"Industry holds the key to our success"
8 Feb 2016
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ITER Communication
Early on Monday 8 February over 500 actors from the worlds of energy, high technology, fusion and industry gathered in Monaco, the "little kingdom by the sea" that has used its privileged location on the Mediterranean to become an outspoken defender of environmental causes including marine conservation, pollution control and environmental sustainability.
HSH Prince Albert II and ITER Director-General Bigot stop by the ITER display as they tour the 34 stands and industrial exhibits set up in the Grimaldi Forum, where the third Monaco-ITER International Fusion Energy Days are being held from 8 to 11 February in conjunction with the ITER Business Forum IBF/2016.
Little wonder, then, that Monaco has been a staunch supporter of ITER from the start, signing a Partnership Arrangement in 2008 with the ITER Organization to establish five Postdoctoral Fellowships in fusion technology and science at ITER and to provide the means for a regular international conference on ITER progress, research and industrial opportunities.
Following editions in 2010 and 2013, the third Monaco-ITER International Fusion Energy Days has combined this year with the ITER Business Forum (IBF/2016) to offer a four-day program that focuses on informing industry about the challenges of ITER components and systems and the business opportunities ahead.
"We have come a long way since the project began to take shape thirty years ago," said ITER Director-General Bernard Bigot in his opening address. "We are now well past the research and design phases ... the 'paper project' has turned into a steel and concrete reality. The industrial phase that we have now entered holds the key to our success. All of you, present or future industrial partners, hold the key to our success..."
Detailed sessions are planned on all of the major ITER systems and works, including machine assembly, magnets, heating and current drive systems, the fuel cycle, and diagnostics. "To manufacture for ITER, you are often standing at the cutting edge of what is technologically—and industrially—feasible," stressed the ITER director. "But the benefits are many and they reach beyond ITER. The sophisticated production that the project requires presents tremendous opportunities for industry in a wider sense. By driving technological development, ITER contributes to enlarging the strategic capabilities of the companies involved."
In break-out sessions called B2B (business-to-business) or B2C (business-to-customer) meetings, the 578 participants from 283 companies will be seeking to pool their expertise and form collaborations in order to participate in the competitive international tenders launched by the ITER Organization or the Members' procurement agencies, the Domestic Agencies. Companies already involved in manufacturing for the ITER Project will be sharing their experience and advice. Optional excursions are offered to the ITER site, or to one of the industrial facilities (Toulon, France or Camerana, Italy) currently manufacturing components for ITER's toroidal field coils.
As he officially opened the third Monaco-ITER International Fusion Energy Days, HSH Prince Albert II wished all participants success in their endeavours. "Your meetings and discussions over the next days and the initiatives you are involved in will continue to develop and grow. You know that in Latin ITER means 'path' or 'way.'" And you know that Winston Churchill said 'Where there's a will there's a way.' You have The Way and we have the will, and so it is with great pride that I stand at your side for one of the most ambitious projects in the energy sector which is striving for better conservation of our world."
See the full MIIFED-IBF 2016 program here.
HSH Prince Albert II took time to tour the dozens of stands and industrial exhibits of MIIFED-IBF 2016. He is pictured here listening to the explanations provided by ITER Director-General Bernard Bigot and Pierre-Marie Delplanque, from Agence Iter France, on the transport of ITER's largest components.
"I am aware just how important the scientific, technological and industrial challenges you are involved in are for the future of humanity," stressed the Prince in his inaugural address. HSH Albert II is seen here with Jean Castellini, Monaco's Minister of Finance and Economy (left) and ITER Director-General Bernard Bigot (right).
Massimo Garribba, in charge of nuclear energy, safety and ITER at the European Commission, spoke on behalf of Climate Action and Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete when he stressed the importance of budget and schedule.
"Like you, I am convinced of the gravity of the dual crisis we are facing—that of energy and of climate," said HSH Prince Albert II. "This crisis requires multiple responses: the one you are proposing is thrilling in the possibilities it opens up."
"By 2050—that is, tomorrow—we believe that it is possible for fusion-generated power to be connected to the electrical grid, generated by a first-of-a-kind industrial installation," said ITER Director-General Bigot. "A few decades later, we can expect a larger use of fusion technology for producing clean power."
The partnership initiated with the Principality of Monaco in 2008 has enabled 15 students to complete their postgraduate studies at ITER; another five are currently working at ITER. At MIIFED-IBF 2016, HSH Prince Albert II met the current Monaco Fellows with their mentor David Campbell (far left). Recruitment is currently underway for a fifth group (applications must be received by 1 March).
The ITER stand, all rough wood panels and construction equipment, sent a clear message: We are building and the project is progressing at full speed. From left to right: Alexander Alekseev, head of the Tokamak Engineering Department; Igor Sekachev, section head for Cryostat & Vacuum Vessel Pressure Suppression; and Guenter Janeschitz, deputy head of the Central Engineering Office.