Public entities and institutions participating in the 4th I+DONES Forum have presented projects with a potential value exceeding €2 billion, which will be tendered in the coming years and will be accessible to companies linked to the science industry in Spain. The event took place on 14 and 15 June at the Granada Chamber of Commerce.

This was highlighted by the President of the Granada Chamber of Commerce and the Industry Office, Gerardo Cuerva, during the opening ceremony of the forum, which brings together companies and public institutions under the framework of the IFMIF-DONES project and is organised by the Industry Office and the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through CDTI.

The total amount represents the sum of various projects presented during the forum by organisations such as IFMIF-DONES, CIEMAT, CDTI and the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia to nearly 200 participating companies.

“The presentation in Granada of such a significant volume of contracts demonstrates two key aspects: firstly, that this industry mobilises a very substantial level of business activity, and secondly, that Granada has become a reference point for this sector,” said Cuerva.

He also stressed that this fourth edition represents the consolidation of an initiative launched four years ago, when IFMIF-DONES began to take shape. “We decided that the accelerator should be more than just the largest scientific facility in Spain—it should become a driver of economic transformation in Granada and Andalusia.”

Cuerva noted that the presence of local companies already working on the accelerator, the arrival of external companies in the province, and the consolidation of the forum itself are among the first successes of the Industry Office. However, he also underlined the intention to “continue advancing towards the completion of an ecosystem linked to the Big Science industry.”

In this regard, he announced ongoing work on the development of a major scientific, technical and business facility aimed at further strengthening this emerging industrial sector.

Alongside the Industry Office, the forum is co-organised by CDTI (Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology and Innovation). Its Director of Innovation Policy, Juan Antonio Tébar, recalled that the organisation has supported from the outset the candidacy of Granada, Andalusia and Spain to host IFMIF-DONES, “in a sector strongly supported at both European and national levels, namely nuclear fusion.”

Tébar emphasised that, as IFMIF-DONES progresses, CDTI aims to continue working with the Industry Office and public administrations to “create added value around the project, while also leveraging the University of Granada as a key source of talent for these strategic sectors.”

The Mayor of Granada, Marifrán Carazo, highlighted that the fourth edition of the forum “demonstrates the importance of this project, as reflected in the strong participation of companies working to advance one of the most significant scientific initiatives in our country, with a major impact on the economy of Granada and Andalusia. It forms part of our city strategy, linking culture and science, and contributing to our ambition to become a European Capital of Culture.”

For his part, the Interim Director of the IFMIF-DONES Spain Consortium, Moisés Weber, welcomed the forum as a true meeting point between industry and the facility, “where we share ideas, projects and opportunities for collaboration,” and underlined Granada’s growing role as a hub for companies interested in large scientific infrastructures.

The opening ceremony also featured Daniel Escacena, Secretary General for Research and Innovation of the Regional Government of Andalusia; José Ignacio Doncel, Secretary General for Large Scientific Facilities at the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities; and Yolanda Benito, Director General of CIEMAT.

The forum began on Tuesday with a visit to the IFMIF-DONES facilities in Escúzar and a series of technical workshops held at Carmen de los Mártires, covering topics such as instrumentation and nanoelectronics.

Wednesday’s session included institutional speeches, presentations on CDTI initiatives in fusion energy, CIEMAT research programmes supporting IFMIF-DONES, and discussions on national and international growth opportunities arising from the emerging ecosystem in Granada.