On January 18, at the recent 2026 Nuclear Fusion Energy Technology and Industry Conference held in the Hefei Fusion Reactor Park, Jiangsu Tiangong Aihe Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Tiangong International Company Limited, completed a significant signing—formally joining the "Joint Laboratory for Research and Development of High-End Fusion Metal Materials" and becoming a key member of this platform. This move not only signifies a major breakthrough for Tiangong International in the field of critical materials for nuclear fusion but also demonstrates the company's proactive response to national strategies and its forward-looking commitment to the new energy materials sector.

Centered around the core theme of "Harnessing Fusion Power · Creating the Future," the conference brought together diverse forces from government, industry, academia, research, and investment to collectively explore the practical pathways for nuclear fusion technology to transition from scientific exploration to engineering and industrial application. Established under the leadership of the Energy Research Institute of the Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, this joint laboratory is specifically designed to systematically address the urgent demand for high-performance materials in fusion devices, dedicating itself to a full-chain攻关 from basic research to engineering validation, thereby providing a solid and reliable material foundation for China's future clean energy system.

To meet the extremely harsh operating conditions of fusion reactors—including intense neutron radiation, high thermal loads, and long-term stability requirements—the laboratory has outlined clear R&D priorities. On one front, it will focus on advancing the ton-scale engineering preparation of 304B7 large-specification materials, tackling mass production challenges related to compositional homogeneity, microstructural stability, and strength-toughness matching. On another front, it aims to develop a new generation of neutron shielding steel with a boron equivalent exceeding 3.2%, creating integrated materials that combine efficient neutron attenuation with good mechanical properties to fulfill both the functional and load-bearing requirements of key fusion device components.

Within this collaborative framework, Tiangong International will fully leverage its comprehensive manufacturing strengths in high-alloy tool and die steels, powder metallurgy, and hot isostatic pressing technologies. The company will take the lead in critical stages such as material composition design, smelting, powder production, sintering, and subsequent thermal processing and performance evaluation, thereby accelerating the transition of new materials from the laboratory to engineering application. The collaborative partner, the Energy Research Institute, will concentrate on defining material requirements based on actual fusion scenarios and systematically conducting performance and service life assessments. By establishing a closed-loop collaborative model of "demand-pull — R&D/manufacturing — validation/feedback," both parties will significantly speed up the pace of material development and practical application.

As a pioneer in the large-scale production of powder metallurgy tool and die steels in China, Tiangong International's deep involvement in the national nuclear fusion materials R&D system not only reflects the company's technological accumulation and manufacturing prowess but also represents a strategic practice of actively integrating into major national science and technology projects for long-term development. Looking ahead, Tiangong International will continue to strengthen its close collaboration with research institutions, persistently invest in original technology R&D, and promote the rapid progression of high-end nuclear fusion metal materials from technological breakthroughs to engineering validation and ultimately to industrial application. The goal is to provide reliable, batch-suppliable, and practically applicable independent material solutions for China's nuclear fusion industry, contributing Chinese wisdom and strength to the global competition in fusion material science and technology.