Power, transport, mechanical engineering, consumer electronics or medical engineering: The list of industrial sectors in which there is a need for tungsten- and molybdenum-based products manufactured using powder metallurgical techniques is virtually endless. In most cases, these products are invisible to the users or, alternatively, they are needed for the production process. But it is precisely here that the requirements in respect of quality, performance and service life are becoming more challenging. A sound knowledge of fundamental principles is crucial for manufacturing even better products. Additive manufacturing (3D printing) or the simulation of manufacturing processes can only be further developed on the basis of this fundamental scientific understanding. And it is precisely at this interface between scientific research and technology that the Plansee Seminar has its focus: This year clearly showed that innovations, improved manufacturing methods, closed-loop material cycles and new coatings are the major topics that will shape the next few years. As tradition demands, the 19th Plansee Seminar, chaired by Dr. Lorenz Sigl and Dr. Heinrich Kestler, and which saw 500 participants, was a complete success.