What You Need to Know from EMTWG‘24 in Oslo, Norway

This month, the National Armaments Consortium had the privilege of co-hosting the 2024 Energetic Materials Technology Working Group (EMTWG) Meeting with the Insensitive Munitions European Manufacturers Group (IMEMG) and NATO’s Munitions Safety Information and Analysis Centre (MSIAC) in Oslo, Norway. EMTWG’24 more than lived up to its reputation as the premier international event to exchange information and collaborate on advancements in insensitive munitions (IM) and Energetic Materials.

In all, more than 260 attendees from 18 countries spanning 5 continents gathered to identify innovative solutions from the international community, including applications of new or improved EM formulations and their application to IM technology advancements.

Across three days, attendees had access to nearly 60 presentations, 16 poster sessions, and a half dozen keynote addresses. Keynote speakers included: 

• Mr Anthony Di Stasio, Director of the Manufacturing, Capability Expansion, and Investment Prioritization Directorate (McEip), OUSD A&S 
• ICA (Col.) Serge Bordachar, Delegated Chief Inspector for Propellants and Explosives, DGA, FRA/ MoD
• Ms Christelle Collet, Technical Special Officer / Propulsion Technology, MSIAC
• Ms Holly Pennington, Weapons Technical Service Team Leader /Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), UK MoD
• Mr Christopher Zember, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, U.S. DOD
• Dr Chris Michienzi, MMR Defense Solutions, LLC, USA

Topic areas spanned the gamut of IM and EM needs, innovations, and best practices. Highlights included investment priorities and strategies, industrial base capacity expansion, policy implementations, performance breakthroughs, manufacturing and storage advancements, and so much more.  

Wendy Hummers, EMTWG Steering Committee Chair, NAC Executive Committee Member and Director of Business Development for Munitions at Hanwha USA shared her thoughts on the meeting: “The international collaboration that took place at EMTWG’24 was phenomenally productive. Representatives of industry, government, and academic participants from around the world came together to advance energetics capabilities to ensure that our warfighters are safer and more effective moving forward,” She went on to add, “We are proud to continue our partnership with IMEMG and MSIAC and looking forward to hosting the EMTWG U.S. Meeting this fall in Annapolis and co-hosting the international meeting in October of 2025 in Boston!”

Save the Dates: Upcoming EMTWG Meetings 

The next opportunity to participate in the Energetic Materials Technology Working Group takes place at the next U.S. event from October 8th to October 10th, 2024 at the Jack C. Taylor Conference Center in Annapolis, Maryland. 

Abstract submissions are currently being accepted and can be submitted here. Abstracts are due NLT Monday, June 3rd, 2024. Additional meeting logistics, registration instructions, and the room block link will be provided in the coming months.

Finally, we ask that you please save the dates of October 27-29 for EMTWG’25 in Boston. The meeting was announced to attendees in Oslo and will be held at the Hilton Boston Park Plaza with more details forthcoming!

As always, if you have any questions, please email us at naccmf@nacconsortium.org.