Fusion: A joint Quest reflects the reality that progress toward fusion energy is neither linear nor uniform, but pursued through multiple technical approaches, institutional models, and timelines. Across public and private efforts alike, divergent visions coexist with genuinely complementary strengths - in science, engineering, manufacturing, and systems integration.
At ITER, where large-scale construction and operation depend on sustained cooperation across sectors and geopolitical boundaries, engagement is not a matter of persuasion or consensus, but of disciplined, practical collaboration: the exchange of data, designs, expertise and hard-won experience. This workshop embraces disagreement as an ongoing feature of the fusion landscape and treats engagement itself as an asset - one that, when pursued seriously and respectfully, yields tangible value for all participants. The aim is not to resolve differences prematurely, but to ensure that they sharpen, rather than fragment, the collective effort.
Program
The topics covered in this draft reflect the extensive input from private sector fusion initiatives and other organizations that responded to the survey or have otherwise engaged in discussions on ITER’s Private Sector Fusion Engagement (PSFE) Project. Topics will be presented by experts or in discussion panels. As always in these workshops, the goal is both to showcase achievement and to acknowledge challenges candidly in areas where collaboration will help to achieve success.
The agenda may be adjusted in the coming weeks, based on additional feedback.
Many presenters have already been identified, but some slots remain open. If you would like to be a speaker/presenter on one of the topics shown, please send an email with your formal or informal proposal to psfe@iter.org .
Monday 27 April
Worksite tours, consultations with ITER experts
Entrance C gate: security access, badges issued
Tuesday 28 April
Conference agenda: speakers, panels, and networking
Entrance C gate: security access
Headquarters (Building 72) Lobby: registration, coffee & croissants
– Laban Coblentz, ITER, Moderator
– Pietro Barabaschi, ITER
– Olga Barkadzhieva, Fusion Industry Association
– Bernard Blanc, European Fusion Association
– Masatsugu Sakaguchi, J-Fusion
– Raphael Hery, ITER, Moderator: putting Godzilla to work
– Olli Suominen, Operview: developing robotic vision*
– Marta Zucchinetti, Danieli Telerobot: design upgrades to in-vessel tower crane
– Tim Ahlswede, HBK: force and torque sensors for heavy duty robotics
– Jérôme Chevreux and Sébastien Giely, CLEO-CMA & Sojitz: blanket assembly specialized tooling
– Velliyangiri Nagaraj, Larsen & Toubro: assembly preparation – in-vessel coils & blanket; blanket transporter development
*Demonstration will be available at the supply chain exhibition.
Parallel session, Lecture Room
– Nitendra Singh, ITER: Moderator
– Zhengbo Cheng, Startorus Fusion: progress on plasma control and AI applications [20 minutes starting at 10:45]
– Simon McIntosh, ITER: Moderator
– Tom Gibbs, Nvidia: Digital twins for fusion: bringing AI, physical and real time data together
– Antonio Policicchio, NTT: Artificial Intelligence for reliability and construction intelligence in fusion projects, including deep learning, and predictive maintenance models.
– Thomas Kopinski, Gaia Lab: photonic computing for creating AI world models for fusion plasmas
Side session, Lecture Room (livestreamed) [60 minutes starting at 12:15]
ITER’s knowledge transfer mechanisms
– Melanie Windridge, Fusion Energy Insights: Moderator
– Laban Coblentz, Olivier Hoenen, Alain Bécoulet, ITER: accessing ITER documents, consulting with international experts, arranging worksite visits, using open-sourced scientific simulation software, joining ITPEA
– Akko Maas, ITER: Moderator
– Bill Spears, Pietro Barabaschi, Laurent Patisson, ITER: lessons learned from ITER’s design evolution, 1990-2025
Parallel Session: Lecture Room
– Sabina Griffith, ITER: Moderator
– Nathaniel Baker-Wolff, Renaissance Fusion: an innovative approach to liquid metal walls [20 minutes starting at 15:00]
– Sergio Orlandi, ITER: Moderator
– Bertrand Roques Jens Reich, Alphonso Marquez, Sebastien Koczorowski, Donato Lioce, ITER: Insights from assembly, installation, metrology, and a new approach to vacuum vessel welding
– Laban Coblentz, ITER: Moderator
– Yu Xiaolong, China Fusion Energy Company: coordinating public and private fusion efforts
An exhibition of fusion-related technology innovation will run throughout the reception and dinner.
– Phil Larochelle, Breakthrough Energy Ventures: generating recognition (and reward!) for solving fusion’s remaining technology challenges
– Laban Coblentz, ITER: Moderator
– Markus Kind, Rolf Kind: additive manufacturing at cold temperatures
– Marianna Ginola, SIMIC: advances in fusion technology
– Hans-Henrich Altfeld, Enable Fusion: building the DTT vacuum vessel
– Niraj Bhukanwala, Bhukanwala Industries: creating boron carbide components at scale (e.g., for neutron shielding)
– Parth Doshi, Boron Rubbers India: next generation radiation shielding
Wednesday 29 April
– Laban Coblentz, ITER: Moderator
– Colleen Nehl, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Fusion Energy Sciences: developing a public-private ecosystem for fusion
– Marianna Ginola, European Fusion Association: Europe’s rich environment for fusion collaboration
– Wayne Solomon, General Atomics: San Diego’s multi-sector fusion hub
– David Kingham, Tokamak Energy: public-private collaboration on high field compact spherical tokamak
– Mariana Martinez Pacheco, Marvel Fusion: multi-sector collaboration on inertial confinement
– Simon Woodruff, Fusion Igniter: launching collaborative fusion innovation centers
– Sam Davis, UKIFS: STEP progress as a public-private partnership
– Jesse Treu, Stellar Energy Foundation: leveraging philanthropy to test innovative technology
Parallel Session: Lecture Room
– Julia Ponomareva, ITER: Moderator
– Masatsugu Sakaguchi, Kyoto Fusioneering: progress on gyrotrons [20 minutes starting at 10:45]
– Melanie Windridge, Fusion Energy Insights: Moderator
– Alexander Molodyk, SuperOx-Faraday Factory: manufacturing HTS at scale
– Jinggang Qin, ASIPP: China’s advancements on HTS
– Julia Ponomareva, ITER: Moderator
– Huang Yuncong, SWIP: main activities and progress on fusion technology
Side session, Lecture Room [60 minutes starting at 12:30]
Fusion Codes and Standards
– Laban Coblentz, ITER: Moderator
– Thomas Davis, Oxford Sigma: collaboration by ASME, ITER and JSME on design codes and standards for structural integrity in fusion devices
– Claudia Keibler-Willner, SAXFUSION: German standardization working group on fusion facility design and operation
– Marie Kösters, Air Task Force: CATF progress on codes and standards.
– Andreas Lee, ITER, International Tokamak Engineering Criteria (ITEC) Activity
– Laban Coblentz, ITER: Moderator
– Georgy Subbotin, Next Step Fusion: building a modular diagnostics platform for future fusion plants
– Yu Deliang, SWIP: progress on diagnostics technology
– George Vayakis, ITER: progress on ITER diagnostics
– Melanie Windridge, Fusion Energy Insights: Moderator
– Christian Day, Kyoto Fusioneering: tritium extraction and breeding in Unity 2.
– Huang Yuncong, SWIP: advancements in tritium breeding
Parallel Session: Lecture Room
– Nitendra Singh, ITER: Moderator
– Nithish Kumar, Speciale Invest VC: scenarios, insights, opportunities: the Indian private fusion sector [20 minutes starting at 15:15]
– Laban Coblentz, ITER: Moderator
– Mariana Martinez Pacheco, Marvel Fusion: the challenge of advanced nanofabrication for fusion
– Tord Karlin, Novatron: progress on machine design and testing
– Shuichi Sakamoto, MEXT: the importance of ITER to the global fusion community, public and private
– Eve-Mary Ries, Agence Iter France
Thursday 30 April
Worksite tours, consultations with ITER experts
Entrance C gate: security access [badges issued if needed]
Join Us
The surge in private sector fusion initiatives has driven a reconsideration of how we can optimize public-private engagement. The ITER Private Sector Fusion Engagement (PSFE) Project is designed to optimize that engagement. A key question for these workshops is how we can optimize collaboration on the primary remaining challenges to bring fusion to reality.
We hope you will join us for this 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.
By participating in the third ITER Public-Private Fusion Workshop, you acknowledge and agree that the ITER Organization may take photographs and record videos for the purpose of documenting the event. These photos and videos may be used for promotional, reporting, and archival purposes, including publication on the ITER Organization's website.
FAQs
Answers will be provided here as we receive questions from prospective workshop participants.