The quest for fusion energy is one of the most ambitious scientific and technological endeavors of our time. It is common to characterize the current state of this fusion quest as a competition between public fusion research programs, such as ITER, and emerging private sector initiatives. In reality, fusion development requires an innovation program—which, optimally, should be a public-private collaboration that takes advantage of the complementary nature of these projects and benefits all.
With this in mind, ITER welcomes you to an inaugural private-public fusion workshop, which we will host at the ITER site in Cadarache, France, on 27-29 May 2024. The outcomes of this workshop will help to establish priorities and formulate plans for how ITER will engage with private sector fusion companies going forward. The insights gained will also be provided freely to other efforts geared toward public-private collaboration, including for example the IAEA’s program for its recently formed World Fusion Energy Group.
The first two days of the workshop will be a formal program, featuring presentations with a practical focus. Private sector companies presenting will be asked to focus on three questions:
- What fusion breakthroughs have you achieved, and how (including at what scale)?
- What challenges remain to be overcome in order to bring your fusion approach to fruition?
- How can ITER help?
The third day of the workshop will be less formal: ITER’s experts, covering a broad range of fusion disciplines, will open their doors and their agendas for interviews and discussions on topics of the workshop participants’ choice.
The program will be punctuated by visits to the ITER worksite: not only the main features such as the Assembly Hall and Tokamak Pit, but also—for those seeking a more specialized focus—the cryogenics plant, the reactive power compensation system, the magnet conversion buildings, the workshops with ongoing repairs, and other areas in which ITER guides and experts will explain the project’s innovations to date, lessons learned, and ongoing challenges.
The surge in private sector fusion initiatives has driven a reconsideration of how we could optimize public-private engagement. The question is how we can better disseminate the accumulated knowledge and lessons learned through years of design, manufacturing, and assembly.
We hope you will join us for this inaugural workshop. Should you have any questions or need for information, at any time, we remain at your disposal.
Please do not hesitate to contact us.
