Tomsk State University (TSU) witnessed the XXI International Workshop “High Energy and Special Materials: antiterrorism, security and civil applications” (HEMs-2026) that united leaders and representatives of leading academic institutions, universities and enterprises of the military-industrial complex fr om six countries. Following the workshop, participants from TSU and India agreed to create mirror laboratories and launch joint educational programs.

The HEMs workshop has been held since 2004 and over two decades has become one of the key international platforms for discussing developments in the field of high-energy and special materials.

HEMs is famous for its two distinctive features: mandatory interaction of scientific organizations with individual scientists and large industrial partners. On the part of Russia, Altai JSC is now acts as such a partner. This large corporation has been successfully cooperating with the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), part of the Defense Research and Development Organization of India (DRDO) (India), for more than 25 years, within the framework of closed research and development centers for the development of high-tech products.

TSU acts as a link for the mutual exchange of knowledge and experience between developers and manufacturers, suppliers and consumers of high-tech military and civilian products. Demonstration of advanced technological solutions opens up promising opportunities for bringing technologies created by the World-Class Research Center “New Special-Purpose Materials” together with partners to international markets.

The World-Class Research Center “New Special-Purpose Materials” was established by the decision of the Commission for Scientific and Technological Development of the Russian Federation in May 2025 within the framework of the national project “New Materials and Chemistry”. Tomsk State University coordinates the work of the center. The Center development program is officially supported by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation and the administration of Tomsk Region.

This year, the Indian delegation to HEMs was led by Janki Vallabh Choudhary, Advisor, Military Equipment Department, Embassy of India. The Indian research direction has become the main vector of this conference season for Tomsk State University.

— Two largest defense research and production enterprises of India – developers and manufacturers of high-energy materials – are now interacting with us. It is important that the directors of both of these enterprises came as part of the Indian delegation. It does not always happen that two top leaders at once show such an interest in cooperation. Since an adviser to the Indian embassy was also present at the meetings with the leadership of TSU within the framework of the workshop, we can say that the event was organized at a high state level and with great success, – emphasizes TSU professor Alexander Vorozhtsov, director of the World-Class Research Center “New Special-Purpose Materials”.

Alexander Vorozhtsov, director of the World-Class Research Center “New Special-Purpose Materials”, gives a welcoming speech

Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Gennady Sakovich, scientific director of the Institute for Problems of Chemical and Energetic Technologies of the Siberian Branch оf the Russian Academy of Sciences, addressed the HEMs-2026 participants with a welcoming speech wh ere he emphasized the importance of the event to strengthen ties between academic community and enterprises in the real sector of the economy.

— I am glad to welcome both recognized masters of science and young researchers at my university, on Tomsk land – said Gennady Sakovich. – The workshop began in 2004 and focuses on high-energy materials – a great achievement in chemistry. Our experience makes it possible to create new materials that are vital for the state.

The goal of the workshop is to strengthen academic ties, discuss relevant research results, added Anil Prasad Dash, Director of the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL, India).

— HEMs-2026 will contribute not only to the integration of Russian and Indian specialists in the field of high-energy materials and systems, but also strengthen cultural ties between the participants for further fruitful work, – commented Anil Prasad Dash.

Anil Dash, Director of High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL, India)

— Dear colleagues! I sincerely hope that from year to year there will be more young researchers who have to take up the slack of big science. I wish all participants and guests from around the world the most productive work, sharp discussions and new discoveries during the days of the workshop, – said Sushanta Das, General Manager of the Advanced Centre for Energetic Materials (ACEM, India) at the opening of the workshop.

Sushanta Das, General Manager of Advanced Centre for Energetic Materials (ACEM, India), at the HEMs-2026

Boris Pevchenko, General Director of Altai JSC, also wished all participants fruitful work, bright scientific discussions, expressing the hope that the solutions developed on the sidelines of TSU will find practical application at enterprises and industrial centers in Russia.

Science and practice

The workshop consisted of six sections: Development of high-energy materials, their characteristics, diagnostics, combustion, Dual-use chemical substances and biomedical materials; biosecurity, Nanoscience and nanotechnology, Advances in special materials and related technologies, Biomedicine and Scientific support for anti-terrorist tasks.

The representatives of Myanmar organizations also participated in the workshop: Defense Services Academy, Directorate of Medical Services, Ministry of Defense, Moe Kaung Treasure Maternity and Child Hospital, Myanmar Creative International College. They presented a series of reports at the section devoted to Biomedicine. The guests were particularly interested in a joint laboratory of medical alloys and shape memory implants.

Arrangements reached

Several working meetings of foreign delegations with TSU rector Eduard Galazhinskiy took place on the sidelines of the workshop.

Meeting with Indian delegation

The Indian delegation discussed the implementation of the agreements reached during the visit of the Indian delegation to TSU in April, led by Pratik Kishore, Director General of the DRDO Armament & Combat Engineering Systems, ACE. The parties agreed to launch joint educational programs and research projects, as well as to create mirror laboratories in India and Russia to study high-energy materials and train Indian specialists.

TSU also agreed to promote the innovative medical developments of TSU on the Myanmar market. Thus, the Myanmar side will work out the issue of purchasing an experimental batch of biodegradable implants for a series of reconstructive operations at Yangon Central Hospital.

Meeting with delegation from Myanmar

— This year I was in Myanmar with an operating surgeon. Using our titanium nickelide implants, he performed two successful surgeries for patients with sternal injuries. Thanks to this, people are alive and very grateful for such help, – says Alexander Vorozhtsov. – The director of the hospital from Myanmar participated in our workshop, she assured that the hospital will purchase our implants on a large scale. We also discuss purchases of our biocidal paints, dressings and medical materials containing nanoparticles.

Myanmar has one of the world's largest reserves of rare earth metals, which today are critical for the development of industry. TSU, in turn, has the appropriate competencies to work with them. During the discussion, TSU Rector Eduard Galazhinskiy proposed creating a joint center for the study of rare earth materials – from exploration and production to obtaining finished materials and their use. The Myanmar delegation supported the initiative, noting that such a center is necessary not only for their country, but can also be important for the entire world science and industry.

For reference:

The international HEMs workshop was first held in 2004 with the general support of Altai JSC, Institute for Problems of Chemical and Energetic Technologies SB RAS, TSU from the Russian side and Director of Science of Safran-Herakles, France Herve Graindorge from the foreign side. In the following decades, it was held once a year alternately either at a Russian or foreign organization. The host was Russia (Biysk, Tomsk), France (Arcachon, Biarritz, La Rochelle, Corsica), Monaco, Japan (Sagamihara, Sendai, Tokyo). Then an important event was the accession to the international organizing committee of the workshop of the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), part of the Defense Research and Development Organization of India (DRDO). In 2023 and 2025, India (Pune, Nasik) was the host of the workshop.