
"ITER is exciting, important, and well worth the investment": Ray Fonck, US Department of Energy.
When considering how the ITER effort will evolve, Fonck said it is important to define the current state of fusion research. Because it can be difficult to understand the importance of a task whose goal is far in the future, he suggests better communication about intermediate goals with the fusion community, helping to create more cohesion. "I think what brought me here was the hope that I can help better define what we are doing in the mid-term and long-term," he said. "I also hope to help the community develop a new strategic plan that's relevant to the time and era of ITER.