Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences

What Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences does

The Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences (Ústav fyziky plazmatu AV ČR, v. v. i.) is a public research institution founded in 1959 and headquartered in Prague 8, Libeň, with a staff of approximately 144 personnel. It is organized into four scientific divisions: the Fusion Plasma Division (operating the COMPASS tokamak from 2011 until its 2021 shutdown and currently commissioning COMPASS-U), the Laser Plasma Division, the Plasma Chemistry and Materials Division (operating the PLASGAS reactor with the proprietary WSP-H hybrid water/argon plasma torch), and the TOPTEC division (special optics and optoelectronic systems).

The institute's core assets are large-scale experimental facilities rather than commercial products: the COMPASS tokamak (one of only three European tokamaks with ITER-like configuration and H-mode capability) and its successor COMPASS-U (a high-magnetic-field, high-density tokamak with a total project budget of 797,018,442.46 CZK); proprietary plasma-chemical reactors for gasification, pyrolysis, and hydrogen production; laser-plasma systems reaching intensities of 3x10^16 W/cm^2; and diagnostic instruments such as the FASXCAM camera developed with Czech Technical University. The institute also supplies qualified bismuth-based Hall sensors for ITER steady-state magnetic field measurement.

IPP's business model is that of a publicly funded research institution rather than a commercial enterprise. Core revenue derives from Czech Academy of Sciences institutional allocations and EU structural/investment funds (notably the COMPASS-U project), supplemented by competitive grants from GA ČR, TA ČR and the European Commission, contract research with industrial partners (HVM Plasma, ExxonMobil, Membrain, ProjectSoft HK, Millenium Technologies), and participation in the EUROfusion consortium. Customers/partners are predominantly international scientific laboratories, universities, and government entities (ITER Organisation, EUROfusion, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Max-Planck-IPP, Tohoku University, INER Taiwan, University of Ghent, Czech Technical University), with no commercial pricing model and no publicly traded ownership.

Name

Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences

Legal name

Ústav fyziky plazmatu AV ČR, v. v. i.

Website

https://ipp.cas.cz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences is a Prague-based public research institution (founded 1959) that operates four divisions — Fusion Plasma (COMPASS/COMPASS-U tokamaks), Laser Plasma, Plasma Chemistry and Materials, and TOPTEC special optics — serving the international fusion, plasma physics and hydrogen-production research communities under Czech government and EU funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Prague 8, Libeň

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Institutional Funding: The institute is a public research institution under the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (ASCR). Core funding comes from government budgetary allocations.
2. EU Structural and Investment Funds: Major project funding through European Union operational programmes. COMPASS-U project received 797,018,442.46 CZK total, including 568,672,658.69 CZK EU contribution.
3. Research Grants: Funding from national grant agencies including GA ČR (Czech Science Foundation), TA ČR (Technology Agency), and EC (European Commission). Multiple active grant projects across departments.
4. Industry Collaboration: Contract research and collaboration with industrial partners including HVM Plasma, ExxonMobil, Membrain, ProjectSoft HK, and Millenium Technologies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences operates as a public scientific institute conducting fundamental and applied plasma physics research. It runs the COMPASS tokamak and is building COMPASS-U, conducts laser-plasma research, develops plasma-chemical technologies, and through its TOPTEC division produces specialty optical components, thin films, and coatings for external customers.

Product overview

The Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences (Ústav fyziky plazmatu AV ČR, v. v. i.) is a public research institution organized into four scientific divisions — Fusion Plasma, Laser Plasma, Plasma Chemistry and Materials, and TOPTEC (special optics and optoelectronics) — supported by specialized departments. The core offerings are large-scale scientific research facilities and plasma technology systems rather than commercial products. The Fusion Plasma Division operates the COMPASS tokamak and is constructing its successor COMPASS-U, while the Plasma Chemistry and Materials Division operates the PLASGAS reactor (with the WSP-H hybrid plasma torch at its core) for thermal plasma gasification, waste treatment, and hydrogen/syngas production. The Laser Plasma Division conducts high-power laser-plasma experiments, and the TOPTEC Division develops special optical systems, thin-layer deposition, and optoelectronic technologies for scientific and industrial applications. The institute also develops specialized diagnostic instruments (e.g., FASXCAM camera, high-speed cameras, spectrometers) for fusion and plasma research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• COMPASS: Tokamak device operated by the Fusion Plasma Division for nuclear fusion research
• COMPASS-U
• TOPTEC
• PlasGas
• WSP-H

Products and services

• COMPASS tokamak A tokamak — a magnetic confinement device used to produce and study high-temperature plasmas for controlled thermonuclear fusion research. Operated by the institute as part of the EUROfusion consortium and made available to the European fusion research community for experimental campaigns.
• COMPASS-U tokamak A next-generation tokamak under construction at the institute, designed for higher magnetic field operation than COMPASS to extend European fusion research capability.
• PLASGAS plasma-chemical reactor A plasma-chemical reactor used for applied research and contract work on plasma-driven chemical processes and materials treatment, available to industrial customers.
• WSP-H hybrid plasma torch A hybrid plasma torch used for experimental and applied plasma chemistry research, available for contract research projects.
• Microwave plasma torch A microwave plasma torch used by the institute in plasma chemistry experiments and process research.
• Kinetic plasma reactor A kinetically driven plasma reactor used for plasma chemistry research and applied studies.
• FASXCAM diagnostic camera A specialized fast camera used for plasma diagnostics, designed and used by the institute for monitoring plasma discharges in experiments.
• TOPTEC specialty optical components and coatings TOPTEC produces specialty optical components, thin films, and coatings, including shaped substrates and optical coatings, for research and industrial customers.
• Chata Plazmat conference and accommodation facility Chata Plazmat is a conference, workshop, and guesthouse facility operated by the institute for hosting scientific meetings, schools, and visitor accommodation related to the institute's research and outreach activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Developed scaling that enabled optimization of ITER first wall shape, reducing maximum local heat load by more than half
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• EUROfusion ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPP is a key member of the EUROfusion European fusion research consortium. The institute operates COMPASS tokamak within the consortium and participates in experiments at JET, ASDEX Upgrade, WEST, and TCV tokamaks across Europe. Collaborative research supports ITER and DEMO development.
• ITER OrganisationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirect collaboration on fusion research including Hall sensor development for ITER steady-state magnetic field measurement. COMPASS experiments validated ITER correction coil strategy. Institute contributed to ITER first wall shape optimization through physics scaling.
• HVM Plasma s.r.o.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCzech industrial partner in plasma technology development and applications. Collaboration on thermal plasma systems for industrial applications.
• ExxonMobil Research and Engineering CompanymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational industrial collaboration on energy-related plasma research and hydrocarbon processing technologies.
• ProjectSoft HK, a.s.majorTechnology or IntegrationCzech software company, co-developer of WSP-H hybrid plasma torch technology. Ongoing collaboration on plasma torch development and applications.
• University of Ghent (Belgium)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership on plasma chemistry research and hydrogen production technologies. Exchange of researchers and joint experimental programmes.
• Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, TaiwancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational academic collaboration on nuclear and plasma physics research. Joint research projects and researcher exchange.
• Institute of Fluid Science, Tohoku University (Japan)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership on plasma science research with Japan's leading plasma physics research institution. Collaborative studies and knowledge exchange.
• Princeton Plasma Physics LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration with US fusion research institution. Joint experiments and diagnostic development for tokamak research.
• Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik (Germany)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with Germany's leading plasma physics institute. Professor Hartmut Zohm served as chairman of IPP's international advisory board (2011-2016). Joint research on plasma stability and ITER preparation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ITER Organisation: International intergovernmental organization building the ITER tokamak in France. Direct peer/partner organization for plasma physics research, with which IPP has ongoing collaboration including Hall sensor supply.
• United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) / Culham Centre for Fusion Energy: UK's national fusion lab at Culham, former operator of JET and developer of MAST-U. Directly comparable as a publicly funded fusion research center operating tokamak infrastructure within EUROfusion.
• Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (KFE): South Korea's national fusion research institute operating the KSTAR tokamak. Comparable as a publicly funded, government-aligned fusion lab delivering experimental data and diagnostics for ITER/DEMO.
• General Atomics (DIII-D National Fusion Facility): U.S. private company operating the DIII-D tokamak as a national user facility for fusion research. Comparable tokamak operator delivering ITER-relevant plasma physics and diagnostics.
• Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP): China's national academy institute for plasma physics, operating EAST and related tokamaks. Direct peer as another academy-of-sciences plasma physics institute conducting ITER-relevant fusion research.
• National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS): Japan's inter-university research institute for plasma science, operating the Large Helical Device stellarator. Comparable public research entity conducting frontier plasma and fusion physics experiments.
• Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik: Germany's leading public fusion research institute operating ASDEX Upgrade and Wendelstein 7-X. Directly comparable to IPP CAS as a publicly funded, tokamak/stellarator-based plasma physics laboratory within the EUROfusion consortium.
• Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory: U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory for plasma and fusion science, operating major tokamak experiments and diagnostics. Listed as an explicit IPP collaborator and competitor for fusion R&D talent and grants.

Emerging players

• Tokamak Energy: UK-based private fusion company developing spherical tokamak technology (ST80-HTS). Comparable as a tokamak-focused organization pursuing fusion commercialization, in the same broader European ecosystem as IPP.
• Commonwealth Fusion Systems: U.S. private fusion company developing compact high-field tokamak (SPARC) technology emerging from MIT PSFC. Comparable target customer for IPP's HTS magnets-adjacent R&D and tokamak diagnostics expertise.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ipp_cas
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ippcas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-of-plasma-physics-as-cr-prague

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute of Plasma Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences