The fusion consensus is strengthening
The 30th Fusion Energy Conference, co-organized from 13 to 18 October by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the China Atomic Energy Authority in Chengdu, China, attracted nearly 2,000 experts, scholars and industry representatives from 61 countries. The key takeaway? Developing fusion energy is now a priority around the world.
Shan Zhongde, Chairman of the China Atomic Energy Authority, opened the conference by reaffirming China’s commitment to the development of fusion energy as part of its vision for a sustainable future, promising to devote “Chinese wisdom, Chinese solutions and Chinese strength” to its realization. “The country has built a number of large-scale scientific facilities and is actively advancing in-depth cooperation among industry players, researchers and the international nuclear energy community.”
During the conference, the Southwestern Institute of Physics (SWIP), located in Chengdu, was officially recognized as the first IAEA Fusion Research and Training Centre. Home to the HL-3 tokamak, SWIP is collaborating with the ITER Organization on ITER research priorities.
The 2025 Nuclear Fusion Award, traditionally presented at the biennial IAEA Fusion Energy Conference, was announced and the winner is ITER scientist Stefan Jachmich (see this article) for his work on disruption mitigation.
In parallel to the main conference, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi convened the Second Ministerial Meeting of the IAEA World Fusion Energy Group. Approximately 150 participants discussed scientific progress and policy strategies to accelerate fusion technology demonstration. He also announced the release of the 2025 edition of the IAEA World Fusion Outlook—a global reference tracking activity in both the private and public sectors—which underscores that fusion is entering a new phase of implementation, becoming a cornerstone of national energy strategies and industrial planning.
ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi delivered remarks as part of a World Fusion Energy Group panel on “Fusion State of Play: Closing the Gaps.” (You can watch the speech here.)
While celebrating the growing consensus in support of fusion energy, he cautioned that significant challenges remain. To move forward meaningfully, he said, the community must understand and address them. “At ITER we stand ready to collaborate on solutions,” he emphasized, expressing confidence that “hard engineering, disciplined learning, and global cooperation” will move fusion forward.
In closing, he reminded participants that the ITER facility “belongs” to the community. “I should be thanking you,” he stressed. “I know how much the community has contributed. The ITER project is all of you—the research institutes, the companies that provide tremendous value to ITER. Thank you for all you do.”