Small Fusion Projects Deliver Immediate Benefits

While large-scale fusion energy remains decades away, companies like SHINE Technologies are using fusion for medical and industrial applications today.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 8:21pm

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A bold, abstract painting in earthy tones of green, brown, and blue, featuring sweeping geometric arcs, concentric circles, and precise spirals that conceptually represent the complex forces and structures of nuclear fusion technology.As fusion startups make incremental progress in commercializing the technology, their work is laying the groundwork for a future of cheap, abundant fusion-powered energy.Livermore Today

While the dream of utility-scale, carbon-free fusion energy remains decades away, smaller fusion projects are already delivering tangible benefits in medicine and industry. Companies like SHINE Technologies in Wisconsin are using fusion to produce isotopes for nuclear medicine and perform neutron imaging for military parts, demonstrating how fusion technology can be commercialized and scaled up over time to eventually achieve the goal of cheap, abundant energy.

Why it matters

The development of fusion energy has long been the holy grail for researchers and energy investors, but the technical challenges have proven immense. By focusing on near-term commercial applications of fusion, companies like SHINE are making incremental progress that could eventually lead to the realization of fusion power on a massive scale.

The details

SHINE Technologies is using fusion reactions to produce medical isotopes and perform specialized imaging for military parts like jet turbine blades. While this may not grab headlines, it is providing tangible value today and helping to drive down the costs of fusion technology over time. The company's founder, Greg Piefer, says SHINE's mission is to commercialize fusion gradually, rather than attempting a single 'moonshot' breakthrough.

  • SHINE Technologies was founded in Wisconsin.
  • The Fusion Industry Association reported $2.64 billion in private and public funding for fusion research in the 12 months ending July 2025.

The players

SHINE Technologies

A Wisconsin-based company that is using fusion reactions to produce medical isotopes and perform specialized imaging for military parts.

Greg Piefer

The founder and CEO of SHINE Technologies, who says the company's mission is to commercialize fusion gradually rather than attempting a single 'moonshot' breakthrough.

Fusion Industry Association

An organization that reported $2.64 billion in private and public funding for fusion research in the 12 months ending July 2025.

Lawrence Livermore National Lab

A research laboratory in California that is working on developing fusion energy.

ITER

An international collaboration working to build the world's largest tokamak, a magnetic fusion device that has been designed to prove the feasibility of fusion as a large-scale and carbon-free source of energy.

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What they’re saying

“Our mission is to commercialize fusion ultimately with the goal of making cheap energy. Our path to doing that is through commercialization rather than trying to make a big scientific moon shot.”

— Greg Piefer, Founder and CEO, SHINE Technologies

“What SHINE really is, is an obviously incredibly important medical business. But perhaps even more significantly for humankind over the long run it is continued proof that the cost of nuclear fusion can scale through that commercialization, and eventually that will lead us to the promised land for cheap and abundant energy.”

— Greg Piefer, Founder and CEO, SHINE Technologies

The takeaway

By focusing on near-term commercial applications of fusion technology, companies like SHINE Technologies are making incremental progress that could eventually lead to the realization of fusion power on a massive scale, providing a path to cheap, abundant, and carbon-free energy.