New fusion opportunities and partnerships at the ITER Business Forum

ITER, the flagship international fusion experiment, is a vast technology puzzle. To put it together, Europe and the other ITER parties rely on highly skilled supply chains. From large companies to SMEs or research institutes, the partners involved in ITER seize unique opportunities to grow their business and innovate.

In this spirit, the ITER Business Forum brought together 1200 delegates from across the world in Marseille for three days. The last time this business rendezvous, hosted by ITER Organisation and Agence ITER France, took place was in 2019.

The programme featured discussions on strategic topics such as the ITER research plan or public private partnerships, as well as thematic workshops in different areas. Fusion for Energy (F4E) took the stage in many of the sessions, presenting Europe’s progress in ITER or initiatives like the Technology Transfer Programme.

In parallel, F4E colleagues discussed business opportunities in bilateral meetings with company delegates. At the exhibition area, filled with more than 90 stands, visitors stopped by F4E’s booth for a first-hand glance at our latest achievements and to learn more about F4E’s upcoming calls.

The sessions began with an address by Pietro Barabaschi, Director General of the ITER Organization. He underscored the economic impact of ITER’s contracts, with a cumulative value of 15 billion EUR. His intervention was followed by the managers of the seven Domestic Agencies, who showcased the business opportunities and progress of their respective components.

The F4E Director, Marc Lachaise, presented the efforts to strengthen the European fusion supply chain, which today counts more than 2350 companies in 23 countries. Many of them were in fact present at the event: “The ITER Business Forum is a fantastic opportunity to connect with the fusion ecosystem in Europe and beyond. We witness the commitment of a community that works to make ITER a success,” said Lachaise.

Some of the expert discussions in IBF also focused on the future of fusion technologies and engineering. F4E colleagues presented the Technology Development Programme, a scheme to support innovation in critical areas for future fusion power plants. In addition, at a session dedicated to Artificial Intelligence, F4E showcased how machine learning helped manufacture the ITER Vacuum Vessel. F4E will continue exploring this topic in the AI technology mapping workshop, to be held in Barcelona on 26-27 May.