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The 7th International Conference on Data-Driven Plasma Science (ICDDPS 7) will take place in Kiel, Germany, from 3–7 August 2026.

ICDDPS is an international conference that intends to be the premier forum for researchers from academia and industry to discuss current and future directions in Al and machine learning applied to plasma science and technology, including but not limited to topics such as plasma processing and nuclear fusion.

The conference will bring together researchers working on AI, machine learning, and data-driven approaches applied to plasma science, fusion, and plasma technologies, with a focus on the latest advances in extracting knowledge from large experimental and simulation datasets.

More information is available on the conference website. Registration is open now.

In December, timed to coincide with a state visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to China, students in the Chinese language section at the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur International School (EIPACA), near ITER, decided to put their growing language skills to use. With the help of their teachers, they wrote a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping, sharing their enthusiasm for the language and describing how, in a unique international school in southern France, they are learning more each day about Chinese history and culture.

They had no way of knowing whether the letter would ever receive a reply—or even reach the president's desk.

So the surprise was considerable when a formal response arrived in March. In his letter, President Xi extended his best wishes to the students, the teachers and the entire school. He encouraged them to become “pillars of friendly cooperation” between China and France, and between China and Europe. He added that they would be welcome in China for study, exchanges or visits, and expressed the hope that the Chinese language would become their “lifelong friend.”

The Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur International School was established in 2007 to serve the needs of the ITER project, but it also benefits the local community. From the outset, its mission has been to provide bilingual education—in French plus one of the ITER languages. Currently, six language sections are offered: Chinese, English, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish. From junior high school onward, English-speaking students may also join the European Section, where about 80 percent of courses are taught in English.

--EIPACA students and teachers from the Chinese language section.

On 28 and 29 April 2026, the ITER Organization will host its third annual Public-Private Fusion Workshop—an event dedicated to the dynamic fusion ecosystem across the ITER Members and the importance of public-private collaboration. 

Over two days at ITER, experts will present innovations in robotics, AI, fusion diagnostics, and heating technologies. Panel discussions will also address key challenges, including tritium breeding, scaling up high-temperature superconducting magnets, and progress in liquid metal wall technology.

This year’s agenda will also feature discussions on lessons learned—positive and negative—in ITER’s Engineering Basis Handbook, as well as more recent project management insights on construction and assembly. By popular request, the global fusion supply chain will again feature prominently, with fusion supplier companies showcasing their latest technologies at an exhibition on Tuesday night.

Registration for the workshop, as well as for tours and consultations, is open at this address. Scroll down to see the current program (still very much in flux and subject to change as speakers refine their proposals and private sector fusion firms refine their topics of interest).

At the second IAEA Nuclear Energy Summit in Paris on 10 March, the ITER project was cited in statements by several Heads of State and Government as part of a broader discussion on research and innovation in the nuclear sector.

In his opening address, French President Emmanuel Macron outlined several priorities for the future of nuclear energy, including financing, supply chains, workforce development and research. He mentioned ITER in the context of this final theme, which focused on the role that open and innovative science should play in influencing government policy.

“I would like to pay tribute to the women and men who are bringing the ITER project to life in Cadarache, which fuels our hopes for tangible progress. We believe in these efforts and we will continue to support them. We want to continue to attract and train the best researchers in this field.”

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen also referenced ITER in the context of a discussion about European funding and industrial strategy for nuclear technologies including fusion. Emphasizing that high electricity prices in Europe were a structural problem with direct consequences for industrial competitiveness, she stressed that Europe should remain a leader in next-generation nuclear technologies and highlighted recent policy changes to support the sector. 

“In the last years, we see a global revival of nuclear energy. And Europe wants to be part of it. Last year, we changed our State aid rules to expand support for nuclear fission and fuels. We launched the world's first industrial alliance for small modular reactors and proposed to invest over EUR 5 billion in our next budget on fusion research, notably through ITER.”

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković of Croatia spoke of his country's plans to create the conditions for the development of a civil nuclear program, and added, “And since we must prepare tomorrow's technologies today, we are also involved in the European nuclear fusion program, especially through large projects such as ITER and DONES.”

Chairman of the Mazhilis of the Parliament, Republic of Kazakhstan, Yerlan Koshanov, called attention to ITER in remarks about Kazakhstan’s cooperation with the IAEA in reactor technology, radiopharmaceuticals, and fusion research.

ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi took part in a panel at the Summit titled “New Nuclear and the Role of Innovation for the Nuclear Technologies of the Future,” where he discussed ITER’s role within the evolving fusion ecosystem.

Read more about the IAEA Nuclear Energy Summit hosted in Paris here.

Following a shutdown period dedicated to the installation of an extensive set of upgrades, the joint Japan/Europe international fusion experiment JT-60SA in Naka, Japan, is now taking the progressive commissioning steps that will lead to the re-start of the device this year.  

Enhancements to JT-60SA's heating and current drive systems, in-vessel control coils, diagnostics, and plasma-facing components have positioned the device for a new experimental campaign, OP2, that is foreseen to start at the end of this year and extend into 2027. ITER representatives were recently on site in Naka to participate in the 5th Experiment Team Coordination Meeting to discuss how the new campaign can address ITER priorities. ITER Organization staff are planning to participate in experiments both on site in Japan as well as remotely. 

Read more about the JT-60SA device, which is currently the largest operational tokamak in the world.

See this related story on the European Domestic Agency (Fusion for Energy) website.