How Beijing channels lab breakthroughs onto production lines
shanghaisun.com Oct 3, 2026

How Beijing channels lab breakthroughs onto production lines

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Disc‑shaped reels of iron‑based superconducting tape are on display at Guoke Superconductor in Beijing’s Yizhuang high‑tech zone, where the startup is constructing what it claims to be the world’s first mass‑production line for the material. The line, slated for completion by the end of 2026, will have an annual capacity of roughly 100 km of tape, enough for a single fusion reactor that requires 5,000‑20,000 km. Global capacity in 2025 was insufficient for even one device. Founded in August 2025, Guoke leverages Beijing’s research institutes, talent pool, and manufacturing incentives. Yizhuang, covering 225 sq km, contributed nearly 40 % of Beijing’s industrial value added last year and hosts other advanced‑manufacturing projects, such as Platinumlife’s automated stem‑cell drug production lines that have treated over 700 patients.

💡 Why It Matters

  • · Scaling iron‑based superconductors could finally provide the massive lengths of tape needed for commercial fusion reactors, turning experimental energy concepts into viable power sources.