LPP - Lawrenceville Plasma Physics

The Focus Fusion Society cooperates with Lawrenceville Plasma Physics, Inc. (LPP) a for-profit company whose President is Eric Lerner, in the development of focus fusion technology. The cooperation is designed to be carried out in a way that ensures that the technology will be to the benefit of the general public.

LPP has been essential for the development of the technology because some government research grants are available only to for-profit companies or to educational institutions, not to non-profits like FFS.  Investment funds raised by LPP, while modest, have been crucial for supporting continuing research.  In contrast, efforts to raise funds through FFS are very minor compared to LPP and at this time, FFS has more of a public awareness and community building function. 

In the event that, as planned, FFS raises sufficient funds to contribute equipment to a joint research project with LPP, any technology developed from this project will be available for development by both organizations, as is the standard practice for collaborations between, for example, corporations and universities.

Both FFS and LPP aim at making focus fusion technology available to all at a price that does not significantly exceed the costs of research, development and production. Because the costs of research and development of the technology are so modest (several million dollars) compared with the expected size of the fusion energy market (many billions of dollars per year) investors can expect substantial returns without profit being a significant proportion of the final price of the products. LPP voting shares are closely held, ensuring that no hostile takeover can imperil the development of focus fusion.