L’histoire d’une équation et d’une tasse à café

Since 2019, ITER Japan has been publishing a manga series that brings the ITER project to life for a broad audience. 

The story follows Japanese student Taiyô Tenna, who discovers ITER while on a world tour after meeting a French student in Aix-en-Provence. His journey continues through an internship experience at ITER, and then as he returns to Japan to learn more about the advanced fusion technologies developed by Japan’s Domestic Agency for the project. In the eighth volume, just released, he has become a staff member at the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), where he learns about ITER's new baseline scope and schedule and the ways in which Japan's flagship fusion device, JT-60SA is participating.

Explore all volumes of the ITER manga series on the ITER Japan website or download Volume 8 from ITER's Publication Centre. Editions are available in Japanese, English, French and ... Provençal.

Registration is open now for the third ITER Public-Private Fusion Workshop that will be organized on 28 and 29 April 2026 at the ITER site in Saint Paul-lez-Durance, France.

For the past two years, ITER has opened its doors to private sector fusion companies for joint workshops on areas of mutual interest and mechanisms for positive engagement. This year’s theme—“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.

See the detailed agenda on the workshop website under Program (scroll down). On the day before or after the workshop—Monday, 27 April and/or Thursday, 30 April—participants may arrange consultations with ITER experts, customized tours of the ITER worksite, and opportunities for networking and discussion with fellow attendees.

Register to attend the third ITER Public-Private Fusion Workshop here.

The IEEE Nuclear Plasma Science Society (NPSS) Fusion Technology Standing Committee is pleased to announce that the nomination period for the 2026 Fusion Technology Award is now open. The award will be presented during the 32nd Symposium on Fusion Engineering (SOFE 2027) in San Diego, California, in June 2027.

The Fusion Technology Award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to research and development in the field of fusion technology. The awards each consist of a USD 3,000 cash prize, a plaque, and an invited talk at SOFE 2027.

Equal consideration will be given to innovation across all fusion approaches and outstanding leadership in the fusion community. Any person, regardless of Society affiliation, is eligible for the award, with the exception that no current member of the IEEE/NPSS Standing Committee on Fusion Technology may be nominated. The nomination package should be sent to the Fusion Technology Committee Awards Chair, Dr. Trey Gebhart (@email), and it should consist of a letter describing the technical contributions on which the nomination is recommended and a current resume of the candidate. Other supporting endorsements are encouraged.

For more detailed information on eligibility criteria, the basis for judging, nomination process and a list of past award recipients, please visit this IEEE webpage and go to the “Fusion Technology Awards” section. The nomination deadline for the 2026 Fusion Technology Award is 13 March 2026.

A new exhibition at the ATOM Museum, Moscow, celebrates the life and work of Evgeny Velikhov, a major figure in the history of fusion research and, as Mikhail Gorbachev’s friend and scientific advisor, one of the driving forces behind the creation of ITER.

“Evgeny Velikhov was an extraordinary individual, with a brilliant mind, unwavering integrity, and visionary outlook,” wrote ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi in his message to staff and stakeholders after the scientist's passing in 2024, just months before his 90th birthday.

The multimedia exposition, At the Center of Science and Society: Evgeny Velikhov, retraces the extraordinary career of this eminent Soviet and Russian scientist and polymath. Appointed scientific director of fusion research in the USSR in 1973, Velikhov played a central role in advancing the field. He later led the Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy, first as director and subsequently as president. From 2010 to 2012, he served as Chair of the ITER Council and was later appointed an Honorary Member in recognition of his lasting contributions.

The exposition runs from 3 February to 2 March 2026. Further information is available here.

--Source: ATOM Museum, Moscow