In the assumption that DEMO will be an inductively driven tokamak, the number of load cycles will be in the range of several hundred thousands. The requirements for a new generation of Nb3Sn based high current conductors for DEMO are drafted starting from the output of system code PROCESS. The key objectives include the stability of the DC performance over the lifetime of the machine and the effective use of the Nb3Sn strand properties, for cost and reliability reasons. A preliminary layout of the winding pack and conductors for the toroidal field magnets is presented. To suppress the mechanism of reversible and irreversible degradation, i.e. to preserve in the cabled conductor the high critical current density of the strand, the thermal strain must be insignificant and no space for micro-bending under transverse load must be left in the strand bundle. The "react-and-wind" method is preferred here, with a graded, layer wound magnet, containing both Nb3Sn and NbTi layers. The implications of the conductor choice on the coil design and technology are highlighted. A roadmap is sketched for the development of a full size prototype conductor sample and demonstration of the key technologies. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.