lower Saxony plant, it won’t just be a win for Proxima or for German industry. It will be a tangible step toward making stellarators – and the clean, virtually limitless power they promise – a realistic part of our energy mix. And if all goes well, you might soon hear engineers in other fields brag about borrowing a bit of that magnetic mojo for their own high‑tech projects.