What is DICE and what does it do?

DICE stands for Diagnostics Innovation Centre of Excellence. It is a national centre launched by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) at its Culham Campus in Oxfordshire. DICE develops advanced measurement technology needed to make fusion energy work, specifically the systems that monitor what is happening inside a fusion machine.

Why does fusion energy need diagnostics systems?

Fusion energy works by heating a gas called plasma to extreme temperatures. To control this process safely, scientists must measure the plasma's temperature, density, shape, and stability in real time. Fusion diagnostics systems provide these measurements continuously during machine operation.

Where is the DICE centre located?

DICE is based at UKAEA's Culham Campus in Oxfordshire, UK.

DICE was launched by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), working alongside the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Has DICE already won any contracts?

Yes. Since opening, DICE has secured contracts with 10 organisations, with a combined value of more than £10 million.

Will DICE only work on fusion energy?

No. The centre will also explore how its measurement technology can benefit other industries, including medical research, creating commercial opportunities beyond fusion.

How will DICE support the UK's future workforce?

DICE aims to support supply chain growth across the UK and help train the next generation of fusion specialists, acting as a hub for collaboration between UK industry, international fusion partners, and adjacent sectors.

Who leads the DICE centre and what is the current state of its facilities?

David Croft is Head of DICE at UKAEA. He has stated that cutting-edge equipment is now installed in the DICE laboratories and that the team's expertise spans the full diagnostics lifecycle: design, build, installation, analysis, and operation.

What is DICE and what does it do?

DICE stands for Diagnostics Innovation Centre of Excellence. It is a national centre launched by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) at its Culham Campus in Oxfordshire. DICE develops advanced measurement technology needed to make fusion energy work, specifically the systems that monitor what is happening inside a fusion machine.

Why does fusion energy need diagnostics systems?

Fusion energy works by heating a gas called plasma to extreme temperatures. To control this process safely, scientists must measure the plasma's temperature, density, shape, and stability in real time. Fusion diagnostics systems provide these measurements continuously during machine operation.

Where is the DICE centre located?

DICE is based at UKAEA's Culham Campus in Oxfordshire, UK.

DICE was launched by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), working alongside the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Has DICE already won any contracts?

Yes. Since opening, DICE has secured contracts with 10 organisations, with a combined value of more than £10 million.

Will DICE only work on fusion energy?

No. The centre will also explore how its measurement technology can benefit other industries, including medical research, creating commercial opportunities beyond fusion.

How will DICE support the UK's future workforce?

DICE aims to support supply chain growth across the UK and help train the next generation of fusion specialists, acting as a hub for collaboration between UK industry, international fusion partners, and adjacent sectors.

What fusion machines did the DICE team work on previously?

The DICE team includes experts with decades of experience designing, building, and operating fusion diagnostics systems for MAST Upgrade and JET (Joint European Torus), which was the world's largest operational fusion machine.

Who leads the DICE centre and what is the current state of its facilities?

David Croft is Head of DICE at UKAEA. He has stated that cutting-edge equipment is now installed in the DICE laboratories and that the team's expertise spans diagnostics design, build, installation, analysis, and operation.

What are the supply chain implications of DICE for fusion procurement?

DICE is structured as a collaboration hub for UK industry and international fusion partners, and aims to support supply chain development across the UK. The centre's contracts, already totalling more than £10 million with 10 organisations, indicate active commercial engagement is under way. Note: the characterisation of broader opportunity areas represents analytical context based on the source, not a stated claim within it.

Fusion Diagnostics Centre of Excellence launches at Culham to advance plasma measurement

Category: Diagnostics, Magnets, Simulations, Tokamak

April 21, 2026

Fusion Diagnostics Centre of Excellence launches at Culham to advance plasma measurement

Fusion diagnostics equipment being assembled at UKAEA's DICE facility at Culham Campus, supporting the development of advanced plasma measurement systems.

Precision measurement expertise built over decades at Culham now sits at the heart of the UK’s push to make fusion energy a commercial reality

(Image courtesy of UKAEA)

The UK Atomic Energy Authority has launched the Diagnostics Innovation Centre of Excellence (DICE) at its Culham Campus in Oxfordshire, bringing together decades of plasma diagnostics expertise from JET, MAST Upgrade, and ITER into a national centre serving UK industry and international fusion programmes. Since opening, DICE has secured contracts with 10 organisations worth more than £10 million combined.

Fusion diagnostics capability built on JET, MAST Upgrade, and ITER

The depth of the DICE team is best understood in numbers. According to UKAEA, the team holds a combined experience of more than 1,000 years working on major fusion machines, including JET, which was the world’s largest operational fusion machine, MAST Upgrade, and ITER. UKAEA says this puts its team among the most experienced fusion diagnostics groups in the world.

That experience is already translating into deliverables. UKAEA confirms the centre has produced magnetic pickup coils for US ITER and spectroscopy diagnostics for plasma measurement – two contract types that reflect the range of diagnostic systems DICE is equipped to develop and supply.

David Croft, Head of DICE at UKAEA, says capabilities are growing steadily, with advanced equipment now installed in the laboratories. His team’s experience spans the full diagnostics lifecycle – design, build, installation, analysis, and operation.

What DICE means for procurement and supply chain

DICE is structured as a collaboration hub for UK industry, international fusion partners, and adjacent sectors that can benefit from fusion-derived technologies. The centre will also explore applications beyond fusion, including medical research, where precision measurement technology has clear commercial potential.

The £10 million secured across 10 organisations since opening reflects early commercial traction across a range of contract types. The centre aims to support supply chain growth across the UK and train the next generation of fusion specialists. In UKAEA’s own words, DICE will play a central role in shaping fusion technology development both in the UK and around the world.

Stay ahead in the fusion revolution explore more breakthroughs from leading innovators in clean energy technology.

Fusion Diagnostics Centre of Excellence launches at Culham to advance plasma measurement

Fusion diagnostics capability built on JET, MAST Upgrade, and ITER

What DICE means for procurement and supply chain

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