ITER Franco-Italian Business Forum Report

A series of structured meetings on which all participants will be able to build

Provence Promotion and the regional development mission MDER recently took part in the Franco-Italian business forum organized by ITER industrial liaison officers Sabine PORTIER and Paola BATTISTONI on July 9 and 10 last in Frascati, a dozen or so miles from Rome.

The meeting, held at the ENEA (Agenzia nazionale per le nuove tecnologie, l’energia e lo sviluppo economico sostenibile), the equivalent of the French CEA, provided the opportunity for the local F4E agency to review the upcoming invitations to tender for contracts related to the construction and operation of the future experimental nuclear fusion reactor.

The presence of Italian companies, whose interest in the ITER project is well known, was a golden opportunity for the region to target potential contacts. In the end, fifteen B2B meetings took place with Italian companies working in different fields.

Some of these firms, such as ANSALDO NUCLEARE, WALTER TOSTO and FANTINI, have already won several contracts and now wish to make their presence on the ground or their partnerships more permanent. This opens up numerous opportunities, since these companies’ expertise is wide-ranging and could be a source of added value for the region. It remains to be seen to what extent this specialist know-how can be transferred to other sectors, closely related to the ITER project or otherwise. These indirect benefits, which could lead to the creation of additional jobs, are of particular interest to our region and require in-depth study.

The contacts made with those firms awaiting tender replies also enabled Provence Promotion and the MDER to fulfill their role, providing them with a wealth of practical information on siting premises, mobility and human resources. At this point in time, the companies are actively seeking to set up industrial partnerships. At a later stage, follow-up support and assistance with identifying potential partners will be provided by the WOIC (Welcome Office for International Companies), represented at the forum by the development agency and the economic mission. Suitable solutions will be proposed to, and introductions arranged for, several of the companies present, including VITROCISET, M+W and SATE.

Lastly, the meetings proved equally beneficial for those firms intending to tender for ITER contracts in the future. The executives present were able to verify the state of progress of the project and to appreciate the means being deployed to welcome enterprises to the region. Even though the ITER project itself is a long-term venture, they could see for themselves that major real estate investments have already been made and that business opportunities are not lacking. Since work started in 2007, the ITER project has already generated €1.7 bn in contracts.

In conclusion, these meetings were very constructive. The presence of a representative French delegation and a dozen companies, including leaders in the fusion and nuclear energy fields, meant that exchanges between French and Italians were productive and –we hope– potentially fruitful!