ITER NEWSLINE
64
Best wishes for 2009
Kaname Ikeda, ITER Director-General
Dear Colleagues,
Welcome back and Happy New Year; I trust you all had a restful and enjoyable holiday.
We embark on this New Year with great expectations and resolve knowing that 2009 will be a decisive year for ITER. Defining the roles and responsibilities of the Domestic Agencies and the ITER Organization as we move forward towards the industrialization of the project will be crucially important. The resource estimate will be completed and presented to the ITER Council in 2009. The levelling of the ITER platform is already nearly finished and we can expect the excavations for the Tokamak facility to begin in the summer. The daily life of the ITER Organization will also change as staff numbers increase to 500 by the end of the year. There is much to do.
I would like to remind you of the importance of ITER's mission. The world is looking to us to demonstrate the feasibility of fusion as a source of long-term, high-volume energy and you do not need me to explain how important such an energy source could be for humanity's continued prosperity. It is a tremendous challenge and we must deliver on the great investments that have been made by our Member Parties. To accomplish this, every one of you plays an essential role. I look forward to the coming year with confidence as I know that one of ITER's greatest assets is its highly qualified and motivated personnel comprising a unique international workforce, with each individual highly skilled in his or her respective field.
Please join me in confronting the challenges of 2009 with energy and optimism.
With my best wishes.
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