This paper reviews the history and the present status of the developme
nt of low-activation ferritic/martensitic steels for fusion applicatio
ns, followed by a summary of the status of the International Energy Ag
ency fusion materials working group activities, where an international
collaborative test program on low-activation ferritic/martensitic ste
els for fusion is in progress. The objective of the test program is to
verify the feasibility of using ferritic/martensitic steels for fusio
n by an extensive test program covering the most relevant technical is
sues for the qualification of a material for nuclear application. The
development of a comprehensive data base on the representative industr
ially processed reduced-activation steels of type 8-9Cr-2WVTa will pro
vide designers a preliminary set of material data within about 3 years
for the mechanical design of components, e.g., for demo relevant blan
ket modules to be tested in ITER. Knowledge on the current limitations
of low-activation ferritic steels for application in advanced fusion
systems is reviewed and future prospects are defined.