The event was opened by the two keynote speakers: Prof. Dr. Sissi de Beer, University of Twente, Netherlands, and Dr. Manuel Rodriguez Ripoll, AC2T research GmbH, Austria,  started the conference with their presentations: "Controlling Friction and adhesion using stimuli responsive polymer brushes" and "Giving metals the slip: Design on self-lubricating wear-resistant alloys."

Two other keynote speakers, Dr. Kerstin Falk, Fraunhofer IWM Freiburg, Germany, and Prof. Dr. Andreas Rosenkranz, Universidad de Chile, Chile, completed the conference with their presentations: "Rheology in boundary lubrication - from molecular dynamics to improved continuum models" and "2D MXenes: Tunable mechanical and tribological properties".

The invited speakers

• Prof. Dr. Robert Carpick, University of Pennsylvania, USA
  "Seeing the Hidden Interface: Revealing Nanoscale Mechanisms of Contact, Adhesion, and Friction by in situ Experiments"
• Jamal Choudhry, Luleå University of Technology, Sweden
  "Study of thermal effects in dry sliding contact"
• Prof. Henara Costa, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Brasil
  "Surface texturing in car engines: how can we move forward?"
• Dr. Stefan J. Eder, TU Wien & AC2T research GmbH, Austria
  "Speed kills, or does it? — The impact of sliding velocity on microstructure evolution and friction"
• Prof. Jean Michel Martin, Université de Lyon, France
  "The Nature of Superlubricious Interfaces under Boundary Lubrication"
• Prof. Dr. Ernst Meyer, University of Basel, Switzerland
  "Mechanisms of Atomic Friction with 2d-materials"
• Prof. Michael Urbakh, Tel Aviv University, Israel
  "The fascinating frictional properties of layered materials

rounded off the symposium with their outstanding contributions. Flanking this high-calibre program were the more than 30 other submissions that enriched Friction 2021.
If you were unable to attend, don't worry: by purchasing your online ticket, you will be able to view all of the papers on our online conference platform on-demand over the next 14 days.

We want to thank all participants and speakers for a diversified conference and hope to welcome you all next year to our events on-site or online.

And last but not least, a special thanks to the two organizers of Friction 2021: Prof. Dr. Martin Dienwiebel and Prof. Dr. Carsten Gachot.