2013 ITER Business Forum: industry and SMEs roll up their sleeves to deliver ITER

750 participants from at least 350 companies based in 26 countries. 48 hours filled with thematic sessions, discussions, networking events and one to one business meetings. The participants may come from different continents, they may share different business cultures but the one thing that unites them is the fact that they see a clear opportunity for collaboration, growth and advancement of know-how associated with the ITER project.

The third ITER Business Forum (IBF) was by all means the biggest and most diverse in terms of participation. The tireless efforts of France’s Industrial Liaison Officer (ILO), Ms Sabine Portier, in collaboration with all ILOs and Agence ITER France, hosting the event, have paid off and impressed all participants. The event has become the meeting point for those who mean business when they think of ITER and fusion technology. The response from industry, SMEs and fusion associations has grown for two main reasons: first, there has been real progress in the areas of construction and manufacturing and companies start seeing the different pieces of the puzzle a bit more clearly; second, contracts have been signed and companies have moved from the learning curve to the phase of delivery. Six of the ITER Domestic Agencies (DAs) were represented and companies from inside and outside Europe made the effort to travel to Toulon in order to receive the latest information regarding the progress of the ITER project and meet with other potential interested parties to foster collaborations. Some of those informal first meetings will turn into formal partnerships, they will become consortia and apply to the Calls for tender launched by the different DAs. Some others will choose to become subcontractors and offer their expertise to bigger companies that will require their skills. One thing is certain: ITER offers a mix of opportunities for large and small economic operators around the world.

The opening session brought together the IBF hosts, local policy makers, the Director General of ITER IO and the Director of Fusion for Energy, Professor Henrik Bindslev who took the opportunity to express the following thoughts: “The market for sustainable energy is very large and growing. Fusion will take a large share of this market when the cost of electricity from fusion is competitive. That is why we want to build a fusion industry which is competent and capable, and can deliver a competitive price of electricity from fusion. To drive the development of fusion and build the fusion industry, continued public investments are foreseen. In addition to ITER, we will construct IFMIF, DEMO and other large high-tech facilities. We want you to be the fusion industry of the future and to prosper in doing so. We want you to increase your competences and capacities and be able to exploit them. We want you to find opportunities in fusion and ITER. That is what this forum is about”. The participants of the plenary session took part at a press conference, during which they commented on the progress of the works, budget and the benefits for industry and SMEs. 

F4E’s Head of ITER Department, Jean-Marc Filhol, was also among the key note speakers offering a detailed presentation on the different packages that Europe is responsible for and explained that 185 contracts have already been signed amounting to 1,8 billion EUR. A roadmap of the tenders to come was presented per area such as buildings, magnets, in-vessel components, remote handling, diagnostics and cryoplant to name few. More details on these systems were disclosed by the different F4E technical officers during the parallel thematic sessions.

An IBF exhibition was also organised to help Industrial Liaison Officers (ILOs) and Fusion Associations to present their involvement in ITER and showcase national success stories. F4E participated in the exhibition and took the opportunity to present a series of short films from the progress of the Toroidal Field coils and remote handling system. In parallel, its members of staff offered short trainings on how to use Industry and Associations portal. Last but not least, F4E set up a small studio to film the impressions of ILOs and the expectations of different companies vis `a vis the ITER project. When ready, the short clips will be uploaded on the F4E YouTube channel and will be distributed to all interviewees. 

To see the F4E IBF 2013 presentations click here.