The IFMIF-DONES España Consortium -composed of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of the Government of Spain and the Regional Ministry of University, Research and Innovation of the Government of Andalusia- has today signed, together with representatives from Fusion for Energy (F4E) and R&D&I centres from Croatia (RBI), Japan (QST) and Italy (INFN), the International DONES Multilateral Agreement (MIDA). This agreement will strengthen international collaboration to develop fusion energy through the particle accelerator in Escúzar (Granada), considered a clean, safe, sustainable and virtually unlimited energy source, similar to the one produced at the core of the Sun and stars.

This agreement establishes a comprehensive framework for decision-making, resource allocation, robust management and transparent governance of the DONES Programme. In doing so, the signatory parties commit to working in a coordinated manner to accelerate the development of critical fusion technologies.

The signing ceremony was held at the headquarters of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MICIU) in Madrid, in the presence of the Ministry’s Secretary-General for Research, Eva Ortega, and Massimo Garribba, Deputy Director-General of the Directorate-General for Energy of the European Commission.

The agreement was signed by Ángel Ibarra, Director of IFMIF-DONES Spain; Marc Lachaise, Director of Fusion for Energy (F4E); David M. Smith, Director of the Ruđer Bošković Institute (Croatia); Koyasu Shigeo, President of QST (Japan); and Diego Bettoni, Vice President of INFN (Italy).

The signing of this agreement represents the commitment of all parties to the DONES Programme and demonstrates their firm determination to accelerate the development of fusion energy.

Eva Ortega stated that with the signing of MIDA, “Spain assumes a leading role in fusion research in Europe and worldwide,” adding that the country “is ready to take on this challenge and firmly committed to achieving it together with all the partners of this agreement.”

Ángel Ibarra declared that this signing “is the culmination of years of collaboration, turning vision into reality. Spain’s 55% commitment reflects its confidence in science and global partnerships. With construction about to begin, we are building hope and a new energy paradigm for future generations.”

For his part, Marc Lachaise noted that the agreement “expresses our commitment to continue exploring together the potential of fusion in order to deliver clean, safe and sustainable energy to future generations. Fusion for Energy (F4E) will support DONES in this mission by providing its know-how to implement part of the project and offering its extensive experience in international fusion programmes.”

David M. Smith highlighted that this agreement “demonstrates the power of international cooperation to accelerate fusion research. For RBI, it represents recognition of Croatian scientific excellence and another step toward major European research infrastructures. We are proud to help build a cleaner and more sustainable energy future together with our global partners.”

Koyasu Shigeo explained that “together with the ITER project and the Broader Approach activities, QST considers the DONES Programme an important pillar of international collaboration, and QST will promote it in cooperation with the relevant parties.”

Finally, Diego Bettoni affirmed that the signing of MIDA “is a crucial milestone for the development of fusion energy. Italy, through INFN and ENEA, is proud to be part of DONES, a project that strengthens collaboration with international institutions and leverages its technological expertise in this field.”

Following the signing ceremony, the DONES Steering Committee met, bringing together representatives of the MIDA signatories as well as observers from other countries interested in the project. A total of representatives from 17 countriesattended, together with delegates from the European Commission and key international organisations in the field of fusion. Their shared goal is to drive forward the construction and commissioning of IFMIF-DONES, which will enable the validation of materials for future fusion reactors.

Texts and photos: Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of the Government of Spain