The ITER Council has appointed Dr. Bernard Bigot of France as the next Director-General of the ITER Organization.
Dr. Bigot who took up his duties on 5 March, succeeds Prof Osamu Motojima who had been ITER director general since July 2010.
Dr. Bigot is a distinguished scientist. He served two terms as the Chairman and CEO of the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (2009-2012 and 2012-2015). He was also the High Commissioner for ITER in France before he joined the ITER Organization.
"The whole world needs innovative technologies to assure its long-term sustainable supply of energy. Magnetic confinement fusion is one of the most promising options. I am deeply honoured for the possibility of contributing to the large, international and ambitious research programme that is ITER, which has innovation as its aim," said Dr. Bigot.
One of Dr. Bigot's first tasks will be to complete Motojima's efforts to provide a new baseline for the ITER project. Last year, faced with delays and cost overruns the Council decided to establish a new cost, schedule and scope for the project.
This new baseline is due to be presented at the ITER Council meeting in November 2015.
