The Defence Research and Development Organisation’s  (DRDO)  High Energy Material Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Pune  is organizing the XVIII International Workshop on High Energy and Special Materials (HEMs-2023) in association with Tomsk State University & Federal Research & Production Centre, Russia on 2nd & 3rd November 2023 at Dr APJ Abdul Kalam DRDO Golden Jubilee Auditorium, Pashan, Pune. The workshop was inaugurated by Dr Samir V Kamat, Secretary Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO.

HEMRL is organizing  this international workshop for  the first time in India, which provides a platform to the scientists, technocrats and researchers to share knowledge, experience and technological advancements made in recent past. About 250 delegates from countries like Russia, Germany, France, India etc., are attending the workshop. Various DRDO and ISRO laboratories, academic institutes and industries are participating in the workshop.

HEMs-2023 is being held to discuss, deliberate and share new developments in recent past in High Energy Materials and allied technologies. The theme of this workshop is ‘Emerging Trends in High Energy and Special Materials’. The workshop is aimed at strengthening the collaboration of scientists and researchers across the globe on the development of new articles based on High energy and special materials. Focused areas for deliberations and discussions at the workshop are synthesis, characterization & evaluation of new energetic materials for various applications, insensitive & green HEMs, advanced high explosive formulations and devices, advanced pyrotechnics, nano materials for HEMs application, demilitarization, waste management, environmental studies and disposal technologies for HEMs, advances in special materials and allied technologies.

The International Workshop on HEMs was started in the year 2004 and thereafter regularly organized by Russia with International Collaborators like Politecnico di Milano, Italy; Airbus Safran Launchers (Ariane Group) and Universite Lyon 1, France; JAXA, Japan.