Centre of Excellence in Energetic Materials (CoEEM) is a UK Government-driven initiative to pull together and champion essential national capability in energetic materials. It aims to draw on UK-wide organizations, facilities, and academic centers to provide coordinated research, training, test & evaluation and knowledge exchange.
Energetic materials, (explosives, propellants, pyrotechnics, gas generators) represent a vitally important class of functional materials that have widespread use in both military and civil applications. From the strategic nuclear deterrent to unsophisticated improvised explosives, the technology employed is as wide-ranging as is the need for Suitably Qualified and Experienced Personnel (SQEP) and infrastructure to support the research, development and manufacture of energetic materials (EM).
Centre of Excellence in Energetic Materials (CoEEM) is a government-led initiative, through Dstl, DE&S (DOSG) and AWE, in collaboration with other government bodies (CPNI/GO Science/DoT), to pull together and champion this essential national capability. Administered by Cranfield University at its secure site at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom in Oxfordshire, CoEEM will draw upon UK-wide organizations, facilities, and academic centers to deliver its mission.
CoEEM’s mission to provide essential national capability has identified two overarching aims:
Technical leadership for the EM community:
CoEEM will act as a catalyst in promoting world-leading excellence by building networks to facilitate exchange of innovative ideas and identifying key areas of focus.
Rebuilding depth of expertise and, therefore, critical mass in this area of national significance:
Operating as a collaboratory, CoEEM will work with the wider EM community with the common aim of building essential capability in:
People
Research and development
Test and evaluation
Training and education
Knowledge exchange
Underpinning these aims will be life-long career support to researchers and engineers across the EM community with a robust program of career development, training and education. In addition, CoEEM will provide a forum for building networks and knowledge sharing as well as access to an efficient and effective use of existing specialized facilities and associated resources.