Future Energy Forum
The Future Energy Forum, jointly delivered by the Melbourne Energy Institute (MEI) and the University of Melbourne Industry Partnerships team, and convening at Melbourne Connect on 23 April 2026, will bring together senior leaders spanning industry, government, research, technology, investment, and the energy sector.
This Forum focuses on emerging technical and commercial advances in fusion energy, exploring the role that fusion could play within Australia’s evolving energy mix as the nation accelerates its transition to net‑zero. With the global fusion sector moving rapidly, from alternative confinement concepts to private‑sector commercialisation attempts, the Forum offers a strategic opportunity to evaluate technological readiness, deployment pathways, the rationale for patient capital investment, regulatory implications, and system-level integration questions relevant to Australia.
A core component of the event will examine social licence considerations for nuclear‑related technologies, recognising the unique socio‑political environment in Australia. While fusion differs fundamentally from fission in safety profile, waste, fuel cycles, and proliferation risks, the public often conflates the two, making community acceptance, trust-building, and policy clarity essential prerequisites for any future deployment. The Forum will explore how Australia can frame nuclear‑adjacent technologies responsibly and transparently.
Together, these discussions will position the Forum as a platform for exploring how advanced energy technologies, particularly fusion, could contribute to Australia’s long-term energy security, decarbonisation goals, and industrial competitiveness, while ensuring they are developed with clear public values and community expectations in mind.
