Institute to Develop Novel Laser Fusion Reactor As Part of Japan’s Initiative to Pursue Challenging Concepts to Solve Issues Facing Future Society
PALO ALTO, CA / ACCESS Newswire / October 21, 2025 / The Director of the Blue Laser Fusion Energy Collaborative Research Institute, jointly established by Blue Laser Fusion Inc. (BLF) and the University of Osaka (UOsaka), has been selected as one of the Project Managers (PMs) for Japan’s prestigious Moonshot Research and Development Program (Moonshot Program) to develop an innovative fusion reactor using BLF’s novel laser technology. The project, led by Professor Shinsuke Fujioka of the High Energy Density Science Division in the UOsaka Institute of Laser Engineering (ILE), who also serves as Director of the BLF Energy Collaborative Research Institute, is a multi-year initiative focused on advancing BLF’s laser, target ignition, and reactor design with a goal of demonstration of a laser-based fusion energy generation system. The Institute will collaborate with other research partners, with the detailed project plan to be finalized in consultation with the Program Director and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST).
The Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) implements the Moonshot Program, which is led by Japan’s Cabinet Office. The program pursues challenging R&D concepts set by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in order to solve issues facing Japan’s future society. Moonshot Program Goal 10 is related to fusion energy: “Realization of a dynamic society in harmony with the global environment and free from resource constraints, through diverse applications of fusion energy….”
For additional information about Japan’s Moonshot program, see https://www.jst.go.jp/moonshot/en/program/goal10/index.html
The selection of the Director of the BLF Energy Collaborative Research Institute as a PM for Moonshot Program Goal 10 results from a highly competitive process led by JST and their external experts, including open calls and a review of a large number of applications, followed by multiple rounds of document and interview screening, culminating in final selection of a small number of university and corporate teams.
Dr. Shuji Nakamura, CEO of Blue Laser Fusion and 2014 Nobel Prize Winner, commented, “I am thrilled that Professor Fujioka, Director of the Blue Laser Fusion Energy Collaborative Research Institute at the University of Osaka, has been selected as Project Manager for Japan’s world-renowned Moonshot Program. We are pleased to collaborate with the University of Osaka, Japan’s leading laser fusion research and technology institution, as we work to accelerate the commercialization of laser-based fusion energy. BLF will continue to contribute, together with the University of Osaka, to solving Japan’s energy challenges.”
Blue Laser Fusion enabling technology innovations include a high efficiency, cost effective optical enhancement cavity (OEC) laser delivering megajoule class pulse energy at a high repetition rate, coupled with a high gain fuel target to achieve commercial fusion. Beyond the Moonshot Program selection, BLF has won US Department of Energy INFUSE projects in collaborations with Caltech and Colorado State University, and the company is a corporate partner in the US DOE IFE-Star RISE HUB for inertial fusion energy. Additionally, Blue Laser Fusion is on the industrial council for the US DOE FIRE Collaboratives led by General Atomics on fusion targets and by Idaho National Labs on fusion reactor design.
About Blue Laser Fusion, Inc.
Blue Laser Fusion Inc. (BLF) is a leading fusion energy company based in Santa Barbara, CA with offices in Silicon Valley and Tokyo, Japan. BLF was founded in 2022 by Dr. Shuji Nakamura, 2014 Nobel Laureate in Physics and solid-state lighting pioneer, whose high efficiency LED lighting inventions have helped transform the world by substantially reducing the global energy power consumption. The company is commercializing a proprietary and novel laser fusion technology to achieve the world’s first carbon-free, on demand, renewable, clean energy generation and to accelerate a transition to an electrified world. BLF aims to commercialize a GW scale reactor to provide power to the grid to meet the acute and increasing demand for clean energy for data centers and to support the AI revolution, for semiconductor chip fabrication facilities and chemical and steel production plants, as well as for electric vehicles and homes. The company has a comprehensive IP portfolio with more than 100 patents and applications internationally. To learn more, please visit: www.bluelaserfusion.com
About The University of Osaka Institute of Laser Engineering (ILE)
The Institute of Laser Engineering (ILE) at the University of Osaka, led by Director Ryosuke Kodama, is a world-leading research center for laser fusion and high-energy-density science. Originating from the Laser Engineering Research Facility under the School of Engineering, ILE has developed Japan’s largest high-power laser systems, including GEKKO XII and LFEX, and pioneered new academic fields such as laser astrophysics and plasma photonics. Designated by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) as a Joint Usage/Research Center, ILE provides open access to researchers worldwide and drives innovation across science and industry. ILE and Blue Laser Fusion launched a joint research division in October 2023, directed by Professor Shinsuke Fujioka, and have since collaborated closely. In April 2025, the collaboration expanded into the Blue Laser Fusion Energy Collaborative Research Institute, further accelerating their joint efforts. The institute’s research focuses on developing high-average-power lasers, advancing clean fusion reactions, and evaluating technology and social acceptance for the societal implementation of fusion energy.
For more information, please visit: www.ile.osaka-u.ac.jp
Media contact:
Blue Laser Fusion Inc.
contact@bluelaserfusion.com
SOURCE: Blue Laser Fusion Inc.
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