The Catalan companies, GTD Group - specialized in integration systems - and ASE Optics Europe - specialized in optic design and engineering - have won contracts with Fusion for Energy (F4E), the European agency responsable for managing the European Union’s contribution to ITER, the international project which aims show fusion as an unlimited and sustainable energy. Currently, companies and laboratories from around the world compete to prove their capacity for innovation and build the million high-tech components which will be a part of ITER. The Catalan talent has also joined this race to change the future of energy and has successfully confirmed their great knowledge. ITER will be the biggest fusion experiment in the world and the first in history to produce an electrical grid of 500 MW. The international project brings together seven members (China, Europe, Japan, India, South Korea, Russia and the U.S.), representing 50% of the world population and 80% of the global GDP. On one hand, GTD Group has signed a contract worth five million euros with F4E to integrate several systems and offer technical support in the construction of the cryoplant which will reduce the temperatures of ITER to -269º C. Furthermore, the company will give support in the development of the diagnostics system which will, among other things, monitor the powerful magnets which confine the hot gas, as well as the remote control system which combines robotics and virtual reality in order to inspect and maintain the machine. The experience of GTD Group will be essential in order to perfect the software which supervises the operations of the ITER facilities. “For GTD, the ITER project represents the opportunity to consolidate our trajectory by developing some of the most ambitious projects in the history of mankind. These highly demanding projects do not only help us maintain the high technological standard of our organization, but also allow us to keep a high level of motivation and commitment when it comes to our engineers. ITER is a challenge and challenges consolidate our passion for engineering”, explains the President of GTD Group, Ángel Ramírez. Through their collaboration with F4E, ASE Optics Europe has won a contract worth 260.000 euros to design the prototype of the optical probe which will inspect the inside of ITER. Six laser “flashlights” will be inserted in the machine in order to scan it. This Catalan start-up has its headquarter in the Research and Innovation Park of Barcelona Tech (UPC), an important high-tech hub. Despite the size of the company, which has only four employees, their dynamism, technical abilities and experience in the field of design and optical as well as opto-mechanical engineering has allowed ASE Optics Europe to participate in important international projects. The director of ASE Optics Europe, Andrés Cifuentes, explains that “despite of the great size and complexity of the ITER project, a local and specialized company as ours has matched the expectations and has contributed to making this experiment possible. Participating in a project like this has allowed us to prove our technical abilities, increase turnover, expand in the market and gain visibility in the meteorology and nuclear sector”. Fusion for EnergyFusion for Energy (F4E) is the body of the European Union responsible for the European contribution to ITER. One of the main tasks of F4E is working jointly with the industry, the SMEs and European investigation organizations in order to develop and provide a wide range of high-tech components as well engineering, maintenance and support services for the ITER project. F4E supports the R+D initiatives concerning fusion through the The Broader Approach Agreement with Japan, and is preparing for the construction of demonstration fusion reactors (DEMO).F4E was created as a separate legal entity following a decision made by the Council of the European Union, and was built in April of 2007 for a period of 35 years.Their offices are located in Barcelona, Spain. http://www.fusionforenergy.europa.euhttp://www.youtube.com/user/fusionforenergyhttp://twitter.com/fusionforenergyhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/fusionforenergy ITERITER is a worldwide collaboration, the first of its kind, in the field of energy. It will be the biggest facility in the world intended for experimental fusion, designed to prove the scientific and technological viability of fusion energy. The objective of fusion energy investigation is developing a secure, unlimited and environmentally responsible energy source. Europe will provide almost half of the construction cost, while the other six members of the international association (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Russia and the U.S.), will contribute in equal parts.http://www.iter.org
