It is with great sadness that FuseNet receives the news of the passing of Dr. Bernard Bigot, ITER Director General.

FuseNet’s founders, its Governing Bodies and Executive Office express their condolences to Dr. Bigot’s family and grieve together with the rest of the fusion community.

Dr. Bigot’s great leadership and commitment towards ITER was the cornerstone of the advancement of the project since he took office, reaching remarkable milestones such as the start of the assembly phase in 2020.

Both a visionary leader and a vehement fusion advocate, Dr. Bigot was always extremely supportive towards initiatives organized by and on behalf of students. During COP26, one of his last public appearances, he was adamant about attracting the “new generation” to fusion. He emphasized the importance of providing adequate training and education to the future generations who will operate ITER and subsequent fusion power devices.

FuseNet will continue to support that “new generation” on which Bernard Bigot counted so much, so that they will continue to pursue with renewed effort the goal of making fusion electricity a reality.