There was a a mixture of curiosity, thirst for knowledge and anticipation in the air, while entering the Alexander Hotel in Noordwijk, close to the beach. Four days of presentations, posters and networking were waiting for the visitors from research and industry. 29 presentations were held, most of them live, two virtually. The variety of topics was great, showing the multidisciplinary nature of coatings. From first year student to long-experiences professor, chemists, mathematics and phycisists were giving talks or asking many valuable questions. Several times, the discussions were postponed to the networking breaks, running out of time. With only about ...