OXFORD, UNITED KINGDOM, 12th April 2018
RESPECTED former UK Government Chief Scientific Advisor Sir David King, FRS, has joined the advisory board of First Light Fusion. The appointment further strengthens the Oxford-based research company’s capabilities as it prepares to commission the world’s first pulsed power machine dedicated to exploring fusion, the ultimate source of energy.
First Light is researching inertial confinement fusion. Power generation using this approach is safe, clean and virtually limitless and has the potential to transform the world’s energy supply. Unlike existing nuclear power, there is no long-lived waste and raw materials can be found in abundance.
First Light Fusion was founded by research scientist Dr Nicholas Hawker and Kennedy Professor of Mechanical Engineering Yiannis Ventikos and spun out of Oxford University. The company boasts a world-class advisory board including Nobel Prize-winning scientist Prof Steven Chu and Prof Arun Majumdar – who both served in the US Department of Energy under President Barack Obama.
Nicholas Hawker, the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of First Light Fusion, said:
‘We’re delighted to welcome someone of Sir David King’s calibre onto our advisory board. David brings with him a deep understanding of energy innovation and political action to tackle climate change. His arrival will make another enormous contribution to our world-class advisory board and will help us spearhead our efforts to take fusion into the mainstream. We made strong technical progress during 2017, which makes us very excited about our future.’
Sir David King said:
‘I am very excited to be joining a business working on a truly disruptive innovation, which could transform the world’s energy system forever. I know from my experience in Government and my previous work as a scientist that moving our energy supply to clean and reliable sources is one of the most significant challenges for mankind. We are not yet on course to avoid dangerous levels of climate change, and further technology innovation will be required.
‘Power generation from inertial confinement fusion is an exciting prospect and one which the high-calibre team of physicists and engineers at First Light Fusion is exploring with scientific rigour. I am looking forward immensely to helping this talented group of scientists to reach their goals.’
ENDS
For more information please contact:
First Light Fusion
Gianluca Pisanello, Chief Operating Officer +44 (0) 1865 807 670
Powerscourt Group (Public Relations Advisor)
Ben Griffiths/Peter Ogden +44 (0) 20 7250 1446
