Upcoming Events
Highlights from UKAEA's annual SME Event!
New SME surgery dates available now!
SME surgeries
UKAEA's SME surgeries offer SME enterprises a direct line into our commercial team and a chance to shape how we engage with SMEs across the fusion sector.
These one-to-one sessions are designed to give SMEs a platform to share their experiences - what's working well, the barriers you face, and what needs to change to make fusion opportunities more accessible. We're committed to listening and acting on what you tell us.
What to expect
30-minute, one-to-one virtual sessions (via Microsoft Teams)
Small, focused discussions on topics of your choice
A dedicated opportunity to speak directly with our commercial team
Highlights from UKAEA's SME Exhibition & Connect Event
Feedback from attendees was extremely positive, with networking, collaboration and one-to-one discussions highlighted as some of the most valuable aspects of the day. One supplier described it as “the best event I have attended this year”, while another praised the opportunity to establish direct contact with the Commercial team, adding that they hoped it would lead to more detailed conversations. Attendees also valued the opportunity to connect with other SMEs and Tier 1 organisations, share experiences and explore how they could work together to support the growing fusion sector.
The event reinforced the importance of bringing suppliers together to build relationships, share knowledge and improve understanding of opportunities across the fusion supply chain. Feedback will help inform future engagement activities, with a continued focus on connecting suppliers with relevant contacts, providing clearer visibility of opportunities and creating more opportunities for collaboration across UKAEA and industry.
UKAEA’s SME Exhibition & Connect Event brought together businesses from across the fusion supply chain at Culham Campus on 30 September 2026, providing opportunities for networking, collaboration and direct engagement with UKAEA and industry partners. The event welcomed 169 delegates representing 107 companies, with 78% of participating organisations being small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It also attracted 40 companies attending for the first time, demonstrating the event’s reach across the wider supplier community.
The event featured exhibition stands from 15 SMEs and four Tier 1 suppliers, alongside dedicated workshops covering engineering frameworks, UK Fusion Energy (UKFE) guidance and UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Innovation Loans. Fusion one-to-one sessions, hosted by five representatives from UKAEA, UKFE and Tokamak Energy, gave suppliers the opportunity to make direct contacts, discuss their capabilities and explore potential routes for future engagement.
