On February 17, Chargé d’Affaires David Gehrenbeck joined Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Minister Chris Bishop, and Minister Shane Jones to see a live demonstration of OpenStar’s “Junior” prototype device - successfully confining plasma around its levitated dipole superconducting magnet. A major milestone in next-generation fusion research. The technology has roots in experiments conducted in the 1990s to the mid-2010s at the Plasma Science and Fusion Centre at MIT and Columbia University, and the United States looks forward to continued partnership in this critical area. OpenStar Technologies is now developing its next device, “Tahi,” projected to be four times more powerful than “Junior.” Congratulations to founder Ratu Mataira and the OpenStar team on this achievement. Breakthroughs like this demonstrate how research partnerships fuel economic growth, strengthen energy security, and support the advanced industries that underpin long-term prosperity for both our countries, a powerful example of innovation in action as we mark Freedom 250. 🇺🇸🇳🇿 📸 credit: OpenStar Technologies.