19th ISIEMS Bonn Germany

The 19th International Symposium on the Interaction of the Effects of Munitions with Structures (ISIEMS) was held in Bonn from 9 to 13 December 2024. 

More than 180 experts from science, military and industry, representing a total of 20 nations, met in Bonn to present and discuss their current priorities of work and research results in relation to current and future challenges in the field of physical protection against various types of threat. 

After Prof. Dr. Börger, the Director-General of the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Infrastructure, Environmental Protection and Services (BAIUDBw), had opened the conference, two excellent keynote speakers provided stimuli for the start of the 19th ISIEMS: Lieutenant General Bodemann, Commander of the Bundeswehr Homeland Defence Command, and designated Deputy Commander of the new Bundeswehr Joint Forces Operational Command, examined the challenges of national and collective defence in the current security situation. Mr. Peter Lauwe, deputy head of department N of the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, addressed civil-military cooperation in the field of physical protection and hazard prevention.

About 120 technical papers were presented so that the conference offered an excellent platform for exchanging knowledge, learning from each other, strengthening existing international networks and exploring new ways of international cooperation.

Brigadier General Dr. Tegtmeier, Director of the Infrastructure Directorate in the BAIUDBw, gave the closing speech of the 19th ISIEMS. He thanked the “Technical Committee 19th ISIEMS” for its scientific assistance in and support for organising the conference. After that, Brigadier General Dr. Tegtmeier handed over responsibility for planning and organising the 20th ISIEMS 2026 in the USA to Mr. James Lee Nelson, the official representative of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), the US cooperation partner.

This conference once again illustrated the importance which the ISIEMS format has had in the field of physical protection and hazard prevention, because this long-term, continuous exchange is building trust between the relevant actors. That considerably advances the further development of innovative solutions.