The National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), Fusion for Energy (F4E), and EUROfusion have fully launched the JT-60SA On-site Laboratory, as part of the Japan–EU Broader Approach (BA) activities.
JT-60SA is the world’s largest tokamak, designed to complement ITER and to lead research and development toward DEMO reactors. So far, JT-60SA has been positioned as an international project, with intensive efforts devoted to its construction, upgrades, and integrated commissioning. As the project moves toward full-scale plasma heating experiments, QST and its partners are strengthening onsite research and educational activities to maximise scientific output while shaping the next generation of fusion experts.
The JT-60SA Onsite Laboratory is a programme under which students and early-career researchers reside at the Naka Fusion Institute and participate closely in research and development activities using JT-60SA, gaining hands-on, practical experience with a large-scale fusion device. Until now, participation has mainly involved Japanese universities and research institutions. With the latest expansion, major European universities and research institutes have begun to take part, marking the full-scale launch of the JT-60SA Onsite Laboratory as a joint Japan–Europe human resource development platform.
This new on-site laboratory builds on the successful achievements of the JT-60SA International Fusion School (JIFS), which QST and EUROfusion have jointly organised over several years. JIFS and the JT-60SA Onsite Laboratory form a robust pathway, progressing from structured education through the school to hands-on research through the onsite laboratory. Through this integrated programme, Japan and Europe will accelerate the training of new talent capable of supporting ITER and future DEMO reactors.
QST, EUROfusion, and F4E will actively leverage the knowledge and human network created through the JT-60SA Onsite Laboratory for ITER and future DEMO research, continuing their joint efforts toward the early realization of fusion energy and the strengthening of the global human resource base.
