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Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2026
Nuclear Technology
August 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
In transition: Commercializing fusion power
Commercial fusion power is closer than ever. There are now around 30 U.S. fusion companies, several of which claim to be on track to connect to the grid as early as the 2030s.
Tokamak and laser inertial confinement approaches benefit from decades of research at facilities such as the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and ITER, with alternative concepts including stellarator, magnetic mirror, and Z-pinch confinement also making notable progress as private and government funding for fusion increases.
2026 ANS Annual Conference
Director General
ITER Organization
Pietro Barabaschi has served as the Director General of the ITER Organization since 2022, overseeing the reforms and the construction of the ITER project. Prior to this role, he led an R&D Department in Fusion-for-Energy (F4E), the European Joint Undertaking responsible for delivering European components to the ITER and Broader Approach (BA) Fusion international projects. In this capacity, he was specifically accountable for the European contributions to the three projects implemented under the Broader Approach Agreement between Euratom and the Government of Japan: JT60SA, IFMIF/EVEDA, and IFERC. During 2015 and again in 2022, he acted as the Interim Director of F4E, managing the overall operations of the organisation, the project management infrastructure, and the implementation of reform measures within the ITER Management framework. Before joining F4E and until early 2006, Pietro was the Deputy Project Leader and head of the Design Integration Division of the ITER International Team at the Munich Joint Work Site and previously in San Diego, USA. Shortly after completing his university studies in Electromechanical Engineering, he joined the JET Project in Culham, UK, where he contributed to the machine development department.
Mr. Barabaschi has dedicated his career to Nuclear Fusion research, with a focus on developing and constructing the research infrastructures essential for advancing nuclear fusion as a viable energy source.