The 3rd I+Dones Forum brings together 260 participants in Granada to explore the fusion industry
The 3rd I+DONES Forum, organized by the Industry Office and CDTI (the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology under the Ministry of Science), brought together over 260 participants in Granada on May 29–30 to explore opportunities within the fusion industry.
The attendees—mostly companies from Granada, Andalusia, and the rest of Spain—took part in the two-day 2025 edition of the Forum. The event was conceived by IFMIF-DONES, the University of Granada, Ineustar, the CSIC (through the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia), Cámara Granada (co-founders of the Industry Office), and CDTI, as a platform to showcase the business and industrial needs of the Escúzar accelerator project.
The Forum began with a visit to the IFMIF-DONES facilities at Citai (Escúzar), where business representatives toured the soon-to-be-inaugurated Administration Building and the UGR-DONES Research Centre, home to the project’s early prototypes.
On Thursday afternoon, a series of workshops took place at the Carmen de los Mártires venue. These sessions focused on a range of key topics, including: Remote handling, control systems, and AI needs in IFMIF-DONES and other scientific infrastructures; Opportunities for Spanish companies in R&D beyond Spain’s national contribution; Tips for public procurement; AI development to accelerate fusion technology engineering in Europe; a presentation by Proxima Fusion, a startup poised to play a pivotal role in the advancement and leadership of fusion energy; and Building construction and plant systems.
The conclusion of the workshop sessions was particularly meaningful. On one side, members of Women In DONES (WiD) held a private meeting; on the other, representatives from various public administrations and organizations collaborating with IFMIF-DONES expressed their gratitude to all attendees for their participation in the event.
The Friday morning session began with the Forum’s plenary, featuring Ángel Ibarra, Director of the IFMIF-DONES España Consortium; Juan Antonio Tébar, Director of Innovation Policies at CDTI; and Roberto Álvarez, Head of Innovation at Cámara Granada.
Ibarra highlighted “the extraordinary response” from the Spanish science industry, noting that the high turnout at this third edition of the forum is clear evidence of the growing interest the sector — and IFMIF-DONES in particular — is generating.
In his view, “together — institutions, business representatives, the industry itself, and IFMIF-DONES — we must continue this joint effort to lay the foundation for a high-value industry that will bring significant benefits in the medium and long term at both the local and regional level.”
Tébar announced that CDTI will soon open a local outreach office to provide companies and organizations with first-hand information about IFMIF-DONES opportunities.
Álvarez emphasized that the Forum reflects how Granada is taking firm steps toward building a science-driven industry that will power a new economic model for the region — one where research, science, and technology will play a central role.
Following the plenary, several company presentations and talks were held, culminating in a series of pre-arranged B2B meetings.
