On 5 March 2026, the Quinta Alegre Palace in Granada hosted the Kick-off Meeting (KoM) of the Framework Agreement for the Design and Construction Services (AMDO) of the IFMIF-DONES scientific-technological infrastructure. This milestone marks the official start of a new and decisive phase in the development of the project, paving the way for the materialisation of the future research facility.

The meeting brought together representatives from the Ferrovial–FCC–Añil Joint Venture, the main contractor under the Framework Agreement, and members of the IFMIF-DONES project team. It represented the first formal coordination meeting following the contract award and symbolised the official launch of a strategic contract that will play a key role in executing the construction works for the complex of buildings that will host the future scientific installation.

The AMDO Framework Agreement will enable the start of construction of the main infrastructure buildings, designed to house the accelerator’s and experimental facility’s essential systems. Among them, the Main Building will accommodate several of the project’s most important technological systems, including those related to the accelerator, lithium systems, and other critical components required for the operation of IFMIF-DONES.

During the KoM, participants discussed the initial objectives of the Framework Agreement, focusing on planning, coordination, and the progressive mobilisation of the human, technical, and material resources required for this phase. One of the key milestones outlined is the start of construction works in the summer of this year, in line with the planned schedule. This represents a significant organisational and technical challenge, requiring close collaboration between all stakeholders involved.

The meeting represents not only an administrative and technical step forward, but also a decisive milestone in consolidating IFMIF-DONES as a major international scientific infrastructure. The project is expected to position Granada, Andalusia, and Spain as leading actors in fusion energy research and associated technologies.

Both the companies responsible for carrying out the works and the IFMIF-DONES project leadership expressed their satisfaction, commitment, and enthusiasm during the meeting regarding the joint challenge that now begins. All parties emphasised the importance of this moment as the starting point of a strategic collaboration based on technical excellence, coordination, and shared responsibility to achieve the project’s objectives.

With the AMDO Kick-off Meeting, IFMIF-DONES enters a new tangible phase, where planning turns into execution and the project advances steadily towards the construction of a unique scientific infrastructure with high technological and scientific impact, an international vocation, and strong local roots.