Accelerating the Arrival of Fusion Energy within a Quintuple Helix Innovation Ecosystem to Address Climate Change

In July 2019, the International Energy Agency established an independent Global Commission for Urgent Action on Energy Efficiency. In the world of fusion power development, in November 2018, a U.S. National Academies’ report on US fusion research recommended a national ‘burning plasma’ fusion power facility but also emphasized the private sector’s role in fusion innovation. In the same month, the Fusion Industry Association publicly announced its launch, indicating a level of private-sector industry maturity. Multiple FIA members boldly aim to accelerate fusion’s commercial deployment to approximately one decade, yet none are fully funded to overcome the ‘valley of death’ innovation-to-commercialization obstacle. Nonetheless, introducing fusion power (a ‘Future Fusion Economy’) in a 2030-2040 timeframe could contribute substantially towards transitioning from fossil fuels within this century and thereby contribute significantly to addressing climate change in the post-Paris Agreement period. This article applies the Quadruple and Quintuple Innovation Helix Ecosystem framework to this problem. We consider how Global South funding for entrepreneurship and innovation, via petrostates’ sovereign wealth funds, can accelerate the development and commercialization of fusion, through funding continuous innovation operations. We advocate a multi-sectoral and multilateral approach to accelerate fusion innovation, increase global quality of democracy, and protect the natural environment, via a managed co-opetive global solution like the IEA’s commission.