Start of a unique science adventure

On Wednesday, 24 October 2007, the ITER Organization formally entered into force. In order to celebrate this milestone in the history of the project, the ITER staff in Cadarache, France, raised their glasses together with their colleagues from the seven Member Parties who participated in the event via a live video-link.

"There have been few occasions when a relatively small group of people can work together to have such an essential impact on the future well-being of our planet", ITER Director General Kaname Ikeda said on the occasion. "The nations of the world have understood the need for new sources of energy and the nations of world have reacted with responsibility and vision. By creating ITER our Member Parties have established a completely new model for international collaboration and it is our challenge to show that outstanding talent coming from many different nationalities can also fuse to create a dynamic workforce."

Together with the ITER Principal Deputy Director Norbert Holtkamp, Ikeda then unveiled the new sign of the newborn International Organization. "This is the starting point of a unique science adventure", he added. "I would like to thank you all for the tremendous efforts you have made to bring us this far. Together we have an outstanding future."

Comments:

Osamu Uno, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Japan: "It gives me great pleasure to express my congratulations on the occasion of the formal establishment of the ITER International Fusion Energy Organization on 24 October 2007. Japan believes that the ITER project will play a very important role for the realization of nuclear fusion energy, which could be less harmful to the environment and one of the permanent resources for mankind, so intends to contribute actively to the project including technical area and human resources."

Jinpei Cheng, Vice-Minister of Science and Technology: "On behalf of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, I would like to express my sincere congratulations to you and the ITER Organization at this important milestone moment, and give my thanks to you again for your understanding and support during the process of approval of the ITER Agreement in China. I am sure that the ITER Project will enter a new and successful stage under your leadership, with the assistance of PDDG, DDGs and the ITER staff."

Didier Gambier on behalf of the European Domestic Agency: "As this is an important day on which we are embarking on a long and exploratory journey, I would like to underline the human dimension of this endeavour. In each and every case when we will have to find an adequate solution, it will be us assembled in an entity made of the IO and the DAs, that will have to invent the solutions to these complicated equations. This will require strength, determination and as well dedication to the project. However, on my part I am sure that we have the qualities to make this journey not only an effort and sometimes a suffering, but also moments of joy and rewards, like this one or when we will deliver components or celebrate the erection of buildings."