29th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference (FEC 2023)

Background

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) fosters the exchange of scientific and technical results in nuclear fusion research and development through its series of Fusion Energy Conferences.

The 29th Fusion Energy Conference (FEC 2023) aims to provide a forum for the discussion of key physics and technology issues as well as innovative concepts of direct relevance to the use of nuclear fusion as a future source of energy.

According to the IAEA’s Fusion Device Information System (FusDIS), as of 2023, there are almost 130 experimental fusion devices and testing facilities operating, under construction or being planned, and a dozen of demonstration plant or pilot plant designs under development. Driven by recent scientific and technical advances, a vibrant private sector and the climate crisis, attention is switching to the remaining challenges of demonstrating the technological feasibility of fusion power as well as the safe and economic viability of this energy source.

The scope of FEC 2023 is, therefore, intended to reflect the priorities of this new era in fusion energy research, technology development and preparation to industrial deployment. The conference aims to serve as a platform for sharing the results of research and development efforts in both national and international fusion programmes that have been shaped by these new priorities, and to thereby help in pinpointing worldwide advances in fusion theory, experiments, technology, engineering, materials, advanced concepts, safety, socio-economics and preparation to industrial deployment. Furthermore, the conference will also set these results against the backdrop of the requirements for a net energy-producing fusion device and a fusion power plant in general, and will thus help in defining the way forward.

With the participation of international organizations such as the ITER International Fusion Energy Organization and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), as well as the collaboration of more than 40 countries and a great number of research institutes and organisations, including those working on smaller devices, it is expected that this conference will, like previous conferences in the series, serve to identify the possibilities and means for continuous and effective international collaboration in this area.

The 29th Fusion Energy Conference is being organized by the IAEA through the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) in London, United Kingdom, from 16 to 21 October 2023. Previous conferences in this series were held in Salzburg, Austria (1961), Culham, United Kingdom (1965), Novosibirsk, Russian Federation (1968), Madison, United States of America (1971), Tokyo, Japan (1974), Berchtesgaden, Germany (1976), Innsbruck, Austria (1978), Brussels, Belgium (1980), Baltimore, United States of America (1982), London, United Kingdom (1984), Kyoto, Japan (1986), Nice, France (1988), Washington DC, United States of America (1990), Würzburg, Germany (1992), Seville, Spain (1994), Montreal, Canada (1996), Yokohama, Japan (1998), Sorrento, Italy (2000), Lyon, France (2002), Vilamoura, Spain (2004), Chengdu, China (2006), Geneva, Switzerland (2008), Daejeon, Republic of Korea (2010), San Diego, United States of America (2012), Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation (2014), Kyoto, Japan (2016), Ahmedabad, India (2018) and Nice, France (postponed from 2020 to 2021 and held online because of the global COVID-19 pandemic).

Topics and Submission of Synopses

For detailed information on the Conference Topics and Submission of Synopses, please see the Conference Announcement under Related Resources. 

• OV           Programme(s)/Topic(s) Overview
• EX            Magnetic Fusion Experiments including Validation
• TH            Magnetic Fusion Theory and Simulation
• TECH        Fusion Energy Technology
• IFE            Inertial Fusion Energy
• IAC           Innovative and Alternative Fusion Concepts

Contributions on these topics will be considered for presentation at the FEC 2023 if they are clearly relevant to the development of fusion energy. A Programme Committee consisting of a representative international membership will be responsible for the selection of contributions, the arrangements of conference sessions and the overall scientific content of the conference.

Anyone wishing to present a contribution during the conference must submit a synopsis of no more than 1250 words (~2 pages) excluding body, references and figures text. All synopses must be submitted through this system between 10 February and 16 March 2023. Synopses submitted out of the submission time will not be considered under any circumstances. No other form of submission will be accepted. Synopses submissions will be made publicly available in the end, as part of the 'Contributions, and Conference Material.

IMPORTANT: The synopses will be considered by the Programme Committee only if governmental approval (designation) has been received by 28 March 2023.

Registration and Participation

All persons participating in the event must be designated by an IAEA Member State or should be a member of an organization that has been invited to attend.

Registration needs to be completed through the IAEA InTouch+ registration platform as described in the Conference Announcement. 

Key Dates and Deadlines

Registration 

• 28 March 2023: Submission of Form B (together with Form A) through the InTouch+ platform
• 28 March 2023: Submission of Form C (together with Form A) through the InTouch+ platform
• No deadline: Submission of Form A only (no paper submission, no grant request) through the InTouch+ platform

Synopses and Manuscripts

• 10 February 2023: Opening of synopses submission through IAEA-INDICO
• 16 March 2023: Deadline for submitting synopses through IAEA-INDICO
• 15 June 2023: Notification about the acceptance of contributions and opening of post-deadline submission thorugh IAEA-INDICO
• 31 July 2023: Opening of manuscript submission through IAEA-INDICO
• 15 September 2023: Deadline for submitting synopses for post-deadline acceptance through IAEA-INDICO (PDF files only)
• 20 September 2023 Deadline for submitting manuscripts through IAEA‑INDICO

Publications

• 27 November 2023: Deadline for submitting overview oral and overview poster papers as well as summary papers for publication in Nuclear Fusion
• 15 January 2024: Deadline for submitting regular oral and regular poster papers for publication in Nuclear Fusion

Conference Venue

The 29th Fusion Energy Conference (FEC2023) will be held at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London, United Kingdom. The Conference will be organized by the IAEA and hosted by the Government of the United Kingdom through the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). 

Satellite Meeting Rooms

Satellite Meeting Rooms can be reserved during the conference. Booking requests should be submitted by sending an email to FEC2023@ukaea.uk. 

Visa

This business conference as outlined on UK Immigration Rules, is a permitted activity for a UK Standard Visitor. 

You can visit the UK to do the following business activities:

• Attend interviews, meetings, conferences and seminars 

In order to make the appropriate visa arrangements for your participation in the event, please contact the consular representative of the United Kingdom as early as possible as it can take over four months for the visa to be issued.
Please be aware that when applying for a visa you may be asked to show evidence of personal insurance coverage valid during your travel and of your hotel booking for your stay in the United Kingdom.
It should be noted that maintenance is your own responsibility, and that the IAEA does not provide travel, hotel, subsistence or health insurance coverage.

Conference App

The IAEA Conferences and Meetings App provides a one-stop access to information on the Conference, exhibitions and scheduled side events. The app also allows users to put together their own personalized schedule of events. Via this app participants will be able to view contributed papers and the latest conference programme, message other participants, and view PowerPoint presentations released after the event. Participants will receive an email inviting them to register for the app approximately one week before the conference.

For iPhone or iPad users, get your free download through the App Store; those with Android devices can visit the Google Play Store.