Several members of our team participated in the 34th Symposium on Fusion Technology (SOFT 2026), one of the leading conferences on fusion technology, held from 20 to 25 September in Aix-en-Provence, France.

Participation in SOFT 2026 provided an excellent opportunity to share some of the latest developments of the DONES Programme with the international scientific community.

During the conference, Philippe Cara, DONES Programme Manager, presented the current status of the design and construction of IFMIF-DONES, as well as its experimental capabilities and strategic role in the development of materials and technologies for future fusion energy.

Pablo Araya also presented the poster “Commissioning of STUMM-PROTO at UGR-DONES: Prototype Implementation and Design Input for the Future STUMM System”, which addressed the commissioning of the STUMM-PROTO prototype at UGR-DONES and the main results obtained, which will serve as a basis for the development of the future STUMM system.

For his part, Gonzalo Martín presented the poster “60Co Irradiation Tests on Individual IFMIF-DONES STUMM Particle Detectors”, focusing on the tests carried out on different STUMM detectors using cobalt-60 irradiation and the characterisation of their response.

Once again, SOFT 2026 brought together the global fusion community — scientists, engineers, industry representatives and exhibitors — to share the latest results and advances across all areas of fusion technology. The conference featured invited talks, oral and poster presentations, as well as a major industrial and technological exhibition.