Of Interest archive

The ITER Organization has begun recruitment for its 2026 internship program.

We invite students from across the ITER Members (the People's Republic of China, the European Union, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, the United States) to apply for one of our exciting internship opportunities. All Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD students enrolled in a fully accredited degree program are eligible to apply. Internships are offered for up to six months and are extendable to up to one year under certain circumstances. 

The first wave of the campaign runs from 15 November 2025 through 6 January 2026, with the publication of 28 offers on the ITER website. A second-wave campaign will be advertised from 17 January 2026 through 28 February 2026.

See this page to apply. The deadline for first-wave opportunities is 6 January 2026.

The WEST tokamak in France, with its tungsten divertor, is exploring the plasma physics of operation in a tungsten environment.

Research on WEST is directly relevant to ITER, helping to answer questions such as "How will the actively cooled tungsten components of the ITER divertor behave after hours of plasma discharge?" or "Can performant plasmas be produced if plasma-facing components are damaged?" or "How can the monitoring system be optimized for these components?" 

In a six-week campaign that started on 7 November, the team is testing the performance of a tungsten coating on tiles in collaboration with ITER, running experiments to test the "I-mode" regime (an ELM-free improved confinement regime with low impurity content) in collaboration with American and Chinese collaborators, and studying the growth of deposits on the divertor under high particle fluence.

The WEST tokamak (for W Environment in Steady-state Tokamak) is located at the Institute for Magnetic Fusion Research (IRFM) near ITER, part of the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission's (CEA's) Cadarache Centre.

See the article published on the CEA IRFM website.

At the ITER Neutral Beam Test Facility in Italy, progress was made in October on the MITICA testbed, where a full-size prototype of the ITER heating neutral beam injector will be tested before ITER operation.

During tests of MITICA's cryogenic infrastructure, the cryopump system successfully reached its nominal operating temperatures: 4.6 K for the cryopumps and 80 K for the thermal radiation shields. Controlled gas injection inside MITICA’s vacuum vessel came next, providing essential data on the cryopumps' behaviour and their capability to capture and retain gas under realistic operating conditions. The charcoal layer within the cryopump reached full saturation, allowing researchers to study gas release dynamics and system limitations. The campaign concluded with the successful warm-up of the MITICA cryogenic system back to room temperature.

Read a full report on the Consorzio RFX website in English or Italian.

Glasgow. Sharm El-Sheikh. Dubai. Baku. For the past five years, fusion energy has emerged as a discussion topic at the annual United Nations climate change conferences—the Conferences of the Parties, or COPs. This year in Belém, Brazil, COP30 is taking shape as a pivotal moment in the global effort to reduce energy consumption and turn to clean energy sources. 

On 12 November, at the pavilion of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), ITER and the IAEA co-hosted a panel on “Fusion Energy as a Clean Energy Solution.” The panel explored the current state of fusion from different angles: ITER’s ongoing leadership, the surge in private sector investment and fusion initiatives, the role of the IAEA and NGOs such as the Clean Air Task Force in shaping policy, standards, and other essential support functions, and a Nordic case study involving the governments of Sweden and Finland and centred around the private-sector firm Novatron. 

COP30 runs from 10 to 21 November. See all information here.

--On the fusion panel are (left to right): Laban Coblentz, ITER Head of Communication; Olov Hemström, Head of Strategic Projects at Business Sweden; Caroline Anderson, Director of External Affairs for the Fusion Industry Association; Mikhail Chudakov, IAEA Deputy Director General; and Rebecca Tremain, UK Director of the Clean Air Task Force.

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) and the ITER Organization have announced they will be hosting a session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Lise Meitner program in 2026 in Cadarache.

The program, named after the Austrian-Swedish physicist who was renowned internationally for her work on nuclear fission, aims to enhance the participation of women in the nuclear sector by providing early- and mid‑career women professionals with opportunities to participate in a multi-week visiting professional program and advance their technical and soft skills. 

Around fifteen participants from IAEA member states will be welcomed for two weeks for training sessions, workshops, and conferences led by experts from ITER, the CEA, and the IAEA. They will also have the opportunity to tour state-of-the-art research facilities at both ITER and the CEA, allowing them to discover the latest technological advancements and gain a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with managing large-scale projects in the nuclear energy sector.

See the press release in English and in French.

-- IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, CEA Chairman Anne-Isabelle Etienvre, and ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi announce the news at ITER on 13 November.

ITER Scientist Fellow Livia Casali has been named winner of the Katherine E. Weimar Award by the American Physical Society (APS) "for outstanding scientific contributions to plasma boundary physics and core-edge integration through innovative experiments and modelling supporting the operation of high-performance core plasmas, and for exemplary leadership."

A professor in the Department of Nuclear Engineering at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (USA), Casali also contributes her knowledge and expertise as part of the ITER Scientist Fellow network and has participated in the recent updating of the ITER Research Plan as an international expert. Her work focuses on boundary physics and core-edge integrated solutions with special emphasis on the role of the radiative divertor, divertor detachment, pedestal fuelling, impurity behaviour and negative triangularity. 

The Katherine E. Weimar Award is presented every two years to a woman scientist who has made outstanding contributions to the field of plasma physics.

See the original article on the University of Tennessee Knoxville website.
See more about the Katherine E. Weimar Award here.
--Photo courtesy of the University of Tennessee Knoxville

A panel discussion on recent international developments in fusion, public/private partnerships, and the fusion supply chain is planned during the first week of the COP30 Climate Change Conference in Belém, Brazil. "Fusion Energy as a Clean Energy Solution" will take place on Wednesday 12 November (16:00-17:30) at the IAEA Pavilion PV-C111 (Blue Zone, Corridor C).

Head of ITER Communication Laban Coblentz will be joined by Mikhail Chudakov, IAEA Deputy Director General; Caroline Anderson, Director of External Affairs for the Fusion Industry Association; Rebecca Tremain, UK Director of the Clean Air Task Force; and Olov Hemström, Head of Strategic Projects at Business Sweden.

The 2025 UN Climate Change Conference runs from 10 to 21 November. See all information here.

In a statement published on 31 October 2025, the Energy and Environment Ministers of G7 nations (France, the United States, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Germany) stress the need for "enhancing global energy security and meeting rising energy demands—including those driven by electrification, digitalization, and artificial intelligence."

The statement describes nuclear energy as a non-emitting baseload energy source consistent with national priorities and international commitments, citing both nuclear fission and nuclear fusion.

"We recognize that, in the future, fusion energy has the potential to make a significant contribution to meeting the growing demand for energy. Acknowledging global advancements and investment in fusion energy technology, we underscore the importance of sustained international collaboration on fusion energy with trusted partners, encouraging private investments and public engagement." The group emphasizes the sharing of best practices, the harmonization of standards, and consistent approaches to fusion regulation as critical to the deployment of fusion energy technologies.

See the full statement that was delivered after the G7 Energy and Environment Ministers’ Meeting in Toronto, Canada (30-31 October 2025).

In this episode of Behind the Science of Fusion, join ITER vacuum engineers Robert Pearce and Liam Worth for a live conversation that proves that "nothing" can be truly fascinating. Co-hosts Kruti Mawani Fayot and Julia Ponomareva explore how science fiction has inspired real-world engineering, dig deep into the everyday engineering challenges involving plasma, inspection, vacuum systems and cryogenics, and share plenty of laughs along the way.

You’ll also hear surprising stories about inspection, cleaning, coconuts (yes, really, coconuts), spin-off applications, and how lessons from past experiments are shaping ITER’s vacuum engineering and paving the way for future fusion machines.

Tune into Episode 5, "All About Nothing," for good humour, insights and a peek behind the curtain of one of fusion’s most fascinating challenges.  Find “All About Nothing” on the ITER website's podcast page or open it directly here. You can also find this episode and all past episodes of the ITER podcast at Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, and Podbean. 

On 30 October 2025, ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi and Deputy Head of the Engineering Services Department Mario Merola participated in an episode of the program "Astrea: the future to come, (Astrea: il futuro che verrà) hosted by Rosanna Piras and broadcast on Radio Radio TV in Italy.

The episode, titled "The Future of Energy Comes from the Sun and the Stars" ("Il Futuro Dell'Energia Viene dal Sole e Dalle Stelle"), was entirely dedicated to fusion and ITER.

Listen to the 27-minute program from Thursday 30 October here (in Italian). 

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Japan's National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST) have completed the manufacturing of the first outer vertical target of the ITER divertor. Three types of plasma-facing targets (outer vertical target, inner vertical target and dome) mounted on divertor cassette bodies form the "cassette assemblies" that will be installed in a ring at the bottom of the ITER plasma chamber. In a tokamak, the divertor plays an important role in the removal and expelling of unburned fuel and impurities in the core plasma to sustain the fusion reaction in a stable manner.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is responsible for the manufacturing of 38 outer vertical target units. Series production is now underway.

Read the full press release in English or Japanese.

From 4 to 6 November, Paris will host the World Nuclear Exhibition (WNE)—the world's largest civil nuclear exhibition, expected to welcome more than 25,000 participants.

The ITER Organization will be present at WNE 2025. Here’s how you can meet and engage with us during the event:

• Stand L123: for the duration of the conference
• Tuesday 4 November, 17:00-17:50, Workshop Room 3: "ITER procurement procedures and opportunities" with ITER Procurement Section Leader Takakazu Kimura and Fusion for Energy Market Analyst Benjamin Perier.
• Wednesday 5 November, 11:15-12:30, Main Stage: "From Breakthroughs to Industry: Delivering Fusion Energy at Global Scale," a panel discussion with ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi and representatives from RWE Nuclear GmbH, Ansaldo Nucleare, Westinghouse Electric Company, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the European Commission Directorate-General for Energy.

See you there!

If you are a European company or organization with fusion technology or fusion know-how that is used or planned for use in a non-fusion application, you can apply by 5 December 2025 for Fusion for Energy's 2025 Fusion Technology Transfer Award.

Europe’s contribution to ITER and other fusion projects such as JT-60SA, IFMIF/EVEDA, IFERC, IFMIF-DONES, and DEMO is pushing suppliers to develop cutting-edge technologies. These range from robotic tools to engineering software, superconductors or novel metal joining techniques. Besides their value in a fusion environment, these solutions can find their place in other high-tech sectors. Fusion for Energy’s Technology Transfer Programme helps companies and researchers think broader and tap into the commercial potential of fusion breakthroughs; discover some of the success stories here.

The prize (EUR 10,000) will be awarded during the first quarter of 2026. 

See all information on the 2025 Fusion Technology Transfer Award website.

The journal Nuclear Fusion has published a collection of papers prepared by the Topical Physics Groups of the International Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA) reviewing progress in the development of the physics basis for burning plasma operation.

The special issue describes the extensive physics R&D activities for ITER and fusion energy development carried out under the ITPA between 2007 and 2025. It covers a wide range of physics issues—from plasma confinement and fast particles, to plasma control (including power fluxes on plasma-facing components and the mitigation of power transients) and diagnostics.

The 2025 special issue includes topics of relevance to ITER, as well as to tokamak burning plasmas more generally.

Click to access “On the Path to Tokamak Burning Plasma Operation.”

A picture of the ITER tokamak pit has made the cover of the November issue of National Geographic. Inside the 30-page feature story titled "Inside the long-shot megaproject that aims to solve our energy worries forever," author Michael Finkel explains how ITER will attempt to tame "a soupy jumble of atomic parts known as plasma" and create a "mechanical star" on Earth.

He vividly describes the challenges of mastering fusion energy, relates something of ITER's bumpy road to existence, and—dressed in a white lab coat, a hairnet, a hard hat, protective eyewear, and white gloves—marvels at the attempt to build a machine that he describes as almost absurdly difficult. He also lifts the veil on what it's like to be at the head of such a complex endeavour by trailing ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi, including during a 6:00 a.m. meeting that is at the start of every workday.

You can access an online version of the article on the National Geographic website. (Photography by Paolo Verzone.) A German version is available here.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) publishes the annual World Fusion Outlook as a reference for authoritative information and updates on fusion energy research. The 2025 edition presents a selection of recent achievements in fusion energy, outlines some of the dozens of fusion plant concepts currently at various stages of development worldwide, highlights global efforts in fusion energy development and discusses for the first time the global outlook for fusion energy deployment. As a special focus topic, this edition of the publication explores high-temperature superconductors and their potential role in the commercialization of fusion energy.

Read or download the full report at this address.

The publication is also available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish.

According to the IAEA’s Fusion Device Information System (FusDIS), there are almost 150 experimental fusion devices and testing facilities either operating, under construction or in the planned stages, and more than 20 fusion plant designs under development. Recent scientific and technical advances, coupled with a dynamic private sector, and the pressing concerns of climate change and energy security, have shifted the focus toward addressing the remaining challenges. These include demonstrating the technological feasibility of fusion power and ensuring its safety and economic viability as a sustainable energy source.

Through its series of Fusion Energy Conferences (FECs), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has long fostered the exchange of scientific and technical results in fusion R&D. The 30th edition of the FEC—which formally opens tomorrow in Chengdu, the capital of China's Sichuan province—is intended to reflect the priorities of this new era in fusion energy research, development, demonstration, and preparation to deployment.

ITER staff members will be participating in the technical program, leading sessions on ITER technology, science and construction. ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi will present the progress of the ITER project and its value for fusion. And, parallel to the conference, the Second Ministerial Meeting of the IAEA World Fusion Energy Group will take place on Tuesday 14 October, one year after its inaugural meeting. 

Newsline will have a full report next week.

Click to see the IAEA FEC 2025 general conference website and the conference program.

The fusion neutron source IFMIF-DONES, under construction in Granada, Spain, is the subject of a special issue of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA's) journal Nuclear Fusion (Issue 12, Volume 65, December 2025). Through a preface and 15 focus articles, it presents an overview of the engineering basis underpinning the facility, including key decisions taken, and previews its experimental capabilities.

Access the special issue at this link.

The next generation of fusion experts is coming to ITER in November. About 150 PhD students from European universities, laboratories and institutes will gather at ITER from 4-6 November 2025 under the umbrella of FuseNet, the European fusion education network, for its annual PhD Event—an event that coincides this year with FuseNet’s fifteenth anniversary. 

During their three-day stay at ITER, the students will hear keynote talks about recent developments in the field of fusion energy and at ITER, join a round-table discussion about public-private partnerships in the field, and have a peek at the ITER tokamak in the making. 

The students will also share their own research—either as a poster presentation or in an oral presentation PechaKucha style. As is customary with these meet-and-greet events, students will also have many opportunities to network with fellow researchers. 

Click to read more about the event or to download the program. (The event is fully booked; no registration is possible.)

In September 2025, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) held its annual General Conference in Vienna, with representatives from most of the IAEA Member States plus participants from international organizations and non-governmental organizations. The ITER Organization, which has a long history of close collaboration with the IAEA, was present. ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi addressed the plenary session with a recorded video statement; he was also one of the panelists at a special side session dedicated to fusion regulation. The ITER Organization also had a stand in the General Conference Exhibition organized around the theme "Fusion Energy is our Future."

Follow these links to watch the video address of the ITER Director-General or download the transcript.