Technical Kick-off and Special Tour of the Planetarium 
In keeping with tradition, the conference opened on Tuesday, 07 October, with a meeting of the Metallography Expert Committee. Afterwards, participants had the opportunity to take part in an exclusive special tour of the Bochum Planetarium. Prof. Hüttenmeister, director of the planetarium, personally welcomed the group and explained the starry sky before an impressive 60-minute show took place. 

Exclusive Insights Into Industry and Research
Wednesday morning was devoted to four company and institute tours, which met with great interest. Participants gained valuable insights into industrial processes and scientific laboratories. We would like to express our sincere thanks to the partners involved: 

• Doncasters Precision Castings – Bochum GmbH
• Ingpuls GmbH
• Deutsche Edelstahlwerke Witten/Krefeld GmbH & Co. KG
• Institute for Materials at Ruhr University Bochum with the chairs
• Materials Engineering (Additive Manufacturing)
• Materials Science (High-Temperature Materials)
• Materials Testing (Hydrogen) 

Scientific Program and Welcome Evening
The scientific program began on Wednesday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.: Program overview. 

Numerous technical presentations, discussion contributions, and poster presentations showcased the latest developments in sample preparation, light and electron microscopy, image analysis, and digital materials characterization. Particular attention was paid to new methods for automated microstructure analysis, innovative approaches to 3D characterization, and practical solutions for quality assurance and damage analysis. The lively discussions in the individual sessions were characterized by interdisciplinary exchange between research, industry, and users. 

In the evening, the conference hosted a welcome reception at the Kumpels restaurant in the Bochum Mining Museum. After a welcome by the commercial director, participants took a 40-minute guided tour of the exhibition mine, sat on historic machines, and experienced the atmosphere underground. The open winding tower offered an impressive view of the illuminated city of Bochum and the starry sky under clear skies. 

Award Ceremonies and Special Moments
On Thursday morning, this year's metallography award winners were honored. Ms. Uta Richter-Harneid and Dr. Zeynel Alkan received the award for their outstanding commitment to metallography education in Solingen. 

In the afternoon, Buhler presented the Best Paper Award in Practical Metallography. The winner, Sabine Friederichs (Clausthal University of Technology), traveled at short notice with her son to accept the award in person. Second place went to Ines Schulz, Sabine Weichert, and Prof. Dr. Danka Katrakova-Krüger from the Technical University of Cologne. Third place went to Dr.-Ing. Holger Hoche, Dr. rer. nat. Michael Brilz, and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias Oechsner from the Technical University of Darmstadt. 

The social evening was once again one of the highlights of the conference. Intensive networking and celebrations continued until midnight. During the evening, the publisher Wiley VCH honored the nine winners of the photo competition. This year's winners in the teaching materials category are Gaby Ketzer-Raichle, Michael Kasper, Malachai Jonsson, and Karin Dressel. The winners in the General Metallography category are Prof. Dr. Roland Haubner and Susanne Strobl, Dr. Marina Kemperle, Renate Ruhland, and Daniela Dallach. Gaby Ketzer-Raichle, Björn-Ivo Bachmann, and Mareike Manocchio were honored in the Lighthearted Metallography category. 

Awards for Posters and Presentations
On Friday, the awards ceremony for the three best posters and the three best presentations provided a festive conclusion to the event. The prizes were generously donated by Struers. 

• Best Contribution Award 2025

1. place: Marie Stiefel, Saarland University
2. place: Christiana Malchus, Aalen University
3. place: Madeleine Giller, Siemens Energy Global, Berlin

• Best Poster Award 2025

1. place: Adrian Herges, Saarland University
2. place: Tim Schubert, Aalen University
3. place: Gaby Ketzer-Raichle, Aalen University 

Conclusion and Thanks
The 2025 Metallography Conference was rated positively by all participants. In addition to the scientific quality, the varied supporting program and the lively atmosphere were particularly impressive. The Ruhr region also presented itself from its best side with perfect weather. 

The DGM office would like to thank all participants for their contributions and for attending. Special thanks go to the program committee for the excellent content, and in particular to the two conference chairs, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Pohl and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sebastian Weber, who contributed significantly to the success of the conference. 

The DGM would also like to thank Dipl.-Ing. Michael Engstler, head of the Metallography Expert Committee, whose dedicated efforts contributed significantly to the smooth running of the conference. 

All contributions will remain available to participants on demand on the event platform for another 14 days. The photo gallery is also available online.