• UKRI-funded project to research new opportunities for building fusion machines • Initiative will use a new additive manufacturing approach to enable different metals to be fused together to create entirely new alloys • Supported by industrial partners including Rolls Royce Subs, MTC and Aerosint

NOTTINGHAM, UK, 15 JANUARY 2026: A new UK research initiative announced today will explore new methods to manufacture materials for extreme environments, starting with those used in fusion machines.

The project, called DIADEM (Design of Interfaces for Additively Engineered Metamaterials), is led by researchers at the Centre for Additive Manufacturing (CfAM) at the University of Nottingham, an internationally leading additive manufacturing research group, in partnership with the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), the UK's national fusion energy research organisation. The initiative is funded by the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council's (EPSRC) Adventurous Manufacturing programme, and supported by industrial partners including Rolls Royce, the MTC and Aerosint.

DIADEM is initially focusing on solving one of the key challenges in the development of fusion technology - how to simultaneously process two fundamentally different materials - tungsten and copper - together, in order to manufacture the components that will be used in future fusion power plants.

Fusion machines require specific materials that can operate under complex conditions including extreme temperatures. Tungsten's exceptional heat resilience and copper's heat conductivity make them ideal candidates. However, combining these two metals presents a unique challenge due to their vastly different thermal properties, such as melting points, thermal conductivities, and mechanical behaviours. Traditional manufacturing methods are unable to combine the metals effectively, but emerging additive manufacturing techniques offer new opportunities.

The project will utilise a novel approach known as Multi-Metal Laser Powder Bed Fusion (MM-LPBF), an additive manufacturing technique that offers precise control over the composition and structure of materials at multiple scales, from micro to macro.

This method allows different metals to be fused together in a highly controlled manner to create new materials with unique properties. By using MM-LPBF, DIADEM will create ‘metamaterials' with varying compositions at different scales. This process aims to improve on traditional manufacturing methods, which are more prone to cracking, void formation, and thermal stress at the metal-metal boundary. This will be particularly beneficial with components that need to endure complex conditions such as extreme heat flux, high neutron load and strong magnetic fields, such as plasma-facing components (PFCs).

DIADEM's innovations will support technology critical for a wide range of fusion programmes including STEP, the UK's prototype fusion power plant targeting operation in 2040, and private fusion projects, aiming to improve the energy efficiency and durability of future fusion power plants.

Allan Harte, Fusion Technology Research Portfolio Manager at UKAEA, said:
"Fusion promises to be a safe, low-carbon, sustainable part of the world's future energy supply, and the UK has a great opportunity to become a global exporter of fusion technology.
"However, achieving fusion means solving complex challenges. This project, leveraging additive manufacturing to help manufacture key fusion components, forms part of UKAEA's ongoing efforts to bring fusion energy closer to commercial reality."

Richard Hague, Director of the Centre for Additive Manufacturing, said:
"Joining two dissimilar metals has been a critical problem for the fusion sector, where the ability to blend two metals together is imperative for progress in this area. Using this state-of-the-art multi-material additive manufacturing technique for fusion energy is just the first application - in the future, DIADEM will benefit any sector where high-performance, multi-metal components are required, such as aerospace, defence and healthcare.

By mastering multi-metal additive manufacturing, we're opening the door to a new generation of engineered materials."

Dr Kedar Pandya, Executive Director for Strategy at EPSRC, said:
"EPSRC are investing in adventurous research that pushes the boundaries of what's possible in manufacturing.

"By pioneering new ways to fuse metals for extreme environments, this project is helping to tackle one of fusion energy's toughest challenges. This research is working towards making fusion energy a reality with the potential to bring clean and sustainable energy to people across the country."

The launch of DIADEM complements UKAEA's recent deployment of new additive manufacturing technology at its Culham Campus in Oxfordshire and existing additive manufacturing technology at the Fusion Technology Facility in Rotherham.

About Centre for Additive Manufacturing (CfAM)
The Centre for Additive Manufacturing (CfAM), at The University of Nottingham, is the world's leading additive manufacturing research group. Additive Manufacturing is the technology behind creating customisable, next generation, 3D objects. By adding layer-upon-layer of material - whether the material is plastic, metal, concrete or more - 3D printing creates smart, customisable products. CfAM seeks to advance the research, development and application of next-generation, multi-material and multifunctional AM and 3D printing technologies across key industries. Crucially this involves pushing state-of-the-art of additive manufacturing by moving from the single material additive manufacturing to the realm of multi-material multi-functional additive manufacturing. This technology gives today's top engineers the ability to build structures with unprecedented degrees of complexity.
CfAM's research allows industries to meaningfully adopt and apply AM techniques when navigating complex problems and to differentiate themselves by offering utilising their unparalleled expertise and research capabilities across, design, consultancy, methodology and development for advanced technological solutions.
The CfAM team is made up of over 100 researchers, PhD students and support staff from biochemistry to mechanical engineering, all based in a world-class, purpose-built laboratory with best in-class facilities.
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About UKAEA
The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) is the UK's national fusion energy research organisation. We are an executive non-departmental public body of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).

UKAEA's mission is to lead the delivery of sustainable fusion energy and maximise the scientific and economic benefit. We do this by being technical experts, partnering with companies and the international research community.

At the core of UKAEA's efforts is the operation of world-leading facilities that build a comprehensive knowledge base for fusion energy. By addressing and solving the challenges across the full lifecycle of fusion, and integrating solutions from various disciplines, we establish technical centres of excellence that serve as the foundation for future fusion power plant programmes.

UKAEA collaborates with its partners to develop fusion power plants by providing access to our skills, facilities and expertise. UKAEA owns UK Industrial Fusion Solutions (UKIFS) on behalf of the UK government. Through UKIFS, we're spearheading the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) programme to design and build the UK's first prototype fusion energy power plant in Nottinghamshire.

To grow the fusion ecosystem, UKAEA focuses on cultivating skilled talent, growing the fusion industry and creating ‘innovation clusters'. We actively seek opportunities to advance fusion technologies and communicate its vast potential to stakeholders and the public alike to accelerate fusion energy's future - the energy of tomorrow we need today.

More information: https://www.gov.uk/ukaea. Social Media: @UKAEAofficial?


EPSRC
The UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is the main funding body for engineering and physical sciences research in the UK. Our portfolio covers a vast range of fields from digital technologies to clean energy, manufacturing to mathematics, advanced materials to chemistry.
EPSRC invests in world-leading research and skills, advancing knowledge and delivering a sustainable, resilient and prosperous UK. We support new ideas and transformative technologies which are the foundations of innovation, improving our economy, environment and society. Working in partnership and co-investing with industry, we deliver against national and global priorities.