The President of Catalonia visits F4E

The President of Catalonia, José Montilla, made an official visit to the premises of F4E. The visit, which lasted two hours, saw the presence of 25 press, radio and TV journalists as well as VIPs from Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), the European Commission’s Representation in Barcelona and the Catalan Institute for Energy Research (IREC).

The official visit started with a private meeting between the President and the Director of F4E. The President was also introduced to members of staff from different nationalities and professional backgrounds and learnt about their work and first impressions of life in Barcelona.

In his opening remarks, Didier Gambier explained the importance of the ITER project and highlighted the impact that research and technology have in the local economy. A presentation about fusion energy and F4E followed in Catalan by F4E staff Esther Barbero Soto and Ferran Albajar. The two speakers presented in a dynamic manner what is fusion, its merits and its spin-off technologies.

The event concluded with President José Montilla’s speech where he likened F4E to a centre of excellence which attracts European talent. The fact that Barcelona is hosting one of the most important science projects in the world offers a great opportunity to Catalonia to become a leader in cutting edge technologies.

President Montilla meets F4E staff

From left to right: President Montilla, Didier Gambier, Esther Barbero Soto and Ferran Albajar after the presentation about fusion energy