MT26 Energy Seminar – Week 2: Fusion energy – challenge and opportunity
Tim Beswick
- Start Tuesday 20 Oct 2026 5:00pm
- Finish Tuesday 20 Oct 2026 6:00pm
- Venue School of Geography & the Environment
- Postcode OX1 3AN
THIS IS AN IN-PERSON AND ONLINE EVENT
Summary: Tim will describe the journey to fusion energy. The work at UKAEA’s Culham Campus near Oxford has been at the forefront of this field for decades, including operating the international JET fusion machine until 2023. Fusion is now in a transition from primarily laboratory research to commercial activity, with rapidly increasing private-sector activity. There remain substantial technical challenges to address, but interest in fusion energy is stronger than ever with clear opportunity for the UK.
Speaker: Tim Bestwick was CEO of the UK Atomic Energy Authority, the UK’s national fusion energy laboratory. At the Culham Campus, just outside Oxford, UKAEA operates world-leading capabilities in fusion plasma research, tritium fuel-cycle technology, robotics and advanced materials. Tim held senior roles at UKAEA spanning technology, development and executive leadership. His earlier career encompassed semiconductor research, silicon photonics, technology entrepreneurship and the creation of science-based companies. A Cambridge engineering graduate and PhD, Tim was awarded an OBE for services to the commercialisation of science, technology and innovation.
