A candid, structural look at the challenges facing large-scale scientific projects, drawing on first-hand insights from ITER. This session examines the root causes of ITER’s delays and cost overruns, focusing on supply-chain complexity, procurement strategy, and programme management

• Why major infrastructure and science projects so often fail to deliver on time and within budget, and the lessons for emerging fusion companies.
• A case study of the EU’s €7bn supply-chain involvement: how fragmented contracts, integration challenges, and procurement choices contributed to delays.
• How fundamental project-management practices (“the elementary stuff”—FOAK basics, coordination, interfaces) were where issues emerged.
• What the private-sector fusion can learn from ITER’s experience to avoid encountering the same structural and operational challenges.