ITER and industry push robotics into new territory

The annual Fusion Power Associates (FPA) award campaign seeks to celebrate excellence across the fusion landscape and contribute to building momentum towards the achievement of practical fusion energy at scale. Fusion Power Associates is now accepting nominations for the 2026 campaign in the following categories:

*FPA Distinguished Career Award - awarded to individuals who have made distinguished, lifelong, career contributions to fusion development.

*FPA Leadership Award - awarded to individuals who have shown outstanding leadership qualities in accelerating the development of fusion.

*FPA Nuno Loureiro Early Career Fusion Award – a new award honouring the memory and contributions of MIT Professor Nuno Loureiro, attributed to a young scientist or engineer who has made significant contributions to fusion research with a focus in the areas of plasma science, theory and computation. 

*FPA David J. Rose Excellence in Fusion Engineering Science Award – an award in memory of MIT Professor David J. Rose, attributed to individuals in the early part of their careers (maximum age 42) who have shown both technical accomplishments and potential for becoming an exceptionally influential leader in the fusion field. 

Winners of the FPA 2026 Awards will be honoured at the FPA annual meeting (2-3 December 2026) in Washington, DC. Information on each of the awards and links to the nomination forms can be found on the FPA Awards landing page. Nominations close on 15 September 2026.

As ITER is actively installing the first wave-producing gyrotrons of its electron cyclotron heating system, the European Domestic Agency Fusion for Energy was featuring ITER technologies like launchers, gyrotrons and diagnostics in Barcelona at the 23rd Joint Workshop on Electron Cyclotron Emission and Resonance Heating (EC-23) from 18 to 22 May.

Electron cyclotron (EC) waves will play a pivotal role in ITER, and in future fusion reactors more broadly, by providing reliable and efficient heating of the burning plasma. Achieving ITER's scientific objectives requires substantial electron cyclotron resonance heating power, making the development of high-power gyrotrons and robust wave transmission and injection systems a critical area of research and engineering.

The workshop attracted 150 international experts, the highest turnout ever for this biennial scientific event created in 1979. A strong showing from early-career professionals was also a highlight.

Since 2024, under the ITER Private Sector Fusion Engagement (PSFE) Project, private sector fusion startups from ITER Members can directly engage with the ITER Organization and access dedicated support on knowledge-sharing mechanisms through the PSFE Help Desk.

A new page on the ITER website now centralizes all available knowledge-sharing mechanisms in one place—offering clear guidance, key resources, and direct pathways to information for private sector initiatives in the ITER Members.

Explore the Private Sector Fusion Engagement Project resource page to discover current opportunities. The page will be regularly updated as new initiatives and engagement possibilities emerge.

The 15th ITER International School will be held in Chengdu, China, from 20–24 July 2026.

The deadline for pre-registration is 6 May 2026. Selected students will be informed on 11 May so that they can complete the registration process. 

This year's ITER International School will explore the physics and engineering of heating and current drive systems for magnetic fusion plasmas. The organizers of the event—the Engineering & Technical College of Chengdu University of Technology and the Southwestern Institute of Physics (SWIP)—are accepting pre-registration now on the event website. The detailed program is also available. 

Visit the 15th ITER International School website for all information or to pre-register by 6 May.

Download the 2026 International School poster here.