Fusion for Energy has awarded the 2025 Technology Transfer Demonstrator Call to Axon’ Cable. The 50.000 EUR prize aims to support the use of fusion technologies in other sectors. The French company, specialised in cables for harsh environments, plans to upgrade an ITER cable technology and apply it in fields like particle accelerators, space or nuclear fission.
Axon’ Cable was involved in the ITER Divertor Remote Handling System, a robotic tool that will work in the extreme conditions of the fusion reactor. Under a contract with F4E, the firm developed Flexorad® RF, a coaxial cable designed to meet the critical safety, reliability, and manoeuvrability needs of ITER thanks to special materials and manufacturing processes.
Besides the electrical performance, the cables are compatible with cryogenics (at temperatures down to 4 K or −269.°C) and ultra-high vacuum (UHV). They are also radiation hard (up to 3.5 MGy), fire retardant, halogen-free and highly flexible.
The innovative cable fulfilled the stringent requirements of ITER, some of them never achieved before. In fact, its performance led F4E to recommend it for all other ITER remote handling systems, and ITER Organization is also considering it for vacuum vessel and magnet instrumentation, as well as diagnostics.
The Demonstrator Call award will help Axon’ Cable upgrade its coaxial cable solution to a new Flexorad® RF-240 series. The goal is to make the cable even more resistant: increasing radiation tolerance to 20 MGy, raising the maximum operating temperature from 125°C to 240°C, and reducing outgassing for the most demanding vacuum conditions.
This will involve modifying the process to incorporate alternative high-performance materials, validating the resulting designs in laboratory conditions and demonstrating its performance in representative environments.
After these enhancements, the company will target new markets. Possible applications include particle accelerators, where higher radiation resistance is essential, and aerospace, a field that requires thermal endurance and flexibility. The cables could also be used in nuclear fission facilities, to improve safety and reduce maintenance interventions in radioactive zones. In addition, its fire-safe properties could yield great benefits for marine and underground transportation. Axon’ has already initiated discussions with key potential users in different areas.
The new technology can therefore bring an added value to different sectors, in terms of operational safety, maintenance or fire protection in harsh environments. F4E’s support will help make this prospect a reality and strengthen the company’s position in other markets.
The case of Axon’ Cables is another example of how F4E’s investment in programmes like ITER’s remote handling is pushing the limits of technology. Through the F4E Technology Transfer Programme, we are working to maximise the impact of these innovations in Europe’s industry and foster the cross-fertilisation of knowledge,” explains Carmen Casteras, Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Officer at F4E.
The yearly F4E Technology Transfer Demonstrator Call is supported by the European Commission and implemented in collaboration with EUROfusion and a network of brokers.
