Meeting the media

Fusion for Energy celebrated its first anniversary by inviting representatives of the Catalan media to a work cocktail. It was an occasion to offer an account vis a vis the activities undertaken by the organisation over the last year, discuss the progress of the ITER project and explore ways of tighter collaboration with the local media in order to communicate better fusion, the energy crisis and climate change.

The wave of strikes across Europe regarding the cost of fuels and the rising public demand for EU leaders to tackle this issue offered an ideal background for the exchange of opinions between Fusion for Energy members of staff and journalists. Have we found the way to fusion energy?

Could it be part of the solution?

How long would it take?

Energy and environment have been earmarked as key priorities for France, which holds the EU Presidency over the next 6 months, and will have to steer the process across the EU-27 in order to suggest a set of actions to reconcile industry, business and consumers interests.

Didier Gambier, Director of Fusion for Energy, explained that ‘this organisation represents Europe’s scientific excellence and long lasting commitment to deliver ITER’. He expressed his support to work side by side with the media and explained that they also have a role to play in raising awareness, informing and fostering public debate about the choices we will have to make in energy politics.

Stavros Chatzipanagiotou, Head of Resources and Communication Department, explained that his services would be responsive and proactive to the needs of the media by granting them interviews, access to data and offering them the opportunity for round table discussions.

Maurizio Gasparotto, Chief Engineer at the ITER Department, offered a detailed insight on the progress of the ITER project, the complexities of plasma and the challenges of magnetic confinement.