On 19 and 20 March, DONES held the third meeting of its Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC), bringing together leading international experts to guide the progress of the project and discuss its future development.

 

The STAC is made up of Joaquín Sánchez, Rosaria Villari, Takeo Muroga, José Miguel Jiménez, Pierluigi Campana, Sehila González, Marek Lewitowicz and Ivica Bašić. Through their independent advice, the Committee plays a key role in supporting DONES by providing scientific and technical guidance based on their extensive international experience.

 

Over the course of two intensive days, the DONES team presented the current status and recent progress of the project across its main areas. The Committee was informed about developments related to Safety, Project Integration, Site and Buildings, Plant Systems, Accelerator, Lithium and Test Systems, including key technical components such as the Test Cell, transport lines, superconducting LINAC or the lithium heat exchangers.

 

Special attention was also given to the DONES Experimental Programme, a crucial element for the planning of the operation of the facility, outlining the scientific goals and research activities planned for the facility, as well as to the coordination and monitoring of In‑Kind Contributions from the different partners involved in DONES. In addition, the support to LIPAc operation was endorsed to contribute to the success of the DONES design.

 

These presentations provided the basis for open discussion and exchange between the DONES team and the members of the STAC, allowing the Committee to share their views, identify opportunities for improvement and offer recommendations to support the successful development of the project.

 

The recommendations from this meeting will be conveyed to the next DONES Steering Committee meeting, which will take place in Japan on 21 April, where they will contribute to shape future decisions at governance level.

 

The DONES team would like to warmly thank the members of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee for their highly valuable recommendations and constructive input during these two days. Their contributions are considered essential for the continued progress of the DONES project and will be carefully taken into account as the project moves forward.