Advanced training and strategic synergy in nuclear technologies
From April 13 to 15, a three-day mission brought a high-level Italian delegation to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) labs in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, home of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The initiative, led by RSE, focused on nuclear innovation and marked a new milestone in international cooperation.
The delegation, headed by RSE CEO Franco Cotana, President Carloalberto Giusti, and Luciano Martini, director of RSE’s Generation Technologies and Materials Department, included representatives from key Italian institutions and companies. Among them were Nicola Ippolito from the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE), professors Federico Rossi (University of Perugia) and Maurizio Biasini (science attaché at the Italian Embassy in Washington), along with delegates from ENI, ENEL, Fincantieri, and ASG Superconductors. The DOE visit was hosted by lab director Stephen Streiffer and engineer Vittorio Badalassi, a nuclear technology expert and member of RSE’s scientific board.
The core of the mission was the completion of an intensive technical course on nuclear technologies, attended by seven RSE researchers. For ten days, they received advanced training at DOE labs with a focus on nuclear fission and fusion. This marks the second high-level international training program for RSE, following the one held six months ago at MIT in Boston, conducted by professors and engineers Jacopo Bongiorno and Emilio Baglietto, both members of RSE’s scientific committee.
The delegation also engaged with key U.S. industry players such as HolosGen, Invinity One, and the Tennessee Valley Authority, deepening its understanding of DOE operations. A visit to Frontier and El Capitan, two of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, showcased their critical role in simulating nuclear reactor models for both fission and fusion systems.
This initiative is part of a long-term strategy to strengthen energy collaboration between Italy and the United States, with a strong emphasis on the development of sustainable and innovative nuclear technologies. The RSE leadership will continue their U.S. visit with stops in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Santa Monica, including meetings with General Atomics, DOE Livermore, and Bleu Laser Fusion – a company led by Nobel Prize winner Shuji Nakamura and focused on inertial confinement nuclear fusion.
