“Making fusion work in an experiment isn’t enough. It must be viable, efficient, and scalable if we want it to become part of the energy mix.” These are the words of Ángel Ibarra, Director of the IFMIF-DONES España Consortium, in the article published by the Bankinter Innovation Foundation, titled “Functional materials to turn fusion into industrial reality.”

Ibarra highlights three key pillars that must be achieved simultaneously for fusion energy to become competitive. These are not independent goals but interdependent conditions: an industrial strategy to produce tritium at scale, reactors capable of operating almost continuously, and the ability to deliver the energy produced in the reaction directly to the power grid.

This article is part of the Bankinter Innovation Foundation’s in-depth analysis on fusion energy. The full report gathers insights from more than twenty international experts and identifies five critical pillars for scaling fusion energy as a driver of climate, economic, and technological transformation.

If Europe wants to lead the future of fusion, Ibarra argues, it must treat the development of materials as a strategic industrial priority—because without materials capable of withstanding extreme pressure, radiation, and heat, no reactor will ever feed electricity into the grid. In this context, and thanks to IFMIF-DONES, Spain is well positioned to become a key node in the European fusion ecosystem, driving innovation in materials science and standing as a top-tier industrial player in one of the most transformative sectors of the 21st century.

“Ángel Ibarra’s participation in the Future Trends Forum Fusion Forward is not just a technical reflection,” concludes the article. “It is a call to action—to unlock Spain’s full potential in this race: as a cornerstone of the European fusion ecosystem, as a hub for materials innovation, and as a leading industrial actor in one of the century’s most transformative fields.”