JT-60SA continues to strengthen its scientific programme as Europe and Japan prepare the next phase of experimental work on the world’s largest operating tokamak. Significant changes have recently taken place within the JT-60SA leadership team, including the appointment of former European Experiment Leader, Jeronimo Garcia, as the new Project Leader.
In this context, Yevgen Kazakov (Laboratory for Plasma Physics, LPP-ERM/KMS, Brussels) has been nominated by the EUROfusion General Assembly as the candidate for the European Experiment Leader for JT-60SA. His appointment by the JT-60SA project will follow the project’s formal process. In this function, he takes on the role of Deputy Task Force Leader for the Work Package Tokamak Exploitation, further reinforcing the coordination of scientific activities across European tokamaks and JT-60SA.
“JT-60SA represents a unique platform for deepening collaboration between Japan and Europe, with key contributions from EUROfusion and Fusion for Energy, while addressing critical scientific challenges for the future of fusion energy. The next experimental campaign will allow us to exploit the new capabilities of the tokamak, advancing knowledge across several areas and further strengthening the physics basis for ITER. It is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a truly international effort shaping the future of fusion and witness new discoveries that bring us closer to making fusion energy a reality.” — Yevgen Kazakov
This step comes at an important moment for the JT-60SA project, following the commencement of Integrated Commissioning and ongoing process of defining the experimental programme. The National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST) and F4E, supported also by EUROfusion, are advancing an extensive set of upgrades, including new heating and current drive systems, in-vessel control coils, diagnostics and plasma-facing components with a carbon-based first wall and divertor. These developments are aimed at preparing the machine for the next experimental campaign Operational Phase 2(OP-2), scheduled to begin at the end of 2026 and continue through 2027.
A series of meetings in Naka, Japan helped to define priorities for the machine’s scientific exploitation by Japanese and European researchers in the forthcoming campaign. The second JT-60SA Experiment Team workshop took place in Naka from 10 to 14 November 2025, bringing together more than 50 researchers from Europe and Japan for a comprehensive one-week event. The workshop centred on key scientific topics essential to the development of the JT-60SA project, including analyses from Operational Phase 1, such as plasma breakdown, impurity source and plasma confinement, as well as predictions for Operational Phase 2, including scenario modelling and neutral beam power deposition. Detailed predictions for the tungsten phase were also discussed.
Participants engaged in in-depth exchanges on results from Operational Phase 1(OP-1), on upcoming experimental plans and on strategies to enhance the performance and capabilities of JT-60SA. A key objective of the meeting was to boost collaborative work on JT-60SA topics, with dedicated time for joint work throughout the week. The workshop further strengthened collaboration and knowledge exchange among scientists from both regions, including EUROfusion-funded participants, underlining the importance of European and Japanese cooperation in addressing the scientific and technical challenges linked to the exploitation of JT-60SA.
That collaborative momentum continued with the 5th Experiment Team Coordination Meeting, held from 18 to 26 February 2026 at QST. The meeting brought together experts from Japan, EUROfusion, F4E and ITER, and marked an important step in shaping the scientific agenda for the upcoming Operational Phase 2. European researchers, laboratories and institutions participating through EUROfusion played a central role in defining this agenda. Following a call for proposals launched in autumn 2025, the fusion community submitted more than 150 experiment proposals from across Europe, Japan and the ITER Organization. These proposals are being evaluated by Topical Group Leaders and Experiment Leaders to support the prioritisation of the future experimental campaign.
The 2026–2027 campaign is expected to address key physics questions of direct relevance for future devices, including ITER and the European DEMO programme. Among the focus areas are physics of energetic ions and plasma instabilities, disruption mitigation strategies, edge and pedestal physics in a wide range of H-mode plasma conditions, asymmetries in magnetic configuration relevant to ITER, advanced heating scenarios, and long-pulse and steady-state plasma scenarios that will push JT-60SA to unprecedented plasma current levels.
EUROfusion researchers will take part in experimental operations both on site in Japan and via remote participation. The leadership structure of the Experiment Team reflects the collaborative spirit of the Broader Approach Agreement between Europe and Japan, which has underpinned JT-60SA from the beginning.
For EUROfusion, the JT-60SA programme offers a major opportunity to strengthen European scientific capabilities ahead of ITER operations, generate knowledge relevant for the design of the European DEMO, and provide the next generation of fusion scientists with hands-on experience on one of the most advanced tokamaks in the world.