F4E representatives had the chance to meet Danish robotics companies at a highly-specialised workshop organised by Big Science Secretariat-Denmark (BSS) at the beginning of this year. While explaining the technical aspects of what is needed in ITER’s remote handling work packages and providing an introduction into how the F4E’s procurement process works, the workshop also gave the opportunity for the F4E representatives to get to know the Danish companies and to get an overview of where the core competencies lie in the different businesses. For the Danish companies, this was the occasion to form partnerships and show their interest in participating in a competence group on remote handling which aims to exchange experience and building know-how in ITER. Indeed, this sharing aspect is important as companies are often stronger in the bidding round when they pool their expertise with others and then have a larger ballast to draw on.
Remote handling in the ITER machine will be necessary as service and maintenance in the machine cannot be carried out by humans after the machine has been used to heat the plasma to the high temperatures necessary to achieve fusion. Specialists in remote handling therefore have a unique opportunity to contribute with their expertise when the first tasks within this field are opened for tenders by this summer.
F4E plans to host an information day in Barcelona for European industries during this spring in order to present the procurement strategy for the awarding of the four Remote Handling packages which fall under its responsibility.
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