"Life at ITER" Gallery
Celebrating the gyrotron
2025-07-07 - On Monday 7 July, the first of the many gyrotrons required for plasma heating by way of a technique called electron cyclotron resonance heating is unpacked and positioned on its support structure in the Radiofrequency Building. The component had been delivered by Japan in February 2022 as part of a global procurement program for gyrotrons that also involves Russia, Europe and India.
ITER's main server room
2025-07-07 - Equipment installation in the main server room of the ITER Control Building is progressing on schedule. In a few weeks, the European Domestic Agency Fusion for Energy (F4E)—which has been responsible for delivering the Control Building and its equipment—will hand over to the ITER Organization.
2025 edition of the ITER International School
2025-06-30 - The 2025 ITER International School on integrated modelling from 30 June to 4 July attracts 232 participants from 39 countries. Hosted by Aix-Marseille University (AMU, France), the school included a visit to ITER (photo) as part of day one activities. Photo: R. Kraaijenhagen (TULP Fusion Foundation)
Yoga Day at ITER
2025-06-23 - An early start to the day for dozens of participants to the International Yoga Day event on the ITER site. Hosted by the newly established Consulate of India in Marseille, in cooperation with the ITER Organization, the event was organized before the start of the workday on Monday 23 June.
ITER @ SOFE2025
2025-06-23 - The 2025 Symposium on Fusion Engineering opens in Boston (USA) on 23 June. Takeaway number one: the ecosystem around fusion is growing—a direct result of over 20 years of designing and fabricating components for the giant ITER project, and of the dynamism of the new fusion startups that are disproving the old saying "fusion is always 30 years away."
Women in Fusion: what future workforce?
2025-06-23 - At SOFE 2025 in Boston, a Women in Fusion (WiF) event spotlights the urgent need to build a more intentional pipeline for future talent. In a context of intense competition for roles currently, yet a predicted strong increase in the need for well-trained professionals in the future, how do we attract the next generation to the field of fusion?
Summer staff party
2025-06-20 - Just one day ahead of the summer solstice, ITER staff gathered for a summer luncheon party. It had been a busy week, with a meeting of the ITER Council, the lifting of a second "segment" of the vacuum vessel into the tokamak pit, and a semestrial all-staff meeting offering the opportunity to ask questions, and receive answers, about project status and plans for the future.
Council views recently added sector module
2025-06-19 - Representatives to the Thirty-Sixth Meeting of the ITER Council (IC-36) stand at the top of the tokamak pit, looking down on the never-before-seen sight of TWO sector modules.
Crowds every day in Osaka
2025-06-16 - The World Expo in Osaka, Japan, will run for six months, from 13 April to 13 October 2025. At the ITER stand, there are crowds every day.
ITER @ VivaTech Paris
2025-06-14 - For the third time, ITER was back again at Viva Technology—an annual conference in Paris that gathers startups, investors, decision-makers, executives, and media for an event focused on innovation. AI, innovation in health and medicine, the future of work, cybersecurity, quantum technologies and fusion energy were at centre stage.
A distinguished visitor!
2025-06-13 - French Prime Minister François Bayrou visits the ITER stand at VivaTech 2025.
Korean Forum on fusion energy
2025-06-09 - ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi takes part in the Korea Fusion Energy Development Forum in Daejeon on 9 June. He hails Korea's contributions to the advancement of fusion energy through it domestic development program as well as through its contributions to ITER and other international collaborations. “We're working to accelerate commercialization by combining fusion expertise from Korea and other key nations.”
Learn about ITER at the Gare de Lyon!
2025-06-09 - Photographs of ITER by French artist Camille Moirenc are now displayed at the Gare de Lyon—the train station in Paris that you would frequent if you were heading out of the city to points south like Lyon, Avignon, Marseille, Nice, or Barcelona. Or planning a visit to ITER, for example!
ITER publishes research plan R&D needs
2025-05-30 - As part of the new baseline research plan, the ITER Organization has identified the top R&D issues requiring consolidation or refinement. To make these R&D support needs more accessible to the fusion research community, they have been published as an ITER Technical Report. Download the report (dated 30 May 2025) at https://www.iter.org/scientists/iter-technical-reports.
ITER Open Doors Days: seeing is understanding
2025-05-17 - Approximately 700 members of the public attend the ITER Open Doors Day organized on Saturday 17 May. With 75 volunteers on hand to present the project and answer questions, every visitor left with a better understanding of the scale and scope of the project and the advantages of fusion energy.
Beautiful science
2025-05-13 - Travellers arriving at or leaving from the Marseille Provence Airport are met with striking photos of ITER, thanks to an exhibit of photographs from local artist Camille Moirenc who visited the ITER site nine times. His specialty? Looking for beauty ... "even where it is least expected."
In charge of the magnet cold test facility
2025-05-05 - This matrixed team, with magnet, cryogenics, electrical, instrumentation, control, vacuum, building, and procurement specialists, is working together to create a magnet cold test facility in the building formerly used to wind the poloidal field coils. At least three D-shaped toroidal field coils (one from every supplier) and one poloidal field coil (the smallest, PF1) will be tested at 4 K.
ITER @ STARMUS festival
2025-04-27 - ITER and the potential of fusion energy are represented at the STARMUS festival in La Palma, Spain, in April 2025. At STARMUS, world-class organizations, scientists—many of them Nobel Prize laureates—astronauts and leading experts meet around the objective of “engaging humanity in the biggest questions of our time."
2025 ITER Business Forum opens
2025-04-24 - The 2025 ITER Business Forum in Marseille opens on 24 April with a plenary session given by ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi on ITER progress and key insights into the new ITER baseline. At least 1,100 people are attending the three-day event (23-25 April) focused on business opportunities in fusion energy.
One Mission, One Energy Future
2025-04-23 - The 2nd ITER Private Sector Fusion Workshop concludes on 23 April after two days of conferences and networking at ITER Headquarters. More than 300 people take part—including startup company representatives, suppliers, researchers, advocates, and investors. Many went on to attend the ITER Business Forum in Marseille (23-25 April).
ITER @ the World Expo in Osaka
2025-04-13 - On the first day of the 2025 Osaka World Fair, the ITER stand attracts crowds. The exposition runs for six months, through 13 October, and a special day dedicated to fusion is planned on 13 July.
They made it possible!
2025-04-10 - About 150 specialists take part in the lift operation on 10 April that brings sector module #7 into the tokamak pit (riggers, lifting crew and engineers from Chinese contractor CNPE/ITER supervisors and assembly experts/construction management-as-agent technicians and engineers/crane technical support from REEL/crane pilots from Foselev...) Part of the team is pictured here next to the sector module they have just installed.
Cryopump manufacturing completed
2025-04-07 - Coconuts and cutting-edge fusion technology—an unlikely duo, yet a perfect match. ITER’s Robert Pearce presents Eric Giguet from Alsymex-Alcen with a coconut in appreciation of the successful manufacturing and delivery of eight torus and cryostat cryopumps for ITER.
Visiting US ITER laboratories
2025-03-31 - US ITER and Oak Ridge National Laboratory host a visit from ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi on 31 March 2025. Highlights of the visit include the opportunity to present ITER status to the laboratory community, an informal US ITER all-hands Q&A session, and a visit to ORNL fusion labs including test stands for ITER plasma heating components and disruption mitigation studies.
Microsoft and ITER to harness the power of AI
2025-03-26 - In Paris on 26 March, the ITER Organization and Microsoft sign a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on the use of AI and other digital technology tools in the areas of construction, plasma modelling, simulation, and high-performance computing. ITER Deputy Director-General and Chief Scientist Alain Bécoulet (right) speaks with Paul Emmanuel Very from French broadcaster BFM TV and Corinne de Bilbao, president of Microsoft France.
New! Using augmented reality on the worksite
2025-03-25 - New augmented reality software has been deployed at ITER that allows plant assembly engineers and technicians to compare, with a simple tablet or smartphone, the "as-built" position of components to the 3D plans. Savings in both cost and time are expected as issues can be more easily identified.
AI-based chatbot helps ITER users find information
2025-03-17 - The IT Project Tools Section has developed an AI-based chatbot that helps users to find what they are looking for within the 1.5 million documents contained in the ITER Document Management (IDM) system. It went quickly from a proof-or-concept to a production system that has already been queried 20,000 times.
Celebrating the last cryopump
2025-03-15 - The final cryopump for ITER has been successfully manufactured, factory acceptance tested, and delivered to the ITER site. The manufacturing milestone is the culmination of years of dedication and effort by the ITER Organization, the European Domestic Agency Fusion for Energy (F4E), and European contractors Research Instruments and Alsymex.
Elaborating the ITER Research Plan
2025-02-25 - In accordance with the new ITER baseline, and changes foreseen to the configuration of the tokamak and its ancillary systems, the ITER Research Plan must be refined and checked for consistency. In February, ITER Organization staff and experts from the Members meet for three days to elaborate the details of the new blueprint.
Challenges and opportunities in nuclear technology
2025-02-20 - ITER’s Deputy Director Alain Becoulet presents a comprehensive project update at binding.energy, an international gathering on nuclear technology held from 19-20 February in Aachen, Germany.
Historic visit by two heads of state
2025-02-12 - Stability, power density, scale ... ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi explains what scientists and engineers from the seven ITER Members—including Europe and India—are working so hard to achieve. During their 45-minute visit at ITER on 12 February 2025, Prime Minister Modi and President Macron were able to visit the major areas of ITER machine assembly. Credit: G. Lesénéchal/ITER Organization
ITER @ European Parliament hearings on fusion
2025-02-05 - Director-General Pietro Barabaschi participates in February in European Parliament hearings on Europe’s leadership in fusion energy, highlighting ITER’s pivotal role in advancing fusion as a viable energy source.
New ITER e-boutique
2025-02-03 - A new online boutique operated by ITER contractor Synneo proposes ITER-branded merchandise. Have a look at the selection of items at this address: https://shop-iter.org.
Shift operation managers: ready for anything
2025-02-03 - For one year now, 12 shift operation managers have been on duty rotation for 24/7 coverage of operational areas on the ITER site. Working from the temporary main control room (pictured) or on call, they coordinate daily activities and intervene in off-normal events when necessary.
Review of in-vessel assembly and installation processes
2025-01-30 - On 30-31 January, the ITER In-Vessel Assembly Project conducts a comprehensive review of the assembly and installation processes for key in-vessel components, including the in-vessel coils and the blanket and divertor systems. Optimizing the sequence, the tools, and the logic underpinning these critical installation activities was the goal of the two-day meeting chaired by Doug Loesser from the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.
DAHER to continue to collaborate on logistics
2025-01-27 - The ITER Organization has signed two new contracts with its logistics partner since 2012, the global group DAHER. One covers industrial and site logistics through 2028 (component management, including storage, preservation and availability); the other covers international logistics through 2031 (packaging, transport, customs, insurance...).
Our everyday heroes
2025-01-23 - During ITER's latest Star Awards campaign, 79 people from across the project are recognized for exemplary performance in line with ITER's corporate values.
A powerful new multi-CAD tool
2025-01-20 - A new tool at ITER allows anyone in the project to access an integrated 3D model that takes them from the highest-level view of the entire site, all the way down to a millimetre-level view of any component of the machine or plant. Engineers designing systems can visualize complete environments, while installation teams can avoid clashes.
Gathering round a new test bench
2025-01-14 - Cryoplant, vacuum, and ITER India contractor INOX-CVA team members pose in front of the new cryopump test facility—a test bench in the cryoplant designed to verify that ITER's powerful cryopumps perform as expected during actual tokamak operation. The test bench, which will require cryogenic fluids to test the cryopumps down to 4 K (minus 193 °C), will be the cryoplant's "first client."
First activity from the main control room
2024-12-19 - All smiles. In the main ITER control room, not yet fully equipped, a small ceremony takes place in December 2024 to mark the first time a CODAC command (for Control, Data Access and Communication) is sent to a plant system. In the future, some 80 operators, engineers and researchers will work from this space to monitor plasma, tokamak and plant system parameters in real-time.
A visit to the ITER school
2024-12-13 - In December, the Director-General of ITER visits the EIPACA International School of Manosque, which provides K-12 bilingual education (French plus one of the following languages: English, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, or Japanese) and is attended by many children of ITER staff members. Pietro Barabaschi (second from left) meets with Nicolas Debenne (Director), Mickaël Cabbeke (Academic Director), and Annabelle Rinaudo (Deputy Head).
2024 ITER International School
2024-12-13 - The 2024 ITER International School on magnetic fusion diagnostics and data science takes place at Nagoya Prime Central Tower, Japan, hosted by the National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS). The school gathered a total of 199 participants from 21 different countries.
An evening dedicated to Korea and team awards
2024-12-11 - The ITER end-of-year celebration on 11 December 2024 is organized around the theme "A taste of Korea," with demonstrations of traditional dance (photo) and K-pop, as well as delicious Korean food. During the evening's ITER Team Awards ceremony, five teams were recognized for their strong track record of delivering in 2024.
ITER in the London Underground
2024-12-04 - Travellers to London's Victoria, Waterloo, King’s Cross St Pancras metro stations are crossing paths with ITER this month through a campaign by The B1M construction channel and Procore to advertise their latest documentary on ITER, which has recorded over two million views in three months. You can watch the documentary on The B1M YouTube channel.
Together again
2024-12-02 - In what is now an annual tradition, the municipality of Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, host to the ITER project, has presented the ITER Organization with a beautiful tree to decorate for the holiday season. It was jointly lit on 2 December by ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi and Mayor Romain Buchaut in a small ceremony attended by staff.
Celebrating vacuum vessel sector deliveries
2024-11-21 - Standing in front of the latest sectors to arrive (sector #1 from Korea and sector #5 from Europe) are technical team members and managers from the ITER Organization and the Domestic Agencies, as well as high-level European and Korean representatives. In a short event on 21 November, they gathered to celebrate the dedication and effort that had contributed to the successful fabrication of these critical ITER components.
Train traveller? Meet ITER
2024-11-19 - Tens of thousands of people have seen striking photos of the ITER project this autumn through exhibitions organized at the central Marseille and the Aix-en-Provence high-speed train stations as part of France's annual celebration of science, "La Fête de la Science." The Marseille exhibition, pictured, ends on 15 December (Photo: David Paquin)
Russian ambassador at ITER
2024-11-15 - The Russian Ambassador to France, Alexey Meshkov, visits the ITER site on 15 November 2024. During a visit to the worksite, he has a chance to meet the Russian contractors responsible for installing gyrotrons and gyrotron auxiliary equipment procured by Russia for ITER's electron cyclotron resonance heating system.
COP29 events at the ITER stand
2024-11-15 - At the ITER stand at COP29, Sehila Gonzalez of the Clean Air Task Force presents a new report on how the commercialization of fusion energy will benefit from artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. She is joined by Jake Oster, Director of Energy and Environment Policy at Amazon Web Services; Lucio Milanese, CEO of Proxima Fusion; and Erik Fernandez, General Manager of INEUSTAR.
COP29 opens in Baku
2024-11-11 - ITER is present for the two-week Conference of the Parties (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. From 11 to 22 November 2024, ITER representatives will be part of the discussion on the future of energy and present the potential of fusion.
ITER @ Falling Walls Berlin
2024-11-08 - The Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin is an annual event that seeks to showcase innovate solutions that respond to real-life challenges. ITER Director-General, Pietro Barabaschi, participates in a plenary table on "Fusion Technology: Energy for a Sustainable Future."
New assembly contract signed
2024-11-04 - The CNPE Consortium (China Nuclear Power Engineering; China Nuclear Industry 23 Construction Company Ltd.; Southwestern Institute of Physics; Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences ASIPP; and Framatome), in partnership with SIMIC S.p.A., has signed a contract for the aligning and connecting (through intercoil structures) of nine vacuum vessel sector modules in the tokamak assembly pit.
Industry wall honours manufacturing companies
2024-11-04 - New in the fifth-floor corridor leading to the ITER Council Room is "wall of honour"—a global tour of the companies on three continents that are building ITER. Some are global leaders and technology powerhouses; others are less well-known, but possess unique expertise. All are representatives of the growing fusion supply chain ...
New welding contract signed
2024-10-23 - The ITER Organization has signed a contract for "Port Positioning Alignment & Welding" with the Indian firm Larsen & Toubro. The scope covers engineering, qualification and tools, and in-pit welding of vacuum vessel ports and bellows.
DeLeah Lockridge, Head of Engineering
2024-10-21 - In October, American DeLeah Lockridge joins the ITER Organization as head of the Engineering Services Department. A nuclear engineer with an MBA by training, she has held various engineering and project management positions and has direct experience in nuclear power plant construction.
A visit with Larsen & Toubro
2024-10-14 - In October, the ITER Director-General visits the headquarters and one of the principal manufacturing sites of Larsen & Toubro, the industrial conglomerate that was responsible for the production of the 3,800-tonne ITER cryostat. A Memorandum of Understanding is signed between the ITER Organization and Larsen & Toubro for technical collaboration, specifically in the area of advanced welding technology for ITER machine assembly.
Scientific outreach on Saturday
2024-10-11 - ITER volunteers help with stands in three towns over two weekends in October to make sure that the ITER project is represented locally for the Fête de la Science--a national celebration of science held annually in France.
China confers "Friendship Award" on Pietro Barabaschi
2024-10-07 - Late September, ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi is honoured with the 2024 Chinese Government Friendship Award in a ceremony in Beijing. This is the highest award granted by the People's Republic of China to foreigners who have made "outstanding contributions to the country's economic and social progress." Also pictured is fellow recipient Tony Donné (left), physicist and former head of EUROfusion, and WU Sha from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science.
Town hall on ITER
2024-10-07 - The plasma physics division of the American Physical Society (APS) holds its 66th annual meeting from October 7-11 in Atlanta, Georgia (USA). Alberto Loarte, ITER Head of Science, presents the proposed ITER baseline and Research Plan and exchanges with the US fusion community on how it can best support the new plans through R&D on open physics and scenario integration issues.
ITER @ Aix train station
2024-10-07 - October is the month in France for celebrating science. At the high-speed train station closest Aix-en-Provence, travellers have the chance to learn more about the ITER project thanks to a photo exposition by local artist Camille Moirenc.
Latvia mints a fusion-themed coin
2024-10-07 - 18 grammes of pure silver, with hollows as neutrons and gold-plated beads as protons. Latvia's central bank has dedicated a new collector 5-euro fusion coin to "scientists' persistence in seeking answers to questions about the future of humanity."
ITER document management system turns 20
2024-10-04 - On Friday 4 October, ITER commemorates a small event that marked the beginning of what Director-General Barabaschi calls "a remarkable success story": the uploading, twenty years ago to the day, of a first document into the project's document management system, the now familiar and omnipresent IDM.
ITER director @ JT-60SA
2024-10-04 - ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi is in Naka, Japan, visiting the JT-60SA tokamak team the very week they announce that they are Guinness World Record winners for plasma volume, achieving 160 cubic metres. Pietro Barabaschi led the Europe/Japan JT-60SA project for 14 years.
We are ITER!
2024-09-26 - Hundreds of staff, contractors, ITER Project Associates, interim personnel, and staff from Fusion for Energy and the other Members' Domestic Agencies gathered on the ITER platform for the first group photo since the pandemic.
Preeminent fusion technology conference opens in Dublin
2024-09-23 - The 33rd Symposium on Fusion Technology (SOFT 2024) opens on Monday 23 September in Dublin, Ireland. The ITER booth is already attracting interest; pictured, ITER Communication's Kirsten Haupt fields questions on Day 1.
ITER to cooperate with the China National Nuclear Corporation
2024-09-19 - On 19 September, the ITER Organization and the China National Nuclear Corporation sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for cooperation in the field of nuclear fusion for mutual benefit and in support of ITER.
Scientific outreach on two wheels
2024-09-19 - On 10 September, twenty researchers and technicians from Consorzio RFX and the Fusion Research Center of the University of Padua set off on a two-wheeled adventure—biking from Italy to France to spread the message about fusion. Nine days and 800 km later they arrived at ITER after engaging with university students, companies and communities along the way.
11th ITER Games: sport and camaraderie
2024-09-14 - At the 11th ITER Games in Vinon-sur-Verdon, 700 people take part in the sporting activities, family games and lunch on the shaded village square.
Exploring the world of vacuum technology
2024-09-12 - Because quality in vacuum is key to the success of a fusion device, the Vacuum System Project team at ITER runs regular workshops that combine informative lectures with practical, hands-on sessions in the on-site vacuum laboratory. In early September, 30 people from the ITER Organization took part in a two-day training event with key topics including the ITER Vacuum Handbook, leak detection techniques and procedures, vacuum material selection and qualification, high vacuum pumping, pressure measurement, and cleanliness and contamination control.
Disruption mitigation experts at ITER
2024-09-06 - The 3rd IAEA Technical Meeting on Disruptions is held at ITER from 3 to 6 September. Disruption mitigation experts from the IAEA's member states exchanged the latest information and understanding on consequences, prediction and avoidance, and mitigation.
Meeting with partners in China
2024-09-05 - The Chinese Academy of Sciences in Hefei has been highly implicated in research, development and procurement for ITER. Its Institute of Plasma Physics is home to the EAST tokamak; it is also building the Comprehensive Research Facility for Fusion Technology (CRAFT) a platform for developing and testing fusion reactor key components. Director-General Barabaschi is seen here meeting with staff.
Safety Day: "We are all accountable"
2024-08-19 - The former European coil winding facility on site is transformed on 19 September by exhibitors at the ITER Safety Day, an annual event to raise awareness about safety and security at work. "Safety is not just a policy," says ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi. "It is a responsibility that belongs to all of us and makes us all accountable."
Member of the Bundestag visits ITER
2024-08-19 - ITER's Director-General (Pietro Barabaschi) and Chief Scientist (Alain Bécoulet) host Mario Brandenburg, Parliamentary State Secretary to Germany's Federal Minister of Education and Research, for a worksite tour on 19 August—a visit he described as "thrilling."
ITER/TAE Technologies sign agreement
2024-07-15 - The ITER Organization has signed an agreement on technical cooperation with the private fusion energy firm TAE Technologies. The purpose is "to promote cooperation and exchange in technical fields of mutual interest." (Photo: a recent visit by ITER's Pietro Barabaschi, 2nd from left, to TAE headquarters.)
Press conference at ITER on the new baseline
2024-07-03 - At a press conference on 3 July attended by approximately 200 journalists and key ITER stakeholders, ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi answers questions about the new project plan—the "baseline"—that is under evaluation by the ITER Organization's governing body. The top-line messages? ITER's programmatic goals have not changed, and the first experimental phase of the machine, although delayed, will be much more consequential than originally planned.
Magnet completion event at ITER
2024-07-01 - On 1 July, the ITER community, stakeholders, and company representatives are joined by dignitaries for the celebration marking the end of toroidal field coil manufacturing and delivery.
Sunday is Family Day!
2024-06-30 - 650 people, ITER personnel and relatives, participate on Sunday 30 June in a Family Day at ITER Headquarters. Self-guided site tours, presentations in the amphitheatre, demonstrations for children and adults, virtual reality ... all in the service of sharing ITER with family members!
Enjoying their time at ITER
2024-06-21 - ITER welcomes over 100 interns every year (134 in 2023) for a wide variety of technical and corporate assignments; pictured is a group of interns enjoying a meal outdoors in the company of ITER Director-General Barabaschi. See the JOBS pages of the ITER website for more information about annual internship recruitment campaigns.
Hard work deserves an outdoor buffet
2024-06-21 - On 21 June, following the ITER All Staff meeting, a "first of a kind" event is held to recognize everyone's hard work leading up to the 34th ITER Council. Staff were invited to relax and celebrate the start of summer with music, lunch, ice cream, and an overall start-of-summer atmosphere.
Celebrating poloidal field coil completion
2024-06-20 - On Thursday 20 June, the poloidal coil field team gathers for one last time in the European winding facility to celebrate the end of ring coil manufacturing. ITER's six poloidal field coils, measuring from 9 to 24 metres in diameter, are ready; two have already been installed in the Tokamak pit.
Conductor Simone Menezes' inspiring talk at ITER
2024-06-11 - On 11 June 2024 Simone Menezes, one of the rare 7.9% of women conductors in the world, gives a talk at ITER Headquarters about her career, discussing how she went from creating her first orchestra at age 20 to proving a professor wrong, to conducting orchestras all the around the world. Simone is also the founder and director of "Ensemble K," whose DVD "Metanoia" won the International Classical Music Awards for the best "Performance & Documentary."
13th ITER Robots competition: creating vocations
2024-06-04 - Some 600 people take part in the 13th ITER Robots competition on 4 June in Vitrolles including, for the first time, a virtual team competing from California. Organized by Agence Iter France in partnership with ITER, the regional school district and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), the competition introduces participants to robotics engineering ... and perhaps future careers at ITER!
Tritium Plant Summit: preparing for delivery
2024-06-03 - The next five years are critical for delivery of the tokamak exhaust system (US ITER), the tritium storage and delivery system (ITER Korea), the air detritiation system (ITER Japan/ITER Organization), and the isotope separation and water detritiation systems (Fusion for Energy, Europe) that make up the Tritium Plant. At a Summit in early June the teams shared lessons learned and identified areas for common work and standardization.
Workshop with the private sector attracts 350 participants
2024-05-28 - The three-day Private Sector Fusion Workshop at ITER was a success. (Photo Christian Lünig)
Private Sector Workshop opens at ITER
2024-05-27 - Pursuing the same goal and encountering some of the same challenges, public ventures like ITER and private start-ups have a lot to share. This week, at the Inaugural Private Sector Workshop, fusion start-ups, managers and scientists, suppliers, public research institutes, and representatives from the ITER community are meeting, comparing notes, and exploring possible paths to collaboration.
ITER@VivaTech2024
2024-05-23 - In May, the world met at VivaTech--Europe's biggest startup and tech event, and ITER was part of it! While artificial intelligence was the hot topic, energy was also discussed on stage and nuclear fusion was part of the discussion...
ITER@STARMUS
2024-05-16 - ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi introduces the audience to fusion live on stage at the STARMUS Festival in the Slovak capital of Bratislava on 16 May 2024. The setting—a hockey stadium—was unique, as was the line-up of artists and scientists (https://www.starmus.com/). STARMUS combines art, music and science to enhance science communication and "engage humanity in the biggest questions of our time," according to the organizers.
In Marseille, a focus on plasma-wall interaction
2024-05-13 - Fifty years after the first International Conference on Plasma-Surface Interactions in Magnetic Confinement Devices in 1974, the 26th edition of this much-lauded conference series took place just a short drive from ITER.
On electron cyclotron heating
2024-04-26 - At a five-day workshop in Daejeon, South Korea, world specialists focus on one of the principal external heating technologies used in fusion devices: electron cyclotron waves. Contributions by ITER scientists and on ITER-related topics were part of the central discussion, along with recent updates on various devices such as DIII-D, ASDEX Upgrade, KSTAR, and W7-X.
ITER at the 2024 World Energy Congress
2024-04-25 - The "Realizing the Full Potential of Nuclear" panel at the 26th edition of the World Energy Congress (WEC) in Rotterdam in April. Although ITER was not on the stage itself, fusion and renewable energy were part of the discussions throughout the conference.
How to advance fusion in the EU?
2024-04-23 - The EU Blueprint for Fusion Energy workshop was convened by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Energy on 23 April 2024, in Strasbourg. Representatives from fusion organizations, nuclear safety regulators, and fusion startups engaged in comprehensive discussions on the current status of fusion within the European Union and strategies to accelerate its advancement.
Family Day!
2024-04-17 - Wednesday 17 April was Family Day! Participating staff brought their children and partners into the office for lunch, followed by interactive displays at the Visitors Centre and a bus tour on site. 100 spaces were available this time; other days will be organized soon!
A full house on a Saturday
2024-04-13 - An Open Doors Day event on Saturday 13 April attracts 800 members of the public. Visitors divide their time between a walking tour of the Assembly Hall/Tokamak pit and the ITER Visitors Centre, where dozens of volunteers were on hand to present the project and to answer questions.
Neutronics Workshop at ITER
2024-04-09 - The 15th ITER Neutronics & Fusion Neutronics Workshop was held on site at ITER from 8 to 10 April. Representatives from all the Member Domestic Agencies plus industry joined ITER specialists for a chance discuss recent advancements, issues and successes in the field. There were 170 in person and on line attendees.
European supplier workshop
2024-04-03 - The Nuclear Safety and Quality Assurance units of Fusion for Energy (F4E), the European Domestic Agency, organize a two-day workshop with F4E suppliers at ITER in early April. The focus is on technical quality culture and best practices.
Disruption mitigation: final design review
2024-03-26 - The design of the disruption mitigation system for ITER has been a multiyear effort by specialists across three continents. During the final design review held in late March at ITER Headquarters under the chairmanship of George Sips (General Atomics), no showstoppers were identified. The system, based on shattered pellet injection, is proceeding to manufacturing.
ITER @ the IAEA Nuclear Energy Summit
2024-03-21 - World leaders gather in Brussels on 21 March 2024 at the IAEA Nuclear Energy Summit to highlight the role of nuclear energy in reducing the use of fossil fuels. Invited speaker ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi highlights about burgeoning opportunities in fusion energy and the need for cooperation between public and private fusion initiatives.
Fusing knowledge
2024-03-20 - Fusion communicators from all over Europe meet for three days at the ITER site and CEA Cadarache sites in March for the annual get-together of FuseCOM, the communication network of the EUROfusion consortium.
Changes to the ITER Research Plan
2024-03-18 - In parallel to an update of the scope, schedule and cost of the ITER Project (the ITER Baseline), the ITER Organization is revising the blueprint for achieving ITER's research goals. Through experiments and modelling, the fusion community is helping ITER to plan for the change from a beryllium to a tungsten blanket first wall. Here, the Science Division's Richard Pitts highlights key research needs to the ASDEX Upgrade team.
New project values launched
2024-02-29 - New project values have been rolled out at the ITER Organization and the Domestic Agencies. The CARE values—for Collaboration, Accountability, Respect and Excellence—provide a common culture for the project, and identify the behaviours that are crucial to sustained project success.
Interested in an ITER internship?
2024-02-20 - The ITER Organization has opened its 2024 internship program with the publication of 60 offers on the ITER website (see JOBS). These opportunities are geared toward undergraduate and postgraduate students, with a broad array of topics across scientific, technical and support departments. The deadline for students to submit their application is 17 March 2024. Further opportunities will be published in May 2024.
A Monaco-ITER Fellow published in "Physical Review Letters"
2024-02-19 - New results from experiments on the DIII-D tokamak (USA) published in "Physical Review Letters" suggest that fishbone instabilities driven by energetic particles can have a positive impact on fusion performance, opening the door for the development of high-performance scenarios in ITER that utilize this novel physics of plasma flow generation. Lead author Guillaume Brochard is a Monaco-ITER Postdoctoral Fellow.
Jointly preparing a new ITER Research Plan
2024-02-15 - ITER Organization staff and Member experts meet in February to evaluate the new blueprint for achieving ITER's research goals. The new ITER Research Plan will be submitted for endorsement to the ITER Council Science and Technology Advisory Committee (STAC) in May.
A job fair at CERN
2024-02-10 - The ITER Organization is present at the job fair organized during CERN's Third Collisions alumni event (Geneva) in early February—an annual celebration that was attended this year by more than 600 people (former CERN users, students, associates, fellows or staff members).
JT-60SA team shares its experience
2024-02-05 - JT-60SA, a collaboration between Europe and Japan, began operating last year as the world's largest tokamak. In early February, at the start of a technical coordination meeting held at ITER, the JT-60SA integrated project team had the opportunity to share lessons learned during the assembly and integrated commissioning phases of the device with the ITER community. Dedicated work sessions are also planned.
Yggdrasil: where fantasy and science meet
2024-02-04 - In early February, ITER joins other large scientific organizations at the Yggdrasil festival in Lyon, France, as part of the theme "Tomorrow, only better." The festival, which blends science, science fiction, heroic fantasy and cosplay, attracts 30,000 enthusiasts in a weekend.
Integrated modellers gather at ITER
2024-01-25 - The third meeting of Advances in Tokamak Integrated Modelling (ATIM) is held at ITER headquarters from 22 to 26 January 2024 with over 50 people in attendance including many young modellers and scientists. The aim was to share recent advances in the area of tokamak integrated modelling and to align activities with ITER's integrated modelling development needs.
ITER's cyber heroes
2024-01-22 - These cybersecurity heroes performed the best at a series of informative and entertaining games during ITER Organization's 2023 Cybermonth campaign, designed to elevate awareness about online risks.
Become a Monaco-ITER Fellow
2024-01-15 - Like Guillaume, Guillermo and Xue you can become a Monaco-ITER Postdoctoral Fellow and contribute to critical science. The 2024 recruitment campaign is open from 15 January to 29 February 2024.
Ideally, involvement doesn't end with delivery
2023-12-15 - The heads of the Domestic Agency procurement programs for toroidal field coils Norikiyo Koizumi (Japan, left) and Sandro Bonito-Oliva (Europe, centre) now work at ITER as the heads of the Tokamak Program alongside ITER Construction Project leader Sergio Orlandi (right). Being able to maintain continuity in expertise from design and manufacturing all the way through assembly and eventual operation is highly valuable.
Last D-shaped magnet delivered!
2023-12-15 - With the delivery of toroidal field coil #18 by Europe on 15 December, all nineteen D-shaped coils expected are now on site. This completes one of the largest ITER procurement efforts, which kicked off in 2007 with the signature of the first Procurement Arrangements.
German fusioneers at ITER
2023-12-07 - Eighty people take part in the two-day German Fusion Forum in December, held for the first time at ITER Headquarters. The Forum is a coalition of institutes and organizations representing ideas from industry, science and politics.
Scientist Fellows back on the ITER site
2023-12-07 - After an absence due to the pandemic, these ITER Scientist Fellows from the plasma boundary modelling and the fuel retention management groups are happy to be back at ITER. With their ITER staff coordinators, they are about to head out onto the worksite.
ITER joins the climate conversation at COP28
2023-12-05 - The ITER Project is present at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai from 30 November to 12 December 2023 with a stand that is constantly busy with visiting scientists, political decision-makers, climate activists, students, and journalists.
Guest lecture on high-powered lasers and fusion
2023-12-04 - Félicie Albert, Director of the Jupiter Laser Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California, delivers a guest lecture at the ITER Organization on the fusion ignition milestone achieved by the National Ignition Facility one year ago and future plans for the facility and inertial fusion research in general.
ITER Awards 2023
2023-12-04 - The annual ITER Awards recognize teams that have made a "positive impact" on project activities. One of the six 2023 awards (photo) went to the huge volunteer team that turns out for every ITER Open Doors Day event behind organizer Julie Marcillat from Communication.
The tradition continues
2023-12-04 - Representatives of the village of Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (right), where ITER is located administratively, visit on 4 December 2023 for the traditional lighting of the Christmas tree. Since 2012, St Paul has selected a beautiful tree to adorn the lobby of ITER Headquarters as a symbol of community.
COP28 panel: How to move fusion forward?
2023-12-01 - ITER Communication's Laban Coblentz (left) joins Rafael Mariano Grossi (Director General of the IAEA) and Christofer M. Mowry (Chairman of the Fusion Industry Association and CEO of Type One Energy) for a panel discussion at COP28 on ''Fusion and Climate: The Conversation Continues. There is a growing consensus that increased private/public partnership in fusion is the way to move forward.
Tuned into the JT-60SA inauguration
2023-12-01 - The team from the Institute for Magnetic Fusion Research (IRFM, France) attends the inauguration of the Europe/Japan tokamak JT-60SA by video conference, with colleagues ITER, EUROfusion and CEA (The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission). ITER Director-General Barabaschi (on the screen) is introduced by the moderator's as "Europe's principal architect of JT-60SA" for his role in the design and construction of JT-60SA.
At the 2023 World Nuclear Exhibition
2023-11-28 - At the World Nuclear Exhibition in Paris, the ITER Project is represented at the highest level by Director-General Pietro Barabaschi, seen here with European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton. ITER also has a stand (AE140), in order to interact with industrial representatives and visitors.
Another successful public event
2023-11-25 - Some 800 visitors—aged 6 to 96—participate in the latest Open Doors Day on 25 November. In 2023, three of these events were organized, attracting well over 2,000 members of the public.
Celebrating an industrial adventure
2023-11-23 - Eight cold valve boxes will operate in the harsh ITER environment within an exceptionally large temperature range: from 4K (minus 269 °C) when distributing supercritical helium to the cryopumps, to 200 °C when hot gas is blown into the boxes during the regeneration process. In November, the ITER vacuum team celebrated a twenty-year design and procurement adventure. (The unique components were manufactured by European contractors Research Instruments Germany and Cryoworld Netherlands.)
Fusion @ Berlin Science Week
2023-11-03 - At the Berlin Science Week (1-10 November 2023), a panel discussion on "Nuclear fusion for a decarbonized future" at the Italian embassy brings together (left to right) Pietro Barabaschi, ITER Director-General; Masaya Hanada, Director General of Japan's Naka Fusion Institute; Steven Cowley, Director of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory; Piergiorgio Sonato, President of Italy's RFX Consortium; and Hartmut Zohm, from Germany's Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics.
Neutral beam experts convene at ITER
2023-10-26 - The development of radiofrequency-driven ion source physics and technology for ITER neutral beam heating system has been an international collaboration from the start. In October, neutral beam researchers affiliated with Consorzio RFX (Italy) and IPP Garching (Germany) were at ITER to share their work and exchange with other specialists.
California lawmakers and environmentalists explore ITER
2023-10-24 - Members of the California Foundation on the Environment and the Economy (CFEE) visit on 24 October as part of a study tour to France focused on initiatives with the power to influence the climate and environment of the future.
Advocating for women in fusion
2023-10-17 - The Women in Fusion group, formed as a follow-up action after the last (virtual) IAEA Fusion Energy Conference (FEC), holds a well-attended lunch event on 17 October during FEC 2023. Its vision is to make fusion a fully inclusive field, so that it can fully benefit from the perspectives, talents, skills, and smarts of women around the world. https://www.womeninfusion.org/.
Model United Nations comes to ITER
2023-10-17 - Speaking and acting as seasoned diplomats and referring to one another as "the honourable representative" of the country they chose to represent, one hundred French high-school students took the stage in the ITER amphitheatre last week as part of a Model UN event organized by the "La Nativité" highschool (Aix-en-Provence).
29th FEC in London
2023-10-16 - The ITER Project is well represented at the 29th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference in London in October, where approximately 1,000 participants from over 80 countries—fusion scientists, engineers, policy makers, regulators and entrepreneurs—gather to review recent developments in fusion and chart the way forward to a fusion future.
Celebrating science
2023-10-14 - Every autumn, all over France, municipalities celebrate science and its importance to society. ITER is one of thousands of annual participants. In 2023, we set up our stand in Villeneuve-Loubet, Manosque (photo) and Marseille.
Happy to see the JT-60SA team
2023-10-06 - During a recent visit to Japan, the ITER Director-General meets with staff of the JT-60SA tokamak (a device that is currently in commissioning). Before taking over at the helm of the ITER Project, Mr Barabaschi led the European contribution to JT-60SA (2007 to 2021).
Chinese Minister of Science and Technology visits
2023-09-25 - China's Minister of Science and Technology Wang Zhigang visits ITER on 25 September, just a few weeks after receiving ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi in China. Here, he is visiting the Assembly Hall with ITER Deputy-Director General for Corporate Luo Delong (right) and Tai Jiang of the CNPE Consortium (involved in tokamak assembly).
New ITER Star Awards
2023-09-19 - A new spot award initiative—the ITER Star Awards—rewards colleagues from across the ITER Project who have been nominated by their peers for exceptional accomplishments or behaviours that exemplify ITER values and engagement in the project. On 19 September, 28 of the first 128 winners were recognized during a ceremony in the amphitheatre.
Big science get together: ESO @ ITER
2023-09-15 - Professor Xavier Barcons, the Director General of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), delivers a guest lecture on 15 September to hundreds of members of the ITER community present in the amphitheatre or logged on remotely. In the photo, he is introduced by ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi.
Safety in every task we perform
2023-09-14 - The annual ITER Safety Day has become an effective way to help raise awareness of the importance of safety in every action. For Sergio Orlandi, the head of the ITER Construction Project: "Our pursuit of technical excellence is not only about achieving outstanding results; it's also about ensuring the safety of every task we perform."
500 visitors from MT-28
2023-09-12 - During the 28th International Conference on Magnet Technology (MT-28), which took place just 35 km south of ITER, fully half of the 1,000 participants (organized in groups of 50) take advantage of a tour of the ITER worksite.
ISFNT Symposium: How to accelerate fusion?
2023-09-12 - At the 15th edition of the International Symposium on Fusion Nuclear Technology in Las Palmas (Spain) from 10 to 15 September, experts from around the world gathered to address the technical issues that remain to be solved to make fusion power a reality. A shared ITER Organization/Fusion for Energy booth in the exhibition area was the place to go for updated information on ITER construction (and a VR tour of the worksite).
1,000 magnet experts convene near ITER
2023-09-11 - The 28th International Conference on Magnet Technology (MT-28) takes place in Aix-en-Provence from 10 to 15 September, co-hosted by the ITER Organization and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). ITER Deputy Director-General for Science and Technology, Yutaka Kamada, opens the conference (photo).
Pujiang Innovation Forum
2023-09-10 - On 10 September, Director-General Pietro Barabaschi speaks in China at the Pujiang Innovation Forum, an annual event that aims to build a platform for international exchange on innovation and development. Describing stable fusion output in the service of electricity production as "a goal requiring continuous learning and exploration," he uses ITER to illustrate the importance of global cooperation in innovation.
ITER Games: 10th edition
2023-09-09 - More than 700 people take part in the tenth edition of the ITER Games, a day of festivities and sport shared by ITER and Domestic Agency employees and contractors, their families, and local sportsmen and women in the neighbouring town of Vinon-sur-Verdon.
Interested in nuclear law and fusion
2023-08-25 - In August, participants in the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) International School of Nuclear Law have the occasion during a visit to ITER to learn about fusion technology concepts and possible legal frameworks for fusion technologies. (Photo: ISNL)
Artistic ITER
2023-07-27 - Photographer Christian Lünig receives "honourable mention" for this artistic shot of the ITER Tokamak pit at the Vienna International Photo Award contest (VIEPA 2023, Free Style category) in July. https://www.arbeitsblende.de/.
ITER @ SOFE 2023
2023-07-10 - Kathryn McCarthy, head of the US ITER Project, delivers the opening plenary speech at the 30th IEEE Symposium on Fusion Engineering, held from 9 to 13 July 2023 in Oxford (United Kingdom). "ITER is an important part of the international fusion ecosystem," she said. "It is providing practical experience in designing, fabricating and assembling a licensed fusion facility. It is developing the fusion supply chain and industrial capacity, and helping to build a diverse fusion workforce." (Photo ©UKAEA)
Exchanging knowledge, creating community
2023-06-30 - 26 nationalities are represented among the participants to the 12th ITER International School (Aix-en-Provence, France, 26-30 June). This year's school focused on the impact and consequences of energetic particles on fusion plasmas—a particularly relevant multidisciplinary topic for ITER, whose success relies on harnessing the power released in the form of energetic alpha-particles to sustain a self-heating plasma.
Smoothing the legal path to fusion
2023-06-26 - The second edition of the Fusion for Energy Contracting Professionals Roundtable takes place at ITER Headquarters from 26 to 28 June 2023. The event, organized in collaboration with the International Nuclear Law Association (INLA) and the ITER Organization, focuses on innovative legal thinking for successful fusion megaprojects.
Open Doors Day: this time for families and friends
2023-06-24 - An Open Doors Day is organized on 24 June 2023 for the families and friends of people working at the project, who were eager to see for themselves the reality that they hear so much about. Approximately 650 people take part in the hands-on workshops, guided tours, and demonstrations throughout the day.
ITER magnets engineer recognized
2023-06-20 - Enrique Gaxiola, magnet engineer at the ITER Organization, is awarded for an oral presentation and paper at the Institute of Electronics & Electrical Engineers (IEEE) 41st Electrical Insulation Conference (Quebec City, 18-21 June). He receives a certificate of achievement in the Testing Technologies category for his publication "Electrical Insulation Testing for Superconducting Magnets' Qualification, Manufacturing, Factory Acceptance Testing, Site Acceptance Testing, and Assembly."
Talking about the Tritium Plant
2023-06-05 - A rather complex chemical plant is needed for deuterium-tritium fuel processing at ITER. A recent Tritium Plant Summit brought together representatives from all contributing parties—the Domestic Agencies of Europe, Japan, Korea and the United States, plus the ITER Organization—to share the status of their designs and suggest cost-saving standardization opportunities.
Experts meet on infrared diagnostics for ITER
2023-06-05 - At a two-day workshop organized by the ITER Port Plugs & Diagnostics Division in early June, in-person and on-line experts help to advance the development of the infrared diagnostics that will monitor the surface temperatures of ITER's plasma-facing components. Their input will be invaluable for the further development of this set of diagnostics and for increasing the fidelity of the measurements.
Ensuring vacuum standards and quality
2023-06-01 - The vacuum group at ITER gives regular training sessions on vacuum quality, component qualification, material requirements and leak testing to promote good practice at ITER, at the Domestic Agencies, and among suppliers. Quality in vacuum is key to the success of a fusion device.
Robot Games 2023
2023-05-23 - 500 students (and 100 teachers) take part in the 2023 ITER Robots challenge, now supported as a months-long, school-based educational challenge by the French Ministry of Education. On 23 May, the final competition tests participants in three ways—the execution of ITER-like remote handling tasks with their team-designed and team-programmed robots, their capacity to communicate about their projects, and their knowledge of the ITER Project.
DigITER: an in-depth digital transformation
2023-04-24 - The ITER Organization has launched the DigITER program to ensure that all of its data—historical, current and future—is captured and preserved in accessible form. Alain Bécoulet, Head of the Central Integration Office (acting) is leading the effort. One of the priority projects is to digitalize as-built machine data and to construct of 3D models.
INFUSED: Training and postdoc opportunities
2023-04-22 - The INFUSED pages of the ITER Organization website are the place to go for students and teachers interested in educational resources in fusion science and technology. At this time of year, it is also good to keep an eye on the INFUSED event calendar, where deadlines are fast approaching for summer training opportunities, specialized courses, and postdoctoral research grants.
Fire drill!
2023-04-20 - Staff proceed to pre-arranged meeting points during a fire drill at ITER Headquarters on 20 April.
Biannual Technical Coordination Meeting revived
2023-04-12 - A feature during the early ITER Engineering Design Phase (1992-2001), the Technical Coordination Meeting is now back in the ITER landscape. Bringing together project team members across departments and time zones, it focuses on technical updates and challenges. According to Director-General Barabaschi, "Meeting like this around problems to solve is an excellent way to have new ideas emerge."
Da Vinci's impossible "tokamak drawing"
2023-04-01 - A drawing of a cylindrical machine with an uncanny resemblance to a tokamak attributed to Leonardo Da Vinci? Impossible, in effect. The date of the ITER Newsline article in question—1 April—gives the gig away for those familiar with the tradition of April Fool's Day.
ITER receives 700 members of the public
2023-04-01 - Saturday 1 April was the ITER Organization's 18th Open Doors Day event. Approximately 700 members of the public interact with ITER volunteers at the Visitors Centre and at different stations along the 1.5 hour bus tour to the construction site. Always a big success!
ITER @ the World Conference of Science Journalists
2023-03-30 - Kirsten Haupt, from the ITER Communication team, participates in a plenary session on energy security at the World Conference of Science Journalists in Medellín, Columbia on 30 March 2023. The conference is a showcase for science journalism's state of the art, attracting representatives from cutting-edge areas of science, technology, and medicine and reporters eager to make even the most complex topics accessible to the widest possible audience.
Over from Barcelona
2023-03-29 - This group of Fusion for Energy trainees has left the European Domestic Agency's headquarters in Barcelona, where they are completing 12-month traineeships, to discover more about the project they are working for from afar. They met with the ITER Director-General (centre, back row) and other experts, and toured the construction site.
A cosmopolitan community
2023-03-13 - Whether working directly for the ITER Organization, an ITER Domestic Agency, or one of the approximately 700 institutions or contracting companies present on site, almost 6,500 people hold an access badge to the ITER site. The latest statistics show that they hail from 90 countries, up from 68 in 2020.
International Women's Day @ ITER
2023-03-08 - On International Women's Day 2023, ITER hosts speaker Valentine Honoré from the International Red Cross. She shares her inspiring story of advocacy on behalf of vulnerable populations in many places around the globe.
ITER has a podcast!
2023-03-08 - "ITER Stories" was launched in late 2021 as ITER's first podcast. With a focus on people, the six episodes of Season 1 and the six (planned) episodes of Season 2 bring the listener into one of the most complex scientific endeavours on Earth. The first episode of Season 2—The Women at ITER—was released on International Women's Day 2023. Tune it to that episode and all others on the podcast page of the ITER website.
European MEPs visit
2023-02-08 - Led by former French Transport Minister Thierry Mariani, a delegation of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) visited ITER on Tuesday 7 February. Greeted by Director-General Pietro Barabaschi upon their arrival, the 10 MEPs from the Rassemblement national (National Rally) party and a few of their deputies and assistants, sat through a presentation by Ioan Cruceana, ITER Chief Institutional Host State Relations, and toured the construction site. "ITER [..] opens up hope for the future," twitted Mariani.
ITER meets sci-fi at Yggdrasil Lyon
2023-02-04 - Attracting fans of science fiction, heroic fantasy and cosplay, the Yggdrasil Festival in Lyon—named after a central element of Nordic mythology, the sacred tree Yggdrasil—was the perfect place for ITER to join other science institutions in a discussion about what a better future might look like. A crowd of 30,000 attended this year, attracted by the festival theme "Tomorrow—but better."
Visits in vogue
2023-01-30 - The latest figures are in: 191,728 people have visited the ITER site since work began in 2007 to clear and level land for the future scientific installation. The year 2022 was the strongest on record, with 19,559 people welcomed on site from 27 countries. Visits were conducted in nine languages.
Sharing ITER through VR
2023-01-16 - ITER was the subject of a 360° immersive exhibition at the "Biennial of Digital Imagination" (https://chroniques.org/en/), hosted at three cities near ITER. "ENERGEIA," by artist Ugo Arsac, offered visitors the chance to visit ITER virtually with a technique that married gaming and virtual reality (VR). ITER's Benoit Manfreo (photo) also participated in one of the weekend sessions by sharing the VR tools that are used on the project.
An ITER stop on the highway to the Alps
2022-12-12 - A new outdoor exhibit on ITER has been installed at a rest stop on highway to the Alps (A51) north of the ITER site. For the thousands and thousands who travel the road, it is a reminder that the region is home to a major international scientific collaboration that is building the world's largest tokamak.
Familiar faces at ITER
2022-12-08 - Taking care of all the "Soft FM" (soft facilities management) tasks at ITER falls to the Site Management Section. Mark Henderson (right) works with Sylvain Bunevod from ONET and Axelle Lohez from VPIS to respond to 7,000 "tickets" per year.
ITPA Coordinating Committee meets at ITER
2022-12-07 - The Coordinating Committee of the International Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA) holds its annual meeting at ITER Headquarters from 6 to 8 December. The role of the committee is to oversee the Topical Physics Groups in conducting their tasks in support of ITER research priorities and to act as the interface between the ITPA and the ITER Organization.
Traditional tree lighting
2022-12-02 - The ITER community gathers on 2 December around the Christmas tree offered by our hosts, the town of Saint-Paul-lez-Durance. At the foot of the tree is the Provençal crèche, with the traditional nativity scene plus figures that depict village life such as The Mayor, The Lace-Maker, The Apothecary, and the Shepherd (bowing into the fierce Mistral wind). From left to right: Eisuke Tada, Deputy of the Director-General; Romain Buchaut, Mayor of Saint Paul; and Laban Coblentz, Head of Communication.
ITER band makes its holiday appearance
2022-11-30 - On 30 November 2022, the ITER band regales the attendees of the ITER Organization end-of-year event with holiday favourites. © criscuolo
ITER @ the Global EPC Project Management Forum
2022-11-30 - At the Global Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Project Management Forum in Amsterdam in November 2022, ITER shares best practice with construction, contracting, legal, and IT companies and receives a standing ovation in special recognition of its global mission and collaborative approach. (Pictured speaking is Colette Ricketts, the Deputy Head of the ITER Project Control Office.)
2022 ITER Achievement Awards
2022-11-30 - One by one, Director-General Pietro Barabaschi opens the envelopes announcing the winners of the 2022 ITER Achievement Awards. Now an annual tradition, the awards seek to pay tribute to the dedication and achievements of teams across the project by recognizing exceptional achievements. © criscuolo
ITER opens its doors
2022-11-26 - The second public Open Doors Day of the year takes place on Saturday 26 November. Approximately 50 volunteers are on hand to introduce the 600+ visitors to the ITER collaboration, construction work underway, and the plans and goals of ITER operation.
A local question and answer session
2022-11-24 - The annual public meeting of the ITER CLI (Local Information Committee) takes place in Manosque on 24 November. Representatives of the French nuclear safety authority (ASN), the local labour and occupational health departments, and the ITER Organization were there to field questions.
First ITER Council for ITER Director-General
2022-11-16 - The 31st Meeting (16-17 November) is the first ITER Council for Director-General Pietro Barabaschi (centre), who took up his position on 17 October. To the left in the photo is Council Chair Massimo Garribba (Europe); to the right is Eisuke Tada, Deputy of the Director-General.
ITER @ Falling Walls, Berlin
2022-11-08 - Chief Scientist Tim Luce represents the ITER Project at the Falling Walls 2022 conference (8 November 2022) as part of the panel "Advances in Fusion Technology/Breakthrough in Unlimited Energy Generation."
ITPA meetings resume at ITER
2022-11-07 - After a hiatus of three years due to Covid, in-person meetings of experts from the International Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA), supporting research for ITER, have resumed. On-site meetings at the ITER Organization or the nearby CEA research centre allow ITPA experts to witness progress in construction since their last visit to the ITER Organization in 2019.
ITER wins "Construction Story of the Year" award
2022-11-02 - The B1M, a popular video channel for construction, architecture and engineering, and the Nemetschek Group, a leading software providers for the same industries, name ITER—described as "a remarkable project that impressively demonstrates what the construction industry is able to achieve"—as the Construction Story of the Year.
The top ring is on its way
2022-11-01 - Anatoly Krasilnikov, head of the Russian Domestic Agency, speaks to the press on the day that poloidal field coil #1 (PF1) leaves the Sredne Nevsky shipyard in Saint Petersburg for the port of Bronka.
A new lab building on site
2022-10-15 - A new laboratory building on site, Building 99, will be shared by the Vacuum and Tritium Plant teams for the testing of prototypes and first-production units. In this photo, Vacuum Section leader Robert Pearce is overseeing the testing of two first-of-a-kind stainless steel vacuum pumps.
Celebrating science
2022-10-08 - The ITER booths are a big hit at the "Fête de la Science" ("Let's Celebrate Science") events in Villeneuve-Loubet and Manosque, France, on 8 and 9 October. With simple experiments and demonstrations, ITER volunteers bring plasma science out of the lab and into the public forum. (For those interested, ITER will have a booth in Marseille at the Fête de la Science on 15 and 16 October.)
ITER and art "resonate" in nearby village
2022-10-05 - Funded by private contributors, ''Résonances''—by French artist Jean-Paul Philippe—draws a link between art and science, connects sister cities, and builds a bridge between the past and the future. The main column of the nine-metre-tall monument consists of seven blocks of stone, each one representing an ITER Member. The sculpture is inaugurated in the French village of La Roque d'Anthéron on 5 October 2022.
Recreating legend and tradition
2022-10-01 - By organizing regular events outside of work, ITER's Indian community makes sure that legend and tradition live on even far from home. On 1 October, they gathered for the celebration of the Hindu festival Navaratri, and filled a local room with light, colour and music.
ITER's new Director-General: no stranger to fusion
2022-09-19 - The incoming ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi (right) visits the ITER stand on the first day of the SOFT 2022 conference in Dubrovnik, Croatia (32nd Symposium on Fusion Technology). Mr. Barabaschi, 56, has spent virtually his entire career in the service of fusion research. Also pictured is ITER's Head of Engineering, Alain Bécoulet.
Open doors for ITER families
2022-09-17 - In a first at ITER, the gates of the monumental worksite open on Saturday 17 September for a family-only Open Doors Day event, reserved for the families of staff and contractors employed on site by the ITER Organization and the European Domestic Agency. More than 700 people participate.
An award for Sergio Orlandi
2022-09-15 - The head of the ITER Plant Construction Department, Sergio Orlandi, is awarded on 15 September 2022 with an Honorary Professorship from the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland, in recognition of his work in the nuclear field.
Safety day 2022
2022-09-15 - The second annual ITER Safety Day is held on 15 September, with more than 800 attendees. With thousands of people active on the worksite, often in shared spaces and areas, an active commitment to safety is the glue that keeps employees and workers from accident and injury.
The ITER Games return
2022-09-10 - Back after a three-year hiatus, the ITER Games returned to Vinon sur Verdon on Saturday 10 September. Five hundred people participate in the broadly popular sporting event that attracts ITER employees and contractors, their families, and local sportsmen and women.
Hurrah for new books!
2022-09-06 - School is back in session in France! And at the International School of Manosque, students in the Chinese Section are the beneficiaries of a new set of textbooks thanks to the generosity of the Chinese Domestic Agency, which shipped ten boxes of books and materials in time for the new school year.
NOH theatre @ ITER
2022-09-06 - On 6 September, the ITER community had the occasion to learn more about one of Japan's oldest traditional performing arts, "Nohgaku," thanks to KANO Ryoichi from Japan's Kita-School. Designated as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2008, Nohgaku is composed of two elements: nō, based on chant and dance (photo) and its comedic counterpart kyōgen, based on dialogue.
"Like night and day"
2022-08-22 - It was in 2015 that Robert Jan Smits, then the Director-General of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, last visited the ITER site. Seven years later, the current President of Eindhoven University (Netherlands) returned with a group of heavy weights from within the European fusion community. "This is unbelievable. Compared to what the site looked like then it is night and day." (From left to right: Niek Lopes Cardozo, Professor at Eindhoven University and founder of FuseNet; Tony Donné, Programme Manager of EUROfusion; ITER Cryogenic Section Leader David Grillot; Marco de Baar, Director of the DIFFER Institute; Robert Jan Smits; and Nicolas Navion, also from the ITER Cryogenic Section.
The 11th ITER International School
2022-07-29 - The 11th ITER International School was held successfully in July 2022, hosted in San Diego by the US Burning Plasma Organization (USBPO), the University of California San Diego, General Atomics, and the ITER Organization. The School focused this year on the development of operation scenarios for tokamaks and how to control them.
Distinguished visitors from Korea
2022-07-19 - Participants to the Europe-Korea Conference on Science and Technology (EKC) in Marseille in July take an afternoon off to visit ITER. The 120-person-strong group is headed by Korea's Vice-Minister of Science and ICT, Tae-Seog Oh (second from right), accompanied by former Secretary-General of the United Nations (2007-2016) Ban Ki Moon (second from left), now Chairman of the Foundation for a Better Future.
A Japanese influencer on site
2022-07-18 - Takafumi Horie, a well-known influencer in Japan (right), takes a tour of ITER on 18 July.
Sharing an interest in sustainability
2022-07-18 - Mitsuru Izumo, owner and CEO of Euglena, a Japanese firm that specializes in the production of a nutrient-rich alga of the same name, visits ITER in July. He finds commonalities between the company he founded, which commercializes Euglena as a source of food and biofuel, and the ITER Project—as both are pursuing ambitious programs for the long-term future and sustainability of our planet.
A young engineer with a daunting task
2022-07-18 - In 2006, as a young engineer, Kyoung Kyu Kim from Korea was entrusted with a daunting task—to design the giant tools (SSAT) that would assemble the ''modules'' of the ITER vacuum vessel. On a recent visit to ITER he saw them for the time in their natural environment.
Winding table, repurposed
2022-07-07 - Thirty times, this winding table in the European poloidal field coil assembly facility on site rotated slowly to accommodate niobium-titanium superconductor and create the double pancakes required for poloidal field coils #5, #2, #4 and #3. On 7 July 2022, the table rotated slowly for another purpose: to distribute the snacks during the team's celebration of winding completion. © F4E
Open Doors Day, at last
2022-06-18 - After more than two years, ITER resumes a tradition that dates back to 2007—Open Doors Day. On Saturday 18 June, more than 50 "volunteers," staff and contractors of the ITER Organization, the European agency for ITER, Fusion for Energy, and ITER Construction Manager-as-Agent MOMENTUM, welcome 800 people to share in the latest progress of ITER construction.
Cybersecurity symposium: "stronger together"
2022-06-16 - ITER's Information Technology (IT) Division held its first ITER cybersecurity symposium in June, gathering IT security experts from various industries and organizations to trade best practices on how to defend from ever-growing and ever-changing cyber threats.
A new Chair for the ITER Council
2022-06-15 - Massimo Garribba, from Europe, presides over his first Council as Chair on 15-16 June 2022 (IC-30, held in a hybrid format with some Members attending remotely). The Chairmanship of the Council rotates between the ITER Members; looking back, it has been presided by Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith, Europe (IC-1 to IC-5); Evgeny Velikhov, Russia (IC-6 to IC-9); Hideyuki Takatsu, Japan (IC-10 to IC-13); Robert Iotti, United States (IC-14 to IC-17); Won Namkung, Korea (IC-18 to IC-21); Arun Srivastava, India (IC-22 to IC-25); and LUO Delong, China (IC-26 to IC-29).
ITER community pays tribute to Director-General Bigot
2022-05-16 - Two days after the news that Director-General Bernard Bigot had passed away over the weekend, the ITER community pays tribute to its inspirational leader. The most frequent word in the memory book so far: "Thank you."
A team from Chloé
2022-05-10 - Gabriela Hearst, creative director at the French fashion house Chloé, and her team visit ITER on 10 May. Ms Hearst (centre, top step) called her visit to ITER ''probably one of the most fulfilling days of my professional career.''
OPEC Secretary General: "I am convinced the world needs ITER"
2022-04-21 - The ITER Organization welcomes the Secretary General of OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) on 21 April 2022. His Excellency Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo (4th from right) is a seasoned diplomat and executive with extensive experience in the global energy industry and a keen sense of how trends and fluctuations in global energy markets impact both developed and developing country end users. "I see ITER as the future. I am convinced that the world needs ITER, for the simple fact that we do not have enough clean energy supply to meet current demand and future needs."
Commited to deliver!
2022-04-01 - The ITER Vacuum Vessel Section, headed by Alex Martin (first row, centre, with ITER Vacuum Vessel Team Leader Hyun-soo Kim) is the second recipient of the ''Commit to Deliver'' (C2D) award, symbolized by a tree to be planted in the ITER butterfly garden. The team received the award during a celebration for the arrival of vacuum vessel sector #8 from Korea.
A project goal is delivered
2022-03-24 - During the hybrid (in person and by video) celebration held on 24 March for the completion of the ITER cryostat, the first Commit to Deliver (C2D) award is presented to representatives of the ITER Organization, Larsen & Toubro Ltd, the Indian Domestic Agency, and MAN Energy Solutions. Commit to Deliver is a project culture initiative to enhance professionalism and pride in the achievement of individual and team goals.
"Like small children in a candy store"
2022-03-10 - Early March, the International Society on Pulsed Power Applications (ISP) held a two-day workshop on the ITER premises, including a tour through "converter alley," inside of one of ITER's Magnet Power Conversion buildings. "We are all scientists and engineers with vast experience in the field," organizer Michael Bader said afterwards, "but we have never seen anything comparable. We felt like small children in a candy store."
ITER @ Yggdrasil Lyon
2022-02-12 - Attracting fans of science fiction, heroic fantasy and cosplay, the Yggdrasil Festival in Lyon—named after a central element of Nordic mythology, the sacred tree Yggdrasil—was the perfect place for ITER to join other science institutions in a discussion about what a better future might look like. A crowd of 20,000 attended this year, attracted by the festival theme "Tomorrow—but better."
European MEPs visit ITER
2022-01-31 - Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) visit ITER on 31 January 2022. Hailing from nine different countries and representing four different political groups, the MEPs were interested in learning more about the ITER Project and in touring the facility.
An end-of-year concert
2021-12-06 - The group Gipsy del Mundo (Arles, France) brings the exhilarating sound of Spanish flamenco guitar to the end-of-year ITER celebration, which is held in an airy and spacious venue on 6 December. Winners of the second annual ITER awards are also announced. ®criscuolo
ITER Achievement Awards 2021
2021-12-06 - On 6 December, the ITER Organization presents awards to teams in four categories for their 2021 achievements: the thermal shield production team (First-of-a-Kind Components award); the cryogenics plant project team (Balance-of-Plant-Systems award); the tokamak pit integrated assembly team (Installation & Assembly Sequences award); and the metrology, reverse engineering, inspection and testing team (Best Support for ITER award). Pictured, head of the Ex-Vessel Delivery & Assembly Division Jens Reich accepts the Installation & Assembly Sequences award in the name of the team. ®criscuolo
A tradition at Headquarters
2021-12-01 - Every year since the ITER Organization moved into its new headquarters in November 2012, the mayor of Saint-Paul-lez-Durance has gifted a large Christmas tree. This tradition was respected by the new mayor Romain Buchaut, who joined ITER Director-General Bernard Bigot on 1 December for a small tree lighting ceremony.
French artist visits
2021-11-29 - French contemporary artist Bernar Venet (https://www.venetfoundation.org/about/) and his wife Diane tour the ITER construction site on 29 November. Venet is known for monumental steel structures created from simple forms, and for his interest in science and math equations.
F1 racing drivers at ITER
2021-11-24 - Formula 1 2016 World Champion Nico Rosberg (second from right) visits ITER on 24 November, accompanied by two other racing colleagues: Lucas di Grassi and Bruno Senna.
Planning a "monument to fusion"
2021-11-16 - Artist Jean-Paul Philippe (left) presents a small-scale model of "Résonances" to ITER Director-General Bernard Bigot. ''Résonances,'' a sculpture with symbolic references to fusion, ITER, and the energy of Sun and stars, is planned for the village of La Roque d'Anthéron—located 45 km from ITER, and ''sister city'' to Asciano, Italy (the site of Philippe's best-known work ''Site Transitoire). https://monumentresonances.fr/en/
Fusion energy at COP26
2021-11-04 - ITER and the world fusion community are present at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, organized in Glasgow, Scotland, from 31 October to 12 November 2021. Through a series of events—including a panel discussion on the younger generation's role in fusion energy research, a World Tour of fusion presented by the ITER Organization at the Action Hub, and an international panel led by ITER Director-General Bernard Bigot on the last day of the conference inviting world leaders to look towards a fusion-powered future—fusioneers are part of the discussion about the future climate-conscious energy mix.
Open Doors Day goes virtual
2021-10-27 - For the first time, the ITER Open Doors Day event goes digital on 27 October 2021. Recorded and live presentations, videos, virtual reality, virtual tours, games for children ... the 700 participants from places as far away as Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico and South Africa were left with a better sense of the scale and importance of ITER and of the passion of the men and women who work here.
Youngeek Jung, Head of Construction
2021-10-25 - A chemical engineer by training, Youngeek Jung rose through the ranks of the nuclear giant KEPCO and largely contributed to building Korea's nuclear infrastructure. Postings in France have punctuated his career, first as a young engineer training at the French public utility EDF, then at the KEPCO liaison office in Paris, and eventually at the Paris-based OECD. Today, he is the new head of ITER's Construction Domain.
New e-procurement tool at ITER
2021-10-19 - As part of a larger corporate digitalization strategy, the ITER Procurement & Contracts Division (photo) has introduced a new web-based procurement tool called I-PROC. This transformative tool will free up time to allow staff to bring more value to the contract negotiation process.
Honours for Science Division Head Alberto Loarte
2021-10-18 - In October 2021, Head of the ITER Science Division Alberto Loarte is elected Fellow of the American Physical Society, recognized for "seminal contributions to the understanding of phenomena controlling thermal and particle fluxes to material surfaces in magnetically confined systems including plasma detachment, edge-localized modes, and their control."
Solar installation inaugurated on site
2021-10-14 - The ITER staff parking lot has been covered with solar panels, in a project put in place with the support of the French electric utility company EDF. (Maximum production is about 1.7MW.) The completed project is unveiled on 14 October 2021.
Bringing science out of the lab
2021-10-09 - Enthusiasm was high for the 2021 edition of the French "Fête de la Science" ("Let's Celebrate Science") in early October, after the program had to be cancelled last year. The ITER Project was present in Marseille and Manosque, with the expert assistance of volunteers like Rossella Rotella (photo), Strategic Coordination Officer in ITER's Science and Operations Domain.
Safety comes first at ITER
2021-09-16 - A project-wide safety day is organized on 16 September 2021 to remind everyone—whether they spend their day in an office or on one of the upper floors of the Tokamak Complex, driving a vehicle or manoeuvring a crane—that a commitment to workplace safety is primordial.
ITER on display in Sofia
2021-08-22 - For two weeks in August 2021, large-format pictures of ITER entertained and informed pedestrians on the Lovers' Bridge in Sofia, Bulgaria. The photo exhibit was organized by the Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy (INRNE). Photo: Dobromir Dimitrov, INRNE
The men and women of ITER
2021-07-27 - The past year has been one of change and adjustment as the ITER community has adapted to the global Covid-19 pandemic and the transformation it imposed on our way of working. Even the traditional all-staff photo had to be reinvented ... (Mosaic by EJF Riche - ITER Organization)
A new generation of Monaco-ITER Fellows
2021-07-12 - ITER's latest group of Monaco Fellows—Valentina Nikolaeva, Lei Chen, Damien Colette, Anna Medvedeva, and William Gracias (left to right)—have started two-year postdoctoral fellowships in science or engineering under the Monaco-ITER Partnership Arrangement.
A year of progress
2021-06-17 - The 2020 Progress in Pictures photobook is available for download on the ITER website at NEWS & MEDIA/Publications/Brochures.
ITER Robots 2021
2021-06-15 - Initiated in 2012, ITER Robots brings together junior and high school students in a friendly competition that mimics some of the challenges of handling actual ITER components. The 10th edition, organized by Agence Iter France (CEA) in partnership with the ITER Organization and local representatives of the French Ministry of National Education, attracted 300 students (18 teams).
An important day for the poloidal field coils team
2021-04-16 - European Domestic Agency Deputy Project Manager Pierre Gavouyere-Lasserre broacasts live to his colleagues in Barcelona as poloidal field coil #5 is transferred from the European Poloidal Field Coil Manufacturing Facility on site to temporary storage.
ITER's virtual business meeting
2021-04-08 - On 7 and 8 April 2021, the ITER Organization hosts over 1,000 people, virtually, for a discussion of the project's business needs in the months and years to come. Traditionally held as an in-person ITER Business Forum in France, this year's event is run from a studio in the ITER Headquarters Building.
EUROfusion films at ITER
2021-02-17 - EUROfusion, the consortium of national fusion research institutes in Europe, is preparing a travelling exhibition on fusion aimed at a wide audience, with a lot of multimedia features. The team was filming at ITER on 17 February; in this photo they are interviewing René Raffray, head of the Blanket Section.
New worksite map
2021-02-16 - A new panoramic tool offers a tour of the ITER worksite. Click on a number to briefly view the inside of the building or, for structures that do not exist yet, a schematic of what is planned: https://static.iter.org/com/iter-map/.
ITER 2020 Achievement Awards
2020-12-07 - The ITER Director-General has launched new ITER Awards to recognize achievement in a time of difficulty. The four awards—for First-of-a-Kind Components, Installation and Assembly Sequences, Best Support During the COVID-19 Pandemic, and Balance-of-Plant Systems—are accepted during an on-line ceremony in December by Anil Bhardwaj, leader of the Cryostat Auxiliaries Group; Christophe Montane, crane operator from the company REEL; Joerg Klora, head of the Information Technology Division; and Pascal De Boe, leader of the In-Field Engineering Support Group, on behalf of their teams.
Behind the scenes
2020-12-07 - ITER Communication staff and IT specialists prepare the studio for December's virtual award ceremony. From right to left: Laban Coblentz, Head of Communication; Robert Papp, IT Telecommunication Responsible Officer; Ruxandra Pilsiu, communication officer in charge of the ITER studio; Shira Tabachnikoff, Internal & Stakeholder Relations Manager; and Mickaël Flandrin, IT specialist.
Neighbours and traditions
2020-12-01 - The ITER community respects time-honoured Provencal traditions by installing a crèche and a Christmas tree in the lobby of ITER Headquarters. The new mayor of Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, André Gomez, and deputy-mayor in charge of communication, Elise Placé, were by Director-General Bernard Bigot's side for the tree lighting on 1 December. (The tree was offered by the village of Saint-Paul.)
6-month internships at ITER
2020-11-19 - The ITER Organization has launched recruitment for its 2021 internship program. Undergraduate and post-graduate students are welcome to apply; see the 100+ offers on the ITER Jobs page. Positions are offered for up to six months; some categories are extendable to one year. Apply before 28 February 2021 through the online recruiting tool.
After two full years...
2020-11-17 - After two years at ITER, the sixth group of Monaco-ITER Fellows (2019-2020) is getting ready to head off to new adventures. As a parting gift, they were treated to an insider's tour of the ITER worksite by members of the Science Division.
ITER computers benefit the international school
2020-11-12 - In November, 9 ITER laptops and 11 desktop computers are donated to the EIPACA international school by the ITER IT Division. The older-generation material, which can no longer be used at the project, will be gratefully put to use by EIPACA students according to Laure Béjannin, school director. (Also pictured is Romain Bourgue from the ITER IT team.)
Available now: ITER Technical Reports
2020-11-02 - A number of freely downloadable ITER Technical Reports are now available on the ITER website. Highlighting scientific and technical activities carried out under the ITER Agreement, they are typically versions of internal reports that have been deemed of interest for the wider scientific and technical community, but that have not been submitted for conventional publication. View the growing list in the bottom footer under FOR SCIENTISTS/ITER Technical Reports.
ITER's new normal
2020-10-20 - Like other organizations, ITER has been forced to find a new way of working, one that allows the project to maintain critical objectives while prioritizing safety. Beyond the immediate response to the pandemic, ITER's "New Normal"—introduced this month after an eight-week trial period—seeks to incorporate the lessons learned into a longer-term approach that balances the advantages of the physical ''brick-and-mortar'' and ''digital'' workplaces by encouraging staff members to telework up to three days per week (job description permitting).
ITER participates in Europe's Fusion Teacher Day
2020-10-02 - On 2 October 2020, more than 300 science teachers from across Europe participate in FuseNet's European Fusion Teacher Day. After lectures and the presentation of teaching materials, participants travel virtually to three fusion sites including ITER, with a live broadcast from the ITER Assembly Hall.
Tim Luce, Head of Science & Operation
2020-09-21 - Tim Luce has been working in fusion since the beginning of his career as a physicist—first at Princeton University, then at General Atomics (home to the DIII-D tokamak), and since September 2017 at ITER. Today he is head of the ITER Science, Controls & Operation Department and interim head of the Science & Operation Domain.
Three, representing 10,000
2020-07-28 - During the ITER start-of-assembly ceremony on 28 July 2020, Director-General Bernard Bigot asked three workers to join him on the stage. By thanking them for their hard work, dedication, and professional excellence, he was also thinking of the thousands that could not be there in person. The three "highly skilled and motivated" professionals representing 10,000 were Laura Bertolo, from Europe, the lead contact engineer in the Assembly Hall; Aashoo Sharma, from India, a tokamak instrumentation engineer; and LIN Zuhuang, from China, a mechanical engineer working on Tokamak assembly.
ITER band manages to play together ... virtually
2020-07-28 - One of the highlights of ITER's start-of-assembly celebration on 28 July 2020 was the ITER band's rendering of the Star Wars theme song. The performance was all the more remarkable due to the fact that each member recorded his or her tract individually, from home due to Covid-19, and the pieces were synchronized.
3D print your own tokamak!
2020-07-28 - The ITER Organization has collaborated with the Hungarian Centre for Energy Research to create a 3D-printable model of the ITER Tokamak (1/100th) for students, teachers, and "makers" around the world. Search for "3D print" in the ITER Newsline archive.
ITER celebrates assembly
2020-07-28 - On 28 July 2020, Director-General Bernard Bigot opens the ITER Project's start-of-assembly celebration. "Constructing the machine is like constructing a giant 3D puzzle with an intricate timeline...We move forward with a deep sense of purpose."
Nalinish Nagaich, Head of Corporate
2020-07-20 - Trained as a chemical engineer, with decades of experience in many functional areas of India's nuclear establishment, Nalinish Nagaich is the new Head of Corporate Domain at the ITER Organization, overseeing human resources, finance, procurement and contracts, information technology, and project control. Before coming to ITER he was director of human resources, corporate planning and corporate communication at Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL).
Keun-Kyeong Kim, Head of Construction
2020-06-23 - Engineer Keun-Kyeong Kim (or "Ken") is the new Head of Construction for the ITER Organization. He has worked for more than 25 years in Korea's nuclear sector, managing the construction of nuclear power plants with an eye for minimizing duration and cost while enhancing safety.
A new Chair for the ITER Council
2020-06-17 - LUO Delong, from China, presides over his first Council as Chair on 17-18 June 2020 (IC-26, held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.) The Chairmanship of the Council rotates between the ITER Members; looking back, it has been presided by Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith, Europe (IC-1 to IC-5); Evgeny Velikhov, Russia (IC-6 to IC-9); Hideyuki Takatsu, Japan (IC-10 to IC-13); Robert Iotti, United States (IC-14 to IC-17); Won Namkung, Korea (IC-18 to IC-21); Arun Srivastava, India (IC-22 to IC-25).
A large banner for a large achievement
2020-06-15 - A new banner adorns the front of the Tokamak Building, celebrating eight years of work and collaboration by the European Domestic Agency, Fusion for Energy (F4E), and the joint ITER Organization/F4E Buildings Infrastructure and Power Supplies (BIPS) team. An estimated 1,000 men and women took part in the construction of the Tokamak Building, an effort led by the Vinci Ferrovial Razel-Bec (VFR) consortium.
Fusion family
2020-05-11 - The ITER Organization has been fortunate to have the strong and generous support of its Members during the COVID-19 pandemic. We received recently protective facemasks from our partners in China (ASIPP institute, CNNC and the CNPE consortium) and Korea (KEPCO E&C). These masks are essential to helping the on-site ITER Organization, Domestic Agency and contractor teams to stay safe as they continue to carry out critical operations on site.
Checking in with the Monaco Fellows
2020-05-11 - On Monday 11 May, Prince Albert II of Monaco logs in by Skype to meet the current group of Monaco-ITER Postdoctoral Fellows: Joyeeta Sinha from India, Jae-Sun Park from Korea, Jonathan Coburn from the USA, Satoshi Togo from Japan, and Javier Artola from Spain. ITER Director-General Bernard Bigot joins too to express gratitude for the Principality's continuous support of the fellowship program.
Art embedded in ITER
2020-03-02 - A work of art has been embedded anonymously in the frame of the Tokamak Building crane hall. "Sans titre," by American sculptor Christine Corday, seeks to create a permanent presence of Art in the vast scientific project that is ITER—not "decoration" but "a contributing and sustained presence."
Alain Bécoulet, Head of Engineering
2020-02-24 - Physicist Alain Bécoulet, former Head of France's Institute for Magnetic Fusion Research (IRFM), is the new Head of Engineering for the ITER Organization. In the course of his career he has worked at the JET, DIII-D and Tore Supra tokamaks, most recently overseeing the transformation of Tore Supra into the WEST test bed for ITER.
Half time at ITER
2020-02-20 - Half time at ITER In a rare moment off the playing field, 100 of France's top under 17 rugby players visit the ITER site in February, taking advantage of a selection camp organized locally to learn more about fusion and the ITER Project.
ITER Scientist Fellows and cutting-edge research for ITER
2020-02-12 - In the area of cutting-edge research—and particularly the sophisticated modelling of plasmas—the project is benefitting from the assistance of world-renowned experts through the ITER Scientist Fellow Network program. Sixty-six scientists are currently collaborating as Scientist Fellows while remaining employed at their home institutes; much of the coordination with ITER scientists takes place through email or teleconference (photo).
New video series on ITER
2020-02-05 - A new video series on the project, with weekly releases, proposes to take you closer to the people and the progress of ITER. Short, accessible and engaging ... "ITER Now" can be viewed on the ITER YouTube channel.
ITER manga 3.0
2020-02-03 - In the third installment of ITER Japan's manga series on the world's largest fusion project, our hero Taiyô Tenno visits the factory where the first ITER toroidal field coil was completed and learns about the multiple challenges (including tooling, welding, testing, level of precision, and materials) that had to be overcome. Download or consult this version and others from the ITER Publication Centre/Comics. Available in English, French and Japanese.
Festive cheer
2019-12-06 - On Friday 6 December, the ITER community is treated to an artisan fair, to a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony with local mayor Roger Pizot (Saint Paul-lez-Durance), and to an afternoon of music in the lobby by the ITER band.
Staff photo, November 2019
2019-11-29 - When the 2017 staff photo was taken (in this very spot), the circular bioshield was still visible above the walls of the Tokamak Complex. Two years later, the bioshield is hidden in its concrete vault and the last elements of the roof structure are set to be posed. Against this spectacular backdrop, a portion of the 925 people currently employed as staff of the ITER Organization came out on 29 November 2019 for the traditional group photo. Photo: ITER Organization/Gérard Lesenechal
Engineered with pride
2019-11-29 - For each ITER system, engineering work packages must be developed to synthesize all necessary system and geographical information critical to the assembly process. At a recent workshop at Headquarters, involved staff took part in a "tool kit" workshop that focused on standardizing the process and the quality of the output.
A high-resolution flyover of the ITER worksite
2019-11-20 - ITER's new virtual reality goggles were a hit at the latest ITER Council meeting, as delegates were able follow the site drones over, in between, and through the ITER buildings under construction.
ITER @ Extraordinary Factories Marseille
2019-11-15 - In November, ITER is present with a large stand at the three-day Extraordinary Factories (L'Usine Extraordinaire) event in Marseille, which aimed to make industry attractive to the youngest members of society by highlighting technology, innovation, excellence, discovery, and ... exciting careers.
Science on the weekend
2019-10-05 - Every year in France, science is "à la fête" for two consecutive weekends in October. Free events and demonstrations—tailored particularly to school-age children—offer a fun and friendly way to discover projects like ITER. During the 2019 edition, ITER volunteers met the public in four localities: Manosque, Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, and Villeneuve-Loubet (near Nice).
Chinese staff celebrates Republic's anniversary
2019-09-30 - On Monday 30 September, as the People's Republic of China was celebrating it 70th anniversary, Chinese ITER staff members, now totalling more than one hundred people, gathered in front of the worksite for a commemorative photo.
ITER manga, now in Provençal
2019-09-23 - Two young students, Taiyô and Soléane, are the heros of a manga published by ITER Japan and translated into English, French and now the language of Middle Age troubadours ... Provençal. Download all the versions from the ITER website at NEWS & MEDIA/Publications/Comics.
On 21 September, ITER welcomed the public
2019-09-21 - Rain notwithstanding, the 15th edition of the ITER Open Doors Day is a success, with close to one thousand people attending. Fifty volunteer guides from the ITER Organization, the European Domestic Agency, and all of the major worksite contractors were present, each one ready to share ITER from his or her unique perspective.
ITER Games: 9th edition
2019-09-14 - More than 650 people take part in the 9th edition of the ITER Games on Saturday 14 September. Highlights of the day include sport competitions organized by the associations of Vinon-sur-Verdon, stands, a children's village, a treasure hunt, and lunch under the trees in the city centre.
Good luck!
2019-07-23 - On 23 July 2019, ITER Director-General Bernard Bigot, India's Ambassador to France Vinay Mohan Kwatra, and the former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India, Anil Kakodkar, symbolically smash a bottle of French champagne on a large chunk of steel representing the ITER cryostat. Two sections (60% of cryostat work scope) have been finalized.
Following the fusion timeline
2019-06-19 - A new decor in the lobby of the ITER Headquarters building retraces ITER and fusion history. On 19 June, ITER Council members are given a guided tour.
Attention all fusion scientists and engineers
2019-05-22 - Ten editions of the ITER physics school—the ITER International School—have been held since 2007 on different theoretical and experimental aspects of tokamak physics. The near-complete collection of presentations (more than 180 in all) can now be downloaded from the ITER website at FOR THE PUBLIC/Education/ITER International School.
ITER Robots, more popular than ever
2019-05-21 - The ITER Robots competition—a technological challenge that is now accredited by the French Ministry of Education—was back in town on 21 May. Seven hundred students, organized into 49 teams from 29 schools, tried their hand at building a small robot to simulate a maintenance situation inside the ITER Tokamak. In the process, they learn about engineering, programming, and ... ITER.
ITER, for any age
2019-05-18 - During ITER's 14th Open Doors Day on 18 May, visitors are given the opportunity to navigate in real time inside a 3D model of the ITER Tokamak, thanks to staff member Benoit Manfreo and his specially adapted virtual reality tool.
Learning can be fun!
2019-05-18 - Physicist Gregory de Temmerman (pictured) and the ITER Fab Lab have developed a number of tabletop displays that can be used to explain ITER and fusion to the lay person. They are now a regular part of outreach efforts locally.
ITER at Vigyan Samagam in India
2019-05-13 - ITER Head of Communication Laban Coblentz speaks with Indian author and journalist Pallava Bagla during the Vigyan Samagam (https://vigyansamagam.in/) science exhibition that kicked off in Mumbai on 8 May. The travelling exhibition features seven international science projects, including ITER.
Art in the Tokamak Pit
2019-04-16 - Italian artist Michela Meneguzzi was at ITER in April for the celebration of "500 Years of Innovation: From Da Vinci to ITER." In a few hours, she was able to capture and render the colosseum-like ambiance of the Tokamak Pit in the style of Leonardo da Vinci.
500 Years of Innovation: from Leonardo da Vinci to ITER
2019-04-15 - From Leonardo da Vinci—who dared to undertake what many considered impossible, too risky or too large—to ITER: the stage was set for a day-long celebration on 15 April of "500 years of innovation," co-hosted by the Italian government. (Pictured: a sound and light show by the Milanese firm Cross Media.)
Hello to ITER families
2019-04-03 - Wednesday 3 April was Family Day at ITER, which means that the sound of small voices rang out (briefly) in the corridors. Several times per year small groups of staff members (30 at a time) are invited to bring their families for lunch in the cafeteria and a tour of the site.
A new way to contribute to ITER
2019-04-01 - The ITER Project Associate program allows institutes from the ITER Members to assign employees to technical or support activities at the ITER Organization for a maximum of four years. Seventy people are currently working in this capacity at ITER and 50 more are expected this year. See all openings on the ITER jobs page/ITER Project Associates. (Pictured is Hu Xiaoyue from the Institute of Plasma Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, ASIPP.)
ITER Business Forum opens in Antibes
2019-03-27 - The 2019 ITER Business Forum (IBF/19) kicks off on 27 March with 1,165 registered participants from 449 companies (and 25 countries). Through two days of thematic workshops, technical tours and 1-to-1 meetings, participants will have access to the latest information about ITER business opportunities.
Women on stage
2019-03-18 - What better way to join in on the fun on 8 March—International Women's Day—than with an exhibition celebrating the contributions of women in the ITER Members to different fields of science and technology? Also on offer that day at ITER Headquarters was a lecture on the theme of climate and energy by Kirsty Gogan (Co-Founder and Executive Director of Energy for Humanity) and a roundtable discussion on networking and careers facilitated by the ITER Women's Network (some members pictured in "ITER yellow").
NGO Energy for Humanity at ITER
2019-03-08 - On International Women's Day, Kirsty Gogan of the NGO Energy for Humanity spoke at ITER about the need to promote all low-carbon energy technologies including nuclear to combat climate change. She said that "the contribution you will make with the fusion technology that you are developing here at ITER is almost unimaginably large." Gogan sees ITER's unique model of international cooperation as a way to address global challenges such as climate change.
Best way to follow construction? The webcam!
2019-02-26 - Thousands of people from all over the world are monitoring the progress of ITER construction via live stream camera.
ITER manga, chapter 2
2019-02-19 - The Japanese Domestic Agency QST has produced a second manga on the ITER Project, this time featuring a Japanese intern in the Communications Office who has some ideas about how to increase public awareness about fusion and ITER. You can download it in Japanese or English from this website at NEWS & MEDIA/Publications/Comics.
ITER's sixth group of Monaco Fellows
2019-02-15 - ITER's latest group of Monaco Fellows—Jae-Sun Park, Javier Artola, Joyeeta Sinha, Jonathan Coburn and Satoshi Togo (left to right)—have started two-year postdoctoral fellowships in science or engineering under the Monaco-ITER Partnership Arrangement.
A stand at AAAS
2019-02-15 - The annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Washington D.C. in February was the occasion to install ITER's walk-in cinema, premiering the latest footage from the construction site.
Filming on site
2019-01-14 - Dozens of international media teams film on site at ITER every year. This group has a slightly different project—preparing a human resources video in Russian to attract the best candidates to ITER positions.
The ITER band is back
2018-12-14 - Seen twice this month at Headquarters—the 11-piece ITER band, playing holiday favourites for the enjoyment of staff and visitors alike. Rumour has it that they will be making more regular appearances in the New Year. We hope so!
ITER @ COP24
2018-12-06 - The ITER Project has its hour at the 24th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland, as Gregory de Temmerman presents "ITER - The way to Clean and Safe Energy." You can watch the presentation, which took place in the participatory Action Hub space for climate change initiatives, on the UNFCCC website. (Click on Climate Action/Events/Action Hub/On-demand/Morning Session 6 December)
Celebrating a successful year
2018-12-03 - On 3 December, at the invitation of the ITER Director-General, over 1,100 ITER staff, contractors, partners, families and friends take time to reflect on all that was accomplished in 2018 and enjoy a short and pleasant hiatus. On stage at the Grand Théâtre de Provence in Aix-en-Provence, which had been privatized for the event, was the German shadow dance group Die Mobilés.
A Princess Royal with a passion for science
2018-11-21 - Accompanied by a large party of scientists, diplomats and high-level officials, Her Royal Highness Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand visits the ITER site in November. The same day, a Cooperation Agreement is signed between the ITER Organization and the Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology.
Twenty-third ITER Council
2018-11-15 - The ITER Director-General leads a site tour for delegates to the 23rd ITER Council in November. At least twice a year, ITER Council meetings reunite senior representatives from each ITER Member to review the overall direction of the project.
Ode to fusion
2018-11-09 - "Fusion powers stars in heaven—and we do it here on Earth," sang the Fusion Choir to the tune of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy." It was one of the last highlights of the FuseNet PhD event, which took place at ITER Headquarters from 7 to 9 November.
Site opens for 700 visitors
2018-10-20 - Seven hundred members of the public, students, staff and families attend the ITER Open Doors Day on 20 October. The highlight—as always—is gaining exceptional access to areas of the worksite that are usually cordoned off due to the pace of work on site and the density of contractors and equipment.
WiNning in the nuclear field
2018-10-17 - Members of the non-profit professional organization Women in Nuclear Global visit in October for a tour and the opportunity to meet with ITER scientists and engineers. The growing network boasts some 35,000 members in 109 countries.
Taking science local
2018-10-12 - At a local science fair in October, the younger crowd (all equipped with their ITER backpacks) is especially appreciative of ITER's virtual reality experience.
The world wants to know
2018-10-10 - A two-day media event held at Headquarters in early October results in reports on major outlets such as Sky News, Al Jazeera, AFP, the Indo Asian News Service, Chosun Biz, RAI News 24, and the Xinhua News Agency.
Talking about ITER communication
2018-10-08 - Articles, conferences, videos, visits? At ITER Headquarters once a year, communicators from all Domestic Agencies plus the ITER Organization meet to discuss how best to keep stakeholders and members of the public informed about ITER.
A new team of problem solvers on site
2018-10-04 - Since March, the HIT team (for Holistic Integration Team) has been working to prepare for assembly and installation activities in the Tokamak Complex by reviewing—by building and level—each area and checking for clashes between systems or other constructability issues. Participants have been chosen from the engineering and construction departments at ITER, the European Domestic Agency buildings team, contractors, suppliers, and the Domestic Agencies.
Shapers of European science
2018-10-01 - The autumn assembly of the EIROforum takes place at ITER early October. The forum reunites eight European intergovernmental research organizations (CERN and ESA among them) in support of European science and the fostering of innovation and technology transfer.
200 million years ago at ITER
2018-09-20 - Foreman Christopher Lebreton spotted one rock with a difference among the many excavated recently in underground gallery works—the circular imprint of a prehistoric ammonite. The limestone strata where the fossil was found can be dated back 120-200 million years.
ITER's portable cinema
2018-09-18 - The ITER Organization's new cinematic booth—featuring curved screens with ITER construction and manufacturing videos playing in repeat mode—is a hit in September at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference.
Large turnout for 8th ITER Games
2018-09-08 - Six hundred participants take part in the eighth edition of ITER Games on 8 September. Sporting events, prizes, lunch under the plane trees, and activities for children were the highlights of this all-day event for members of the ITER community and nearby residents.
US Secretary of Energy meets American staff
2018-07-11 - US staff members meet in July with Secretary of Energy Rick Perry and US Ambassador to France and Monaco Jamie McCourt. In addition to this brief exchange, the delegation sat down with management and took part in an extensive walking tour of the worksite.
Learning French while in France
2018-07-05 - As part of the Intercultural Program run by Agence Iter France, ITER staff members and their spouses have the opportunity to study the language of project host, France. Now ten years old, the program has been awarded the European Language Label for quality and innovation in teaching. In July, a ceremony is held at ITER Headquarters to recognize all certificate earners.
The precious liquid of life
2018-07-03 - One can see the village of St. Julien le Montagnier from ITER; it is only a few kilometres away. But, little was known at ITER about the villagers' ingenuity and creativity in dealing with the local water scarcity. Mayor Emmanuel Hugou (left) and ITER Director-General Bernard Bigot opened an exhibition detailing the history of the village's water management challenges and solutions. The exhibit was developed under the lead of Alain Amedeo (right), president of the Association of the Old Village of St. Julien le Montagnier.
Tackling the highest road in Europe
2018-06-23 - This June, ITER's cycling enthusiasts took on the highest paved road in France, the Cîme de la Bonette, which runs at 2,800 metres above sea level near Barcelonette in the Alpes-des-Haute-Provence department. The 33 riders managed an elevation difference of 1,700 metres on a distance of 33 kilometres. The return must have been fun ...
A new Council Chair
2018-06-21 - Arun Srivastava, from India (second from right), presides over his first Council as Chair on 20-21 June 2018 (IC-22). The Chairmanship of the Council rotates between the ITER Members. Looking back, it has been presided by: Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith, Europe (IC-1 to IC-5); Evgeny Velikhov, Russia (IC-6 to IC-9); Hideyuki Takatsu, Japan (IC-10 to IC-13); Robert Iotti, United States (IC-14 to IC-17); Won Namkung, Korea (IC-18 to IC-21).
Prehistoric animals come to life at ITER
2018-06-15 - In June, science journalist Pedro Lima introduces ITER staff to the prehistoric paintings of the Chauvet Cave in southern France as mammoths, wolly rhinoceroses, bears and horses drawn in astounding artistic perfection come to life on the screen. He draws parallels between the cave art and ITER—for him both represent the apex of human imagination, ingenuity and technology advancement at a given point in civilization.
ITER-related construction jobs advertised locally
2018-06-14 - More than 500 jobs were on offer on 14 June, as companies involved with ITER construction and assembly advertised for foremen, engineers, security specialists, welders, boilermakers, pipe-fitters, mechanics, shift supervisors, draftsmen and women, maintenance technicians and more.
Young engineers at work
2018-06-05 - They may seem like toys. But the robots created by the 600 middle and high school students competing in 64 teams were created to solve real problems: overcoming remote handling challenges resembling those at ITER. Already in its 7th year, the ITER Robots competition, organized by Agence Iter France and the ITER Organization, allows for a playful approach to teaching about the future of energy, creative engineering and teamwork. For the first time this year, the successful concept was introduced to primary schools in the region as ITER Robots Junior (photo).
A good day for photos
2018-05-26 - For the 700 visitors on ITER's 12th Open Doors Day in May 2018 the trip down into the Tokamak Pit was the absolute highlight. They also saw the new Visitors Centre and the first giant assembly tool in the Assembly Hall.
Seeing is believing
2018-05-26 - It took Gieljan de Vries just a regular microwave oven to create a plasma. De Vries, from the Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research (DIFFER), brought the Fusion Road Show to ITER's Open Doors Day to explain plasmas, magnetic confinement and fusion—a perfect crash course for visitors ahead of the ITER site tour.
Fusion pursuit (not so trivial)
2018-04-22 - A group of young fusion enthusiasts has managed to put the Sun in a box ... a game box that is. Their board game, modelled after Trivial Pursuit, asks questions on the ITER machine, plasma physics and more as a way to make learning about the project easy and entertaining. Calling themselves Young Generation Fusion, they use their game at trade fairs and conferences. Unfortunately, there are no copies for sale ...
ITER goes manga
2018-04-18 - In the first manga about the world's largest fusion project, art lover Taiyô Tenno meets scientist Soléane in the south of France and learns about fusion and ITER. The manga, titled "A small sun on Earth" and produced by the Japanese Domestic Agency, can be downloaded from the ITER website at NEWS & MEDIA/Publications/Comics.
Concrete insights
2018-04-03 - After an in-house lecture on nuclear buildings, ITER staff enjoyed some hands-on experience. Seismic pads, embedded plates, rebar segments and different kinds of concrete aggregates were available for close inspection.
Engineers of the future
2018-03-12 - Fifty students from the Politecnico di Milano University spend a day at ITER in March. All are studying for their Master's in nuclear engineering.
ITER airborne
2018-03-08 - On an 11-hour transatlantic flight between Frankfurt and Houston passengers were introduced to the ITER Project by Communications representative Sabina Griffith. ITER was one of several projects presented as part of a Lufthansa FlyingLab on digitalization and high technology.
All in a week's work, for an intern
2018-02-22 - Camylle Jordan only spent a week at ITER, but in that time she was able to test the proposed curriculum for the "junior" segment of the next ITER Robots competition and learn the basics of SolidWorks ®, a Computer Assisted Design tool. ITER Robots is an annual school contest in which students imagine, design and program small robots to perform ITER-like maintenance activities.
ITER in Texas
2018-02-16 - The 184th conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) took place in Austin, Texas, in mid-February and ITER was there. The virtual reality tour of project construction proved especially popular ...
New technology series
2018-02-06 - A new weekly lecture series is underway at ITER Headquarters, in which the ITER systems are presented in turn to an in-house audience of non-specialists. During a presentation on ITER vacuum and pumping systems a number of demonstrations were put on to show that technology can be both understandable and fun.
Getting to a meeting by Twizy ...
2018-02-06 - A new way to get around ITER: by Twizy! Four of these small electric cars produced by Renault have been made available to employees for travel between office buildings.
"Voice of America" and 10 other interviews
2017-12-06 - The very week the ITER Organization announces that it has completed 50 percent of the total work scope to First Plasma, Director-General Bernard Bigot was in Washington D.C. for a series of high-level meetings. He takes time out to answer media requests; here he is seen in the studios of "Voice of America."
European Domestic Agency celebrates 10 years
2017-11-30 - On 30 November, a celebration is held at the European Domestic Agency in Barcelona, Spain, to pay tribute to the work of staff, the collaboration of European companies and laboratories, and European stakeholders over the past 10 years in support of the ITER Project. The European Union (through Euratom) is responsible for 45.6 percent of the costs of ITER construction.
Our fifth group of Monaco Fellows
2017-11-28 - Through a partnership signed with the ITER Organization, the Principality of Monaco provides the funding for five Postdoctoral Fellowships every two years. A new campaign will be launched late 2017 for two-year positions starting in 2018 (applicants from the ITER Members or the Principality of Monaco only).
A cherry tree for the neutral beam test facility
2017-11-20 - To celebrate the completion of component deliveries from Japan to the ITER neutral beam test facility in Padua, Italy, a Japanese cherry is planted on the site of Consorzio RFX (host to the facility) in November.
End-of-term for Council Chair
2017-11-16 - In the margins of the November ITER Council meeting, Won Namkung is thanked for the leadership and dedication shown during his two-year term as Council Chair (term ending 31 December 2017).
A stand at the COP23
2017-11-06 - The ITER Organization is present at the 23rd United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP23, from 6 to 17 November 2017. The stand is situated in the Bonn Zone, where scientists, industry, and organizations present their initiatives for a cleaner, greener world.
Front-row experience
2017-10-21 - For the 11th edition of the ITER Open Doors Day, on 21 October, the ITER Organization and the European Domestic Agency teamed up to allow 750 members of the public experience ITER first hand. The highlight of the visit? Standing where the ITER machine will turn on in 2025 (picture).
Architect/Engineer ENGAGE wins prize
2017-10-19 - The ENGAGE consortium—selected in 2010 by the European Domestic Agency as Architect/Engineer for the elaboration and design of the ITER buildings—wins a prestigious French award for engineering. The "Grand Prix de l'Ingénierie/Prix Industrie & Conseil en Technologies" recognizes engineering projects that are remarkable in terms of scope, innovation and complexity.
ITER at 10
2017-10-16 - The ITER Organization was established ten years ago, on 24 October 2007. A week ahead of the official anniversary, part of the ITER staff, now numbering 800, gathered for a "family photo" on the edge of the construction site. Photo: ITER Organization/Gérard Lesenechal
A great way to start the day
2017-10-06 - Early October, Japanese staff and contractors treated their colleagues to a typical Japanese breakfast on the fifth floor of ITER Headquarters. Cultural breakfasts like this one are organized regularly through the intercultural program run for ITER by Agence Iter France.
Discovery days at ITER
2017-09-26 - During ITER's 2017 Media Days, journalists from China, Europe, Korea, North America and Russia had the opportunity to climb into—and photograph—the "pit" where the assembly of the ITER machine will kick off next year. After two days of site visits, interviews and lectures, the journalists had everything they needed to return home and tell the ITER story.
Shaping the future
2017-09-18 - At the first edition of the "me Convention" in Frankfurt, Germany, sponsors Mercedes-Benz and SXSW (South by Southwest) invite "pioneers, thought leaders, adventurers, artists and game changers" for a critical dialogue about the future. ITER's Gregory De Temmerman, physicist in the Divertor & Plasma-Wall Interaction Section, was there to present fusion and the ITER Project.
A day of friendly competition: ITER Games
2017-09-09 - Some 350 people take part in the seventh ITER Games on 9 September—a mix of "ITER people" and residents from local communities, teamed up with colleagues or with friends to compete in a number of friendly sporting events. Photo: Agence Iter France
Completing the circle: fusion and Sakhalin Island
2017-08-31 - In late August, Canadian film director and producer Mila Aung-Thwin (EyeSteelFilm) brings his documentary on fusion and ITER to Sakhalin Island, Russia—the very place where the idea of a device to produce energy through magnetic confinement fusion was invented in 1950 by soldier Oleg Aleksandrovitch Lavrentiev. "Let There Be Light, The Hundred Year Journey to Fusion Energy" has been touring film festivals since March.
An unexpected visitor
2017-08-01 - Early in August, the well-known actor, director and producer John Malkovich makes a stop at the ITER exhibition at the Kazakhstan World's Fair. The 110-square-metre exhibition has been a popular attraction within the French Pavilion since it opened on 10 June.
Schumann meets science
2017-07-17 - In the framework of a partnership this year between the ITER Organization and the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, the ITER community was treated on 17 July to a concert in the amphitheatre. On the program: short pieces by Schumann, Sibelius, and Purcell, sung by a bass-baritone (Evan Hugues) accompanied on the piano by Helio Vida. The Festival d'Aix is a world-renowned summer music festival devoted to lyric opera.
3-million-hour lunch
2017-06-29 - The VFR consortium (Vinci, Ferrovial, Razel Bec) held a barbeque for all employees on 29 June to celebrate three million hours worked in the framework of the TB03 contract. TB03, which includes the construction of the Tokamak Complex and eight other buildings, is about half way to completion.
EXPO 2017 opens in Astana
2017-06-10 - The 2017 World's Fair opens in Astana, Kazakhstan on 10 June. One of the highlights of the French Pavilion, the ITER stand receives its first ... amazed ... visitors.
Let there be light!
2017-05-23 - On 23 May, the Canadian documentary "Let there be light" is presented to ITER staff in the presence of film director and producer Mila Aung-Thwin (EyeSteelFilm). This 90-minute documentary about the quest for fusion energy has been competing at international film festivals since February.
Strong participation in the ITER Robots contest
2017-05-23 - Six hundred students from 27 schools participated in the sixth edition of ITER Robots in May. This contest, organized annually by Agence Iter France and the ITER Organization, tests students in engineering and robotics, but also in their knowledge of the ITER Project.
Open Doors Day, May 2017
2017-05-20 - Eight hundred visitors signed up for the latest ITER Open Doors Day, held on 20 May. Highlights this year included a visit to the European winding facility for poloidal field coils and another to the Tokamak Building worksite (pictured).
Astana here we come
2017-04-28 - On Saturday 10 June, the World's Fair will open for the first time in the central Asian Republic of Kazakhstan ... and ITER will be there. Work is underway now to build the 100-square-metre exhibit.
Ideas worth sharing
2017-04-27 - The day before the TEDxAix Conference, held on 28 April near ITER in Aix-en-Provence, France, a large group of participants and sponsors were received for a visit on site. Bringing people together people from multiple cultures and sectors to "rethink tomorrow," TEDxAix was broadcast live in the ITER amphitheatre.
Dream turning into reality
2017-04-05 - Former Council Chair Chris Llewellyn Smith stopped by ITER in early April and took a tour of the construction site. "I can say that today I saw the dream turning into reality!"
Visiting the worksite, before discussing business
2017-03-28 - Three busloads of participants visit the worksite before the start of the ITER Business Forum 2017, held off site in Avignon, France. For many, their companies or institutes are already contributing to the realization of ITER; others are interested in finding out more about opportunities.
Taking stock of progress on an Indian contribution
2017-03-10 - During a half-day visit to ITER, India's Ambassador to France and the Principality of Monaco, His Excellency Mohan Kumar (second from right), made sure to meet with the team in the Cryostat Workshop and take stock of assembly progress on the ITER cryostat, a major Indian contribution to the project.
Mission accomplished: 4 days, 40,000 Lego bricks, 1 Tokamak
2017-03-03 - Two students from Kyoto University (Konishi Laboratory, Institute of Advanced Energy) are successful in building a Lego model of the ITER Tokamak in the lobby of ITER Headquarters in March. Taishi Sugiyama and Kaishi Sakane did it with four days and 40,000 Lego bricks at their disposal, plus the encouragement of a steady stream of observers!
Kazakhstan expresses interest in collaboration
2017-02-21 - Representatives of Kazakhstan's nuclear institutions visit ITER in February 2017 and evoke the possibility of a legal cooperation framework that would enable the ITER Organization to access the KTM (Kazakhstan Material Testing) tokamak for the testing of plasma-facing materials.
Passionate about physics ... and ITER!
2017-01-26 - Finalists to France's annual Physics Olympics have the opportunity to visit ITER on 26 January. These high school students, representing some of the 25 teams selected at the level of regional competitions, will be presenting self-designed physics projects to a jury of scientists in Marseille.
Progress at the PRIMA neutral beam test facility
2017-01-19 - ITER's powerful neutral beam injection system will be tested in advance of operation at the PRIMA neutral beam test facility, in Padua, Italy. The buildings have been completed by host lab Consorzio RFX and component installation is progressing well. ITER's Gyung-Su Lee (far right), Deputy Director-General and Chief Operating Officer, visited in January.
Fun at Council
2016-11-16 - There is now a new way to follow ITER construction progress: an aerial tour that allows the viewer to fly over the site as well as enter specific buildings and zones under construction. The tool is accessible through the home page of the ITER website as well as through the view box pictured here (fitted with a smartphone) that was previewed at Council.
Members of Parliament (EU) visit
2016-10-24 - On 24 October, six Members of the Industry, Research and Energy Committee of the European Parliament spent the day at ITER, meeting the ITER Director-General, visiting the design offices and the construction site, and exchanging with staff and contractors from the European Domestic agency.
2016 Fusion Energy Conference
2016-10-20 - In October, ITER staff members attend the Fusion Energy Conference in Kyoto, Japan. This rendezvous for fusion researchers is organized every two years by the International Atomic Energy Agency to highlight worldwide advances in fusion theory, experimental results, technology, engineering, safety and socio-economics.
Women in Nuclear at ITER
2016-10-14 - Mid-October, ITER receives a delegation from the non-profit association Women in Nuclear (WIN) France, part of a vast global network that aims to promote nuclear science and engineering to women and young people. The group was hosted on a blustery day by Deputy Director-General Eisuke Tada (centre) and Françoise Flament, head of ITER's Procurement & Contracts Division and winner of the WIN France 2016 award (in green).
Autumn open doors
2016-10-08 - 600 people visit ITER on 8 October 2016 as part of Open Doors Day. Highlights this year include a stop inside the 60-metre-tall Assembly Hall where the first specialized tools will be installed next year.
Media Days at ITER
2016-10-07 - Annually, the ITER Organization invites journalists from the Members for a two-day media event. This year (6-7 October), one of the programmed activities is a visit to the CNIM manufacturing facility in Toulon, France (pictured), where 35 radial plates are being fabricated for Europe's toroidal field coils. Cameras are welcome.
School books from Japan
2016-09-30 - In September 2016, the Japanese Domestic Agency delivers a large number of books and teaching materials to the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur International School (the "ITER school"). This is the third book donation made by ITER Japan to the Japanese language section and its pupils since the school opened in 2007.
Fusion research activities have a new home in Japan
2016-09-23 - On 23 September, Johannes Schwemmer (left), head of the European Domestic Agency, and Yoshinori Kusama (centre), head of the Japanese Domestic Agency, sign amendments for four Procurement Arrangements. The signings are the first for the National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology (QST) in Japan which, in April 2016, took over the fusion research and development activities of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency.
The Prince's Fellowship
2016-09-21 - Four generations of Monaco Fellows gather for a group photo during the visit of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco on 21 September 2016. All started at ITER under a two-year fellowship financed by the Principality under the terms of a 2008 Partnership Arrangement. Four are current Monaco Fellows; the others were hired by the ITER Organization at the term of their fellowships.
A day of games
2016-09-10 - On Saturday 10 September, 450 people participate in the sixth edition of ITER Games, choosing between football, running, mountain biking, kayaking, tennis and an activity that is characteristic of the region--pétanque (a form of lawn bowling).
Computer donation from ITER
2016-07-04 - On Monday 4 July, ITER Director-General Bernard Bigot visited the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur International School to hand over 12 computers that were no longer needed, in hope that they would go to good use. It was a notable moment for the school, and Director Bernard Fronsacq thanked the ITER Organization for its generosity, saying that the computers would be used for exams, tests and other purposes. (Text provided by Elyse Onstott, ITER intern)
With an interest in nuclear energy and the project
2016-06-29 - 25 students and young professionals from the field of nuclear energy visit ITER on 29 June 2016. The visit, and meeting with the ITER Director-General, took place in the context of the Atoms for the Future event, organized annually in Paris by the French Nuclear Society Young Generation Network.
Making it to the top, for ITER
2016-06-25 - In June 2016 riders from the ITER cycling group, and friends, took to the French Alps. In their 57 km loop they made it to the top of the Alpe d'Huez, one of the most mythical climbs of the Tour de France with an average slope of 8.6%.
Former Director visits site
2016-06-24 - Director-General Emeritus Osama Motojima paid a visit to the ITER Organization in June 2016 and toured the worksite to see the status of construction. Mr Motojima was ITER Organization Director-General from July 2010 to February 2015.
Shipped from across the sea
2016-06-16 - In the margins of the Eighteenth ITER Council, a ceremony is held on site to mark the arrival of the first major in-kind component from China—a 300-tonne electrical transformer for the pulsed power electrical network. Two more are expected before the end of the year.
A special visit for 24 special students
2016-06-14 - Two weeks after their victory 2016 ITER Robots remote handling trials, 24 junior high students from a school in Salon de Provence (Collège Jean Bernard) were invited by the ITER Organization and Agence Iter France for a tailor-made visit to ITER, including a visit to the worksite and encounters with scientists, engineers and the ITER Director-General.
Fifth ITER Robots contest draws a crowd
2016-05-25 - On 25 May, the ITER Robots contest organized by Agence ITER France, in close collaboration with the ITER Organization, the French Aix-Marseille Academy, and the Magnetic Fusion Institute IRFM, attracts over 500 high school students (30 teams). As part of a for-credit school project, the teams design and program Lego robots to accomplish a number of ITER-like remote handling tasks.
Bikes at ITER
2016-04-07 - Just in time for spring, ITER has inaugurated a new bike path—the fastest, and healthiest, way to travel between office buildings. Leading the first group of bikers is Director-General Bernard Bigot.
Fusion Masters
2016-02-15 - Two graduate programs in fusion science were at ITER on 15 February. Seventy Masters students, their professors, and institute heads from the French Education for Plasma and Fusion Sciences federation and the European Erasmus Mundus Fusion-EP program gathered for the signing of a Partnership for education in plasma and fusion sciences—13 French universities and grandes écoles are now signatories. Learn more about the program on the FOR THE PUBLIC/Education section of the ITER web.
Marseille Winter School stops by
2016-01-28 - Over 100 graduate students and postdocs studying porous materials in nuclear engineering applications visit ITER on 28 January 2016 as part of a week-long Winter School organized by the Aix-Marseille University and the joint CNRS-MIT laboratory , with the support of the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI).
School receives gifts from China
2016-01-26 - In January, a delegation from China visits the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur International School, where ITER children are taught in French and in a second language (Chinese, English, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, or Spanish). The delegation visited classrooms and delivered a donation of books for the Chinese Section.
All-staff photo—first in four years
2016-01-21 - 642 staff are currently directly employed by the ITER Organization. On 21 January 2016 at least 500 of them turn out for a historic all-staff photo in the Cryostat Workshop on the occasion of the Director-General's New Year wishes. In the background, the first ITER machine components are stored.
First plasma at Wendelstein 7-X
2015-12-10 - ITER staff assembled in the amphitheatre on Thursday 10 December to watch a live stream of the successful first plasma of the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator in Germany. Wendelstein will be starting its experimental campaign in 2016 after nine years of construction and one year of integrated testing.
Provencal tradition, with a twist
2015-12-10 - Santons (from the Provençal "santoun," or "little saint") are hand-painted figurines that represent the Christmas nativity scene and various characters from Provençal village life such as the lavender seller, the mayor and the scissors grinder. ITER added a new figurine this year: the plasma physicist, complete with an ITER badge.
Climate conference in Paris: ITER was there!
2015-12-07 - The ITER Project was present at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change, the COP21, held in Paris in early December. In a pavilion dedicated to low-carbon solutions (The Galerie), ITER staff interacted with representatives of the energy sector, country delegations, journalists and bloggers.
ITER's #1 guide
2015-10-24 - ITER welcomes 800 people on Saturday 21 October for its seventh Open Doors Day event. Some of the guests are given a tour of the construction site by ITER's #1 guide: ITER Director-General Bernard Bigot.
Family time
2015-09-23 - Catch them young, as the saying goes. This little boy is clearly ready to walk in his Dad's footsteps... On Wednesday 23 September, ITER staff members had the opportunity to invite their families to the workplace for lunch and a tour of the offices. The sound of little feet in the corridors and high-pitched voices calling out their food orders in the canteen certainly altered the usual ambiance at ITER Headquarters for a few hours.
Success at the ITER Games, 2015 edition
2015-09-12 - Four hundred people take part in the 5th ITER Games, held in Vinon-sur-Verdon on 12 September 2015. By joining the running, kayaking, tennis, bubble foot or pétanque events—or just supporting the athletes—participants have the opportunity to interact with others working for the ITER project or living locally. Photo: AIF-AP
Steel structure of the Assembly Hall completed
2015-09-11 - The roof structure of the Assembly Hall (730 metric tons) is successfully lifted into place in a 14-hour operation on 10-11 September 2015. Next to come will be cladding activities and the installation of rails for the heavy-lift cranes.
80 superconductivity specialists on site
2015-09-11 - Eighty participants to the European Conference on Applied Superconductivity, EUCAS (Lyon, France) make the three-hour trip to the ITER site in September, visiting on the very day the Assembly Building roof is lifted into place. ITER's giant superconducting magnet systems (10,000 metric tons) make up fully one-third of the machine's weight.
Where there is a will, there is a way (up)!
2015-06-28 - The Tour de France will skip the Mont Ventoux in 2015, but the ITER cycling team took up the challenge at the end of June — for the third time. In the early morning hours they left Bédoin (275 m) at the base of the famous barren mountain. Upon their arrival at the top (1912 m), they proudly unrolled their banner: Angie Hunt, Frederic Escourbiac, Rene Raffray, Ingo Kuehn, Colin Smith, Louis Sexton, Sabina Griffith (support), Joo-Shik Bak, Hyun-Sik Chang and Ryan Hunt. Bravo!
From Switzerland, Italy and Spain
2015-05-30 - From as far away as Switzerland, Italy and Spain (and as near as the neighbouring villages), 800 visitors flocked to the ITER Open Doors Day on Saturday 30 May. Held twice a year, the public event is the occasion to visit the construction site, meet ITER specialists, and find answers to questions about one of the world's largest collaborative efforts in science.
Industrial rendez-vous
2015-05-21 - Representatives of 137 international companies attend the ITER Assembly and Installation Information Day on 21 May 2015. During the day-long program, the ITER Organization presents the planned work scope of the assembly and installation phase of ITER construction, as well as tender rules and regulations and specific work packages. ITER assembly kicks off in 2017.
Winning isn't everything
2015-05-20 - For the fourth consecutive year, Agence Iter France and ITER Organization hold the day-long ITER Robots competition, during which five junior high teams and five high school teams compete with their Lego robots in an ITER-like remote maintenance task. Only one team in each category can win, but all participants gain valuable experience in engineering concepts, robotics and team work.
60 journalists spend two days at ITER
2015-05-18 - Sixty members of the international press visit ITER in May 2015 for a two-day program of presentations, interviews and visits. One of the highlights is the worksite tour, with stops at the Tokamak Pit and the manufacturing facility for ITER's largest magnet coils.
The end of an era
2015-03-04 - On 4 March 2015, Osamu Motojima, ITER Director-General from 2010 to 2015, bids goodbye to staff and colleagues in the ITER amphitheatre. "I thank you for your huge contribution to the ITER Project, I celebrate the new Director-General Bernard Bigot, and I sincerely wish for the success of the ITER Project."
Vacuum lab opens at ITER
2015-01-23 - In January, a fully functional vacuum laboratory is inaugurated in the basement of ITER Headquarters. The room is equipped with component and material qualification equipment and can also be used to train employees in vacuum testing (specifically leak testing).
Give blood ... give life
2014-12-11 - The first ITER blood donation campaign takes place on 11 December 2014 at Headquarters. The successful initiative will be renewed approximately every six months.
'Tis the season
2014-12-03 - The mayor of Saint Paul-lez-Durance—the southern French town (pop. 800) that hosts the ITER Project—delivers his annual holiday gift to the ITER Organization on 3 December 2014. Roger Pizot, pictured here with ITER Director-General Osamu Motojima (left), is a frequent visitor to the ITER site.
Second major public event of 2014
2014-10-04 - Curiosity about ITER is growing. To satisfy the public's increasing demand for information about the project the ITER Organization now organizes two Open Doors Day events during the year, hosted by ITER staff members volunteering as guides. On Saturday 4 October, rotating buses brought some 1,300 people to the platform for a glimpse of Tokamak foundations.
Edition #4 - ITER Games
2014-09-13 - The ITER Games return for edition #4 on Saturday 13 September. Employees and contractors from the ITER Organization, Agency ITER France and the European Domestic Agency (F4E) join residents from the nearby villages for a day of friendly competition in football, tennis, pétanque, cross-country and kayak (pictured: some of the runners). Photo: AIF - AP
A large delegation of engineers visits ITER
2014-09-05 - Sixty-five members of the Ingenieurs and Scientifiques de France (IESF)/British Section visit ITER on 5 September 2014. A day-long program of presentations on the nuclear safety aspects of the project, fusion technology, the engineering challenges of building ITER and the deuterium-tritium fuel cycle concluded with a tour of the construction site. ¶IESF is an association dating back to 1848; the British Section was founded in 1919 by members of the British Army returning from the war. The IESF embraces a broad spectrum of engineering and scientific organizations throughout France and elsewhere in Europe.
ITER opens its doors to the public in May
2014-05-17 - For the fourth annual ITER Open Doors Day, a total of 1,200 local visitors are bussed onto the ITER construction site for a close-up view of work in progress. Close to the Tokamak Complex Seismic Pit, building specialists are on hand to explain the technique behind supporting nearly 400,000 tonnes of building, equipment and machinery on 493 seismic pads made of elastomer and stainless steel.
Learning about ITER
2014-05-12 - During a two-day press trip organized at ITER Headquarters in early May 2014, a group of 40 international journalists gets an in-depth introduction to ITER. As part of the program, the journalists visit the construction site, the Tore Supra tokamak (pictured) at the neighbouring CEA research centre, and a European manufacturing facility located near Toulon France (CNIM) where series fabrication has started for the toroidal field radial plates.
And the strongest robot is ...
2014-05-06 - The third edition of the ITER Robot contest is held on 6 May 2014 at the Lycée des Iscles in Manosque. After nine months spent imagining, designing and programming their Lego robots to complete a series of ITER-like robotics tasks, ten teams—five from junior high school and five from high school—had the opportunity to put them to the test in front of a jury made up of professionals. The initiative is organized annually by Agence Iter France and the Remote Handling Section of the ITER Organization.
Song and games at Korea Day
2014-03-21 - Friday 21 March was Korea Day. The ITER community was treated to Korean culinary specialities, traditional song, and the opportunity to try out the games tuho, yutnori or jegichagi. Regular Member day events are the opportunity to celebrate the diversity of ITER cultures.
Fire Drill!
2014-03-11 - ITER staff and contractors return to their offices after an early morning fire drill on 11 March. For this regular safety exercise, only a few minutes are necessary to empty the building.
Lunch with Mom or Dad
2014-02-26 - "It's good!" "It's like the Club Med!" Wednesday 26 February was Family Lunch Day at the ITER cafeteria and by all accounts the selection and quality of the food at the ITER Organization was a step above that which can be found at school cafeterias ... As part of a new initiative, ITER staff can now register (by small groups) to invite their spouses and children to Headquarters for a tour around and lunch. The next Family Lunch Day will take place in approximately four weeks.
Questions and answers at the all-staff meeting
2014-02-18 - In the days following every high-level governance meeting, ITER management convenes staff to the auditorium to present the outcome. On Tuesday 18 February 2014, an all-staff meeting takes place to discuss the result of the extraordinary session of the ITER Council held on 13 February.
Heralding the approach of winter holidays
2013-12-13 - For Christmas Lunch, on Friday 13 December, the ITER band takes to the cafeteria to share holiday favourites and communicative good cheer. See you again in the New Year!
Thanksgiving at ITER
2013-11-22 - Friday 22 November 2013 was US Member Day. As part of the celebration the ITER canteen served a traditional Thanksgiving meal—complete with turkey and gravy, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie.
Staff recognized for improvement contributions
2013-10-07 - A program launched at the ITER Organization in 2012 encourages staff members to seek efficiencies by simplifying procedures and practices in their everyday work. On 7 October 2013, the Improve (IT)² program celebrated a first round of good tips and advice, recognizing nine staff members who had made important improvement contributions.
Third ITER Games
2013-09-07 - The third edition of the ITER Games takes place on Saturday 7 September 2013 in Vinon-sur-Verdon. Participants from local sporting clubs, the ITER Organization and contractors competed in football, tennis, table tennis, pétanque, running, and white-water rafting.
Cafeteria is occupied, lunch outside!
2013-09-06 - On 6 September 2013, the ministerial-level Council meeting fully occupies all of the available space in the new Headquarters building—Council Room, lobby and cafeteria. ITER staff and contractors are invited to a buffet lunch outdoors.
ITER Member Day: Russian dancing and celebration
2013-07-19 - On 19 July 2013, ITER celebrates Russia, with live entertainment, a special canteen menu, and general good cheer.
ITER band plays for the summer solstice
2013-06-21 - Ten members of the ITER band liven things up at lunch on the longest day of the year—also celebrated across France and Europe as the Fête de la Musique.
A traditional Indian blessing for the Cryostat Workshop
2013-06-06 - During a groundbreaking ceremony held on 6 June for the Cryostat Workshop, coconuts were symbolically broken—and their meat shared among the guests—before a large excavator symbolically scratched the earth.
Open Doors 2013
2013-06-01 - For two hours at the beginning of ITER's Open Doors Day on 1 June 2013 the tours were reserved for staff and families. Guests were invited this year to stop at the Visitors' Centre overlooking the platform and to visit the Poloidal Field Coils Winding Facility.
ITER Robots, second year
2013-05-16 - Twelve schools participate in the second edition of the ITER Robot contest held on 16 May at the Lycée des Iscles in Manosque. Five junior high and seven high school teams passed an initial selection process to enter their Lego robots, programmed to complete a series of ITER-like robotics tasks, in the contest. The initiative is organized annually by Agence Iter France and the Remote Handling Section of the ITER Organization.
International school celebrates Europe
2013-05-13 - The colours of Europe are raised on Monday, 13 May at the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur in Manosque to celebrate the political construction of the European Union. The international school (50% ITER children, instruction in 10 languages) welcomes a pan-European and international student body—27 nationalities are represented.
Music and song for Japan Day
2013-03-04 - For Japan Day, held on 4 March 2013, the ITER band learns a new repertoire. Nearly 900 people turn out for this celebration of Japanese culture and cuisine.
Second Unique ITER Team week concludes successfully
2013-02-22 - Seventy-five meetings and countless open and candid discussions and exchanges ... the second Unique ITER Team week brought the heads of the seven ITER Domestic Agencies on site for five days, creating the conditions for effective decision-making with ITER Organization management.
All-staff meeting
2013-02-20 - An all-staff meeting was convened by the ITER Director-General on 20 February to inform staff about the creation of a new organizational unit to focus on the construction schedule. The Directorate for Project Control & Assembly will be formed from two Divisions that were formerly part of Central Integration & Engineering.
New in-house conference series
2013-01-29 - On 29 January 2013, the ITER Organization launches a new, bi-monthly conference series targeted to technical and scientific staff. The series aims to offer high-quality, highly technical lectures related to ITER science and engineering and to "intensify the Organization's academic atmosphere."
Attending the inauguration
2013-01-17 - On Inauguration Day (17 January 2013), ITER staff watch a live transmission of the unveiling ceremonies from the amphitheatre, before 200 invited guests and 50 journalists join them to listen to the speeches of Commissioner Oettinger (English) and French Minister Fioraso (English and French). A sandwich lunch for 600 was served to staff in the lobby following the event.
New ITER model
2013-01-14 - A 1:50-scale model of the ITER Tokamak, complete with lights indicating the major sub-systems, takes its place outside of the Council Chamber in January 2013, instantly becoming a point of interest for all visitors to ITER Headquarters.
ITER library opens
2013-01-11 - The 200-square-metre ITER library opens in January 2013. Scaled to meet the project's needs over the 20-year exploitation of the ITER device, the ITER library has space for 10,000 volumes and vast archival storage facilities.
Tree lighting 2012
2012-12-07 - The ITER Organization receives a Christmas tree from the municipality of Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, which hosts the ITER installation. Roger Pizot, the mayor of Saint-Paul, joins the ITER Director-General for a tree lighting ceremony on 7 December 2012.
Travelling Fusion Expo comes to Aix-en-Provence
2012-11-27 - During the three-week stay of the Fusion Expo in Aix-en-Provence, France, hundreds of visitors are given the opportunity to discover fusion and ITER, and ask their questions about the international scientific experiment that is under construction just 40 kilometres away ...
The importance of the decree
2012-11-23 - During the buffet lunch served for ITER Member Day festivities on 23 November 2012, Deputy Director-General for Safety, Quality & Security Carlos Alejaldre spoke to staff about the significance of the official decree signed on 10 November authorizing the ITER Organization to create the Installation nucléaire de base (INB) ITER. "This decree is a binding contract between the French state and the ITER Organization as nuclear operator. It is a contract that we cannot break."
ITER celebrates Europe
2012-11-23 - On 23 November 2012 the ITER community gathers for the third Member Day of the year, celebrating the culture and traditions of Europe, in the airy setting of ITER's brand-new cafeteria with a capacity for 1,000.
Last passage through CEA-ITER rotogate
2012-11-16 - The rotogate between the ITER and CEA sites rotated for the last time on Friday 16 November 2012. For nearly four years, this passageway allowed ITER staff to circulate between offices on both sides of the fence. But with the completion of the permanent ITER Headquarters all ITER staff and contractors have offices on the ITER site, and the rotogate is closed.
ITER cafeteria opens
2012-11-07 - One of the perks of the new Headquarters building is the cafeteria, where Asian, vegetarian, Western, pizza, salad and grill counters please the taste buds of staff from each ITER Member state.
The beginning of a new era
2012-10-11 - ITER staff take possession of their new Headquarters building in October 2012. In a small ceremony, Director-General Osamu Motojima and his wife are greeted at the building's entrance on 11 October.
1,300 flock to ITER on Open Doors Day
2012-10-06 - For its second annual Open Doors Day on 6 October 2012, the ITER Organization invited 1,300 people into the Tokamak Pit—a unique occasion before the next-level basemat hides the seismic bearings from view.
ITER Games—reloaded
2012-09-15 - The second edition of the ITER Games takes place on Saturday 15 September in Vinon-sur-Verdon. Participants from local sporting clubs, the ITER Organization and contractors competed in football, tennis, pétanque, running, and white-water rafting before enjoying a buffet lunch.
Namaste India Day
2012-07-25 - On 25 July the entire ITER Organization celebrates "Namaste India Day!" the second ITER Member Day featuring Indian culture, music and traditional food.
First ITER Robot contest!
2012-06-19 - Agence Iter France and the ITER Organization jointly organize the First Student Robot Contest on 19 June 2012. Two local junior high schools participated: the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur International School in Manosque and the Collège Pierre-Gardot in Sainte-Tulle. The 13-14 year olds were given a difficult task: assemble and program their Lego robots to perform an ITER-like remote handling mission. The little machines needed to remove selected blanket modules from the inner wall of the mockup vacuum vessel, and transport them to the nearby Hot Cell Facility.
ITER celebrates China
2012-05-25 - On 25 May 2012, close to 500 ITER employees gather for China Day—the first of a series of ITER Member Days that celebrate the unique, multicultural work environment of ITER and offer ITER employees the occasion to discover each other's cultures and traditional foods.¶
All-staff meeting
2012-01-23 - ITER management assembles over 400 employees and contractors in January 2012 for an all-staff meeting to begin the year. "In 2012 our overarching aim will be to improve the project's performance and efficiency," says Deputy Director-General Rich Hawryluk. "ITER has grown up from the ground and now the organization and infrastructure to deliver the construction project is established. The organizational future lies in completing the construction of ITER in a manner that is safe, and which offers best value for money by incorporating measures and processes for operational excellence."
First Open Doors Day at ITER
2011-10-15 - On Saturday 15 October 2011, ITER holds its first Open Doors event for the local public. During the course of the day, close to 800 people are given a free one-hour, guided tour the ITER site. This event will be renewed for the local community in 2012. In all, nearly 13,000 people visited the ITER site in 2011.
First ITER Games held in neighbouring St-Paul-lez-Durance
2011-09-17 - Close to 250 persons, a mix of people working on the ITER project and residents of Saint-Paul-lez-Durance or Vinon-sur-Verdon, participate in the first edition of the ITER Games, organized by the ITER Organization, the Vinon Durance Sports Club, and Agence Iter France.
ITER community celebrates ITER Day
2011-09-02 - A commemoration of the decision that brought the ITER project to Cadarache, ITER Day is celebrated on 2 September 2011 by staff and contractors alike on the site of the first platform building: the Poloidal Field Coils Winding Facility.
Solidarity for Japan
2011-03-14 - At 14:46 p.m. on 14 March 2011, three days after the Great East Japan Earthquake, ITER employees observe a minute of silence in honour of the victims of the tragedy and as a sign of solidarity for Japanese colleagues.
International school inauguration
2011-01-24 - The International School of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA), attended by "ITER children" and also local children attracted by the international curriculum, is inaugurated on 24 January 2011 in the presence of Michel Vauzelle, president of the PACA Region.
The ITER flags are raised
2010-10-01 - On 1 October 2010, the youngest employees from each of the seven ITER Members hoist their respective flags in front of the temporary ITER Headquarters building. ITER Director-General Osamu Motojima raises the ITER flag: symbol of a group of nations working together today to make fusion an option for tomorrow's energy needs.
New Director-General addresses staff
2010-07-29 - One day after his nomination the second Director-General of the ITER Organization, Prof. Osamu Motojima from Japan, addresses ITER staff and contractors.
Happy Friday
2010-01-29 - The ITER band is on hand to provide the ambiance for the first Happy Friday celebration of the year, where light lunch fare is offered to everyone working for the Project.
Prince Albert II of Monaco visits ITER
2010-01-12 - On 12 January 2010—two years after the ITER Organization and the Principality of Monaco sign a Partnership Arrangement establishing five Postdoctoral Fellowships and a biennial international conference on ITER-related research—His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco visits ITER.
Site preperatory works completed
2009-06-26 - The ITER flag is raised on 26 June 2009 to celebrate the end of two years of site preparatory works. The 42-hectare ITER platform is now ready to receive the project infrastructure and facilities.
Staff numbers rise in 2009
2009-06-26 - ITER staff and contractors gather on the completed ITER platform in 26 June 2009. Close to 400 people work as staff for the ITER Organization.
Staff Committee formed
2009-01-23 - Sign of a maturing organization,the first ITER Staff Committee is elected in January 2009 .
Heaviest snow in 20 years
2009-01-09 - Works stops and the offices empty out in January 2009 during an exceptionally heavy snowstorm in Provence.
ITER staff photo November 2008
2008-11-27 - ITER staff gathers in front of temporary accomodations on the CEA site for a group photo in 2008.
Temporary Headquarters inaugurated
2008-11-20 - The ITER Organization celebrates the inauguration of its new Headquarters: a temporary structure on the ITER site that will be "home" to 300 ITER employees.
Staff visits worksite
2008-09-25 - Working at ITER doesn't necessarily mean having a front-row seat for construction. In September 2008, buses are organized to shuttle staff from the ITER Organization and the neighbouring Tore Supra Tokamak facility onto the worksite. For many, it was a first close-up view.
Black Wednesday
2008-09-06 - No email. No internet. No website. No access to documents stored on the server. On 3 September 2008 the ITER server crashes leaving the Organization homebase in Saint-Paul-lez-Durance disconnected from the outside world—for 24 long hours. A power cut on the CEA Cadarache site due to lightening was the cause of the blackout.
Premiere of the ITER band
2008-06-22 - The 2008 ITER summer party is held in the woods of CEA Cadarache, complete with the ITER band, performing for the first time.
Solidarity after Chinese earthquake
2008-05-12 - The earthquake that occurs in China's Sichuan Province at 0628 GMT on Monday 12 May 2008 measures 7.8 on the Richter scale. Chinese staff from ITER together with colleagues from Japan and Korea collect money for the earthquake victimes, which they hand over to the Chinese Consulate-General in Marseille.
ITER staff photo February 2008
2008-02-08 - In February 2008, the ITER team is 219 people strong, representing 22 nations (up from seven people in February 2006).
Getting to know one another
2007-09-14 - The ITER summer party takes place on 15 September 2007. During an on-site tour, ITER staff and their families have a chance to see the extent of clearing works, underway since January 2007.
The Tour de France!
2007-07-17 - In July 2007, staff get to an opportunity to see the famed Tour de France up close, as the lead bikers pass along the departmental road that runs adjacent to the ITER site.
Celebrating the "Galette des Rois"
2007-01-24 - In January 2007, ITER Director-General Nominee Kaname Ikeda and Director of Agence Iter France François Gauché invite staff and families for the traditional New Year's wishes and King's cake.
The ITER team in December 2006
2006-12-01 - Not too many chairs are needed yet ... the ITER team at the end of 2006 numbers approximately 100 people.
First visitors to the ITER site
2006-10-16 - At the ITER stand, placed on the exact spot of the future Tokamak, 350 guests from CEA Cadarache learn more about the ITER Project. The visit was planned in the scope of CEA Cadarache's Open Doors Day.