The 21st century has just begun and it is difficult to
understand that as recently as 10,000 years, or about 400 human generations,
ago the civilisation started.
Rachael Carson's "Silent Spring" (1962) was an early warning of the
ecological problems that accompany the widespread application of chemicals
(mainly pesticides) and the warning she sounded has been heeded in several
ways.
Environmental concerns are now high on the world's agenda. Global concern
over environmental issues has increased substantially in recent years.
Starting with the Stockholm environmental conference 1972 followed by The
Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1994 and in Johannesburg in 2004
underlined the importance of sustainable development and its relationship
with environmental protection. Governments all over the world works with
strategies for sustainable development. The explosives sector also must
develop sustainable, ecologically correct methods for disposal and reuse of
energetic materials which meets the challenging environmental targets
necessary to save our planet.
Vingaker Energetic Science Park (VESP) will serve as a platform and full
scale laboratory for research and development in cooperation with primary
the Universities of Mälardalen MDH, Linköping LIU and the Royal Institute of
Technology in Stockholm KTH. The possibilities for European cooperation with
universities in Europe are under exploration.