The Dones Steering Committee, comprising representatives from fourteen countries, the European Commission, and Eurofusion, convened in Misawa, Japan, to advance the development of the future international neutron source facility. This meeting was vital for consolidating the program's management and accelerating the construction of the infrastructure in Escúzar.

During the session, two key appointments for this new phase of the project were confirmed: Philippe Cara as Dones Programme Manager and Iván Podadera as Technical Director. Additionally, the creation of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) was approved, an body that will provide independent advice and enhance the program's scientific and technical excellence.

The Steering Committee, made up of the five DONES Program Parties (Ifmif-Dones Spain, RBI, QST, Fusion for Energy (F4E), and INFN), also agreed to extend the observer status of several organizations for one year and welcomed the Polish consortium CeNTE (Scientific and Industrial Center for New Energy Technologies) as a new observer.

The meeting's agenda focused on evaluating the program's overall progress, reviewing governance documents, and approving the 2025 Annual Report, which details technical, organizational, and scientific achievements. Key performance indicators were also updated, and the voting weights of the parties were recalibrated due to the program's expansion to five members.

Potential contributions from new international partners from countries such as Italy (ENEA), Germany, and France, who have expressed interest in joining the program's development, were presented. The next meeting of the Dones Program Steering Committee is scheduled for October 2026 in Granada, reinforcing Spain's role as the host country for this strategic scientific infrastructure.