Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Science and Technology, Academia

On April 9, during a visit to the United States, MEXT Minister MORIYAMA Masahito met with Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) David Turk in Washington D.C. to discuss ways the nations can work together to advance fusion energy and released a Joint Statement on Strategic Partnership to Accelerate Fusion Energy Demonstration and Commercialization.

Japan and the U.S. have long engaged in joint research and personnel exchanges under the Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement and have built a strong cooperative relationship through joint participation in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) Project. Based on Japan’s national strategy formulated in 2023, Japan highlights the necessity of strengthening cooperation with like-minded countries to promptly realize fusion energy, and this was announced at the meeting between the MEXT Minister and DOE Deputy Secretary Turk.

MEXT will utilize the Coordinating Committee on Fusion Energy (CCFE) which is implemented under the Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement, to promote strategic activities in the following areas:
-Address scientific and technical challenges, share and develop R&D facilities;
-Promote the international harmonization of regulatory frameworks and standards for fusion reactors;
-Support the development of a global supply chains in collaboration with industry groups;
-Foster the next generation of human resources and increase opportunities for exchange between researchers.

[Reference]
Joint Statement by the United States and Japan
https://gov-jp.co/content/20240411-mext_kaisen-000035357_2.pdf