The 100-Year Quest for Fusion Energy with Steven Cowley, Director, PPPL (In-Person)
Fusion energy has long been called the “holy grail” of clean power because in theory it’s cheap, abundant, clean, and safe. Yet despite 100+ years of scientific research and billions in investment, the profound engineering challenges associated with fusion-based power are far from settled.
Join us for a fireside chat with Sir Steven Cowley, Director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL).
Sir Steven is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading authorities on nuclear fusion, having spent decades at the forefront of fusion energy. Since 2018, he has been the Director of PPPL, one of the U.S.’s flagship fusion energy research centers, after having been CEO of the UK Atomic Energy Authority and head of the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, where he led the UK's national fusion research program. Sir Steven has shaped not only the science of plasma, but also the engineering strategies and global policy discussions around fusion power. For his services to fusion research, he was knighted by Her Majesty the Queen.
In this conversation, moderator Duncan Turner (General Partner, SOSV & Managing Director, HAX) and Sir Steven will explore:
Fusion’s hardest problem: why controlling plasma is so difficult & what’s finally changing
The role of AI: how AI & data are accelerating reactor design & plasma stability
From lab to grid: what still stands between experiments & commercially viable power
Plasma beyond fusion: how plasma physics is transforming semiconductors, advanced manufacturing & quantum devices
The role of national labs: how institutions like PPPL & the HAX Plasma Forge are partnering with startups, investors, and industry to bring these technologies to market
📍 Broadcast live from our SOSV NY event space in Manhattan, this is the next installment of SOSV Deep Tech LIVE, SOSV's video podcast series exploring the frontiers of deep tech with leading founders, researchers, and technologists.
Date: April 21 Time: 6:00 - 8:00 PM ET
Seats are limited. Register early to save your spot!
This is an in-person event. Location will be shared after you register and are approved.