Europe and China reinforce their scientific collaboration on fusion energy as the 3rd BEST Research Plan coordination meeting concludes in Hefei, China.
As global interest in fusion energy accelerates, Europe and China continue to combine their expertise to overcome the scientific and engineering challenges on the road to fusion power. Their partnership, built through decades of cooperation within ITER and numerous bilateral initiatives, is now embodied in the Burning Experimental Superconducting Tokamak (BEST) — a major facility under construction at the Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP).
In mid-September, a EUROfusion delegation joined their ASIPP counterparts in Hefei for the third BEST Research Plan coordination meeting, witnessing first-hand the rapid progress of construction. The discussions brought the joint research plan close to completion — a document that will steer BEST’s commissioning, operations, and scientific missions.
Alongside technical exchanges, a spirited football match between the two teams added a human touch to the week’s achievements.
“Talking to each other is good for opening minds, but playing together truly breaks down barriers and paves the way toward a shared goal,”
said Richard Kamendje, Head of the EUROfusion delegation.
“Once the construction of BEST is completed and the tokamak is put into operation, it will significantly advance our physics and technical knowledge, while also helping to address key challenges in preparing for ITER and future fusion power plants,”
added Marco Wischmeier, Head of EUROfusion’s Plasma Science for ITER, DEMO, and Stellarators Department.
The final BEST Research Plan is expected to be released in November 2025, marking another milestone in the EUROfusion–ASIPP partnership and reinforcing Europe’s commitment to collaborative global fusion research.
🔗 Read previous updates on this collaboration:
EUROfusion and ASIPP partner to advance the BEST Tokamak Research Plan
EUROfusion and ASIPP begin collaboration on BEST Research Plan