In what has already been a long-standing tradition, the Chair of Composite Materials at Chemnitz University of Technology organised the 6th Industrial Conference „Surface and Heat Treatment Technology“ and the 8th Materials Technology Colloquium Chemnitz. This biennial symbiosis of conference and industrial fair meets with broad interest both in small and medium-sized enterprises and in university research. This is proven by the consistently high number of participants. Numerous international guests from Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Poland, Spain, Austria, Liechtenstein, China and France, among others, are proof of the event's excellent reputation, Prof. Wielage emphasised in his welcoming speech. His special greetings went to the guests of honour Prof. Gitzhofer from the University of Sherbrooke, Prof. Dr. Pawlowski from the University of Villeneuve in France, Prof. Pokhmurskii from the Karpenko Physico-Mechanical Institute (NASU) and the honorary doctor of the faculty, Prof. Dr. H.-D. Steffens. On behalf of the co-organiser, the Gesellschaft für Fertigungstechnik und Entwicklung e.V., Dr Hollend-Letz extended his greetings to all participants. The Rector of Chemnitz University of Technology, Prof. Matthes, also emphasised the importance of the Materials Technology Colloquium for the overall profile of the university.

The Materials Technology Colloquium in Chemnitz, which already had its origins in the 1980s, is dedicated each year to a selected complex of materials technology topics: thin-film technology with the following individual topics: Electroplating, Anodising, Surface Treatment, Thermal Spraying, Deposition Welding, Thin Film Technology, Nanomaterials in Coating Technology and Characterisation. 67 contributions – lectures and posters – showed a variety of innovations and formed the basis for stimulating discussions. Overview lectures introduced the individual sessions and gave an overview of the current state of the art.

Approximately 180 participants this year confirmed that this materials technology conference is gaining increasing importance in the regional as well as the national and international context. As usual, the conference provided a good forum for joint discussions on both research and development work and practical applications. The focus is on application-oriented problem solutions. This provided numerous opportunities to refresh old contacts and make new ones. In recent years, the Chemnitz location has developed into a centre for the application of modern materials technology.

The conference was framed by the industry exhibition with 10 representatives for new developments in materials production, treatment, refinement and characterisation. It shows the close cooperation between R&D and the application of scientific knowledge.

The highlight and at the same time the cultural framework of the conference was the honorary colloquium on the occasion of the 65th birthday of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Siegfried Steinhäuser. In a laudatory speech, Prof. Wielage paid tribute to the jubilarian's extensive life's work, which is reflected in a large number of topics worked on and scientific publications, in diverse lecture series not only in Chemnitz but also at other educational institutions, as well as in numerous contacts with German and international research centres and industrial companies. His scientific work in research and teaching included the following topics: Surface technology, wear, corrosion, coating technology, metallurgy and non-ferrous metals. Important milestones in his scientific curriculum vitae are the doctorate on the topic: „A contribution to the relationships between wear behaviour, material structure and manufacturing conditions of electrolytically produced nickel dispersion coatings" and the habilitation (at that time called dissertation B) with the topic:„Wear protection by electrolytically deposited coatings with iron as the main component".

Prof. Matthes, Rector of the TU Chemnitz, conveyed the TU's best wishes and thanks to Prof. Steinhäuser for his many years of work at the university and recalled times spent together during their first academic aspirations.

In his lecture, Prof. Paatsch, Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) Berlin, paid tribute to Prof. Steinhäuser's many years of activity in the German Society for Electroplating (DGO), which he had chaired for the last four years. On the basis of the topic: „The role of hydrogen in electroplating“ Prof. Paatsch drew interesting and humorous parallels to the life of the jubilarian.

Other keynote speeches were given by Prof. Jakob, TU Illmenau, „Potentials of Electrochemistry Secure the Future“ and Dr. Reinhold Audi AG, Ingolstadt,: „Application of Stainless Steels in Automotive Engineering – with Special Consideration of their Corrosion Behaviour“. Finally, Prof. Kanani, ATOTECH Deutschland GmbH, offered a literary highlight entitled: „Goethe and Hafis – The Genesis of the West-Eastern Divan“.