After the forced break due to the pandemic, the participants were visibly happy to meet with their peers in person. The mood was therefore, as expected, good and joyful. However, the current global economic and political situation was a cause for concern. Difficult, challenging, uncertain - these buzzwords were often heard in conversations. The motto of this year's conference was "Adapting to Change: The role of the coatings industry in a challenging environment". The challenges that lie ahead were underlined by keynote speaker Dr Frank Jürgen Richter, Horasis, in his presentation. Uncertainty remains a decisive factor, but Richter's conclusion was ...