Risk management as an executive task in the construction of Wendelstein 7-X

To manage all risks during construction, commissioning and later operation of complex fusion experiments like the stellarator W7-X it is necessary to have a thorough and highly efficient approach. It is an executive task of the upper management to anticipate, analyze and to build up a system of measures to prevent the occurrence of potential risks or to handle the risks in such a way to minimize the impact. Very good experience has been made with the introduction of a uniform quality management system which takes into account both the processes and the technology. The most important risks for the project and the decisions made to manage them are outlined briefly.