It is just one month ago since the experts from the neutron imaging community held their 9^th World Conference in the Republic of South Africa. This event can be considered as something like the “General Assembly” of the neutron imaging community, taking place only within a four years period.Unfortunately, we missed this time participants from relevant countries like France, India, South Korea and from South America.

We are still impressed by the hospitality, the nature and the life style of this beautiful country – South Africa. However, we are even more impressed by the organizational talent and the well prepared meeting we were able to celebrate in a very remote place in pure nature and close to wild animals. When we remember all the events during those days in South Africa: the trainings school in the ITEMBA lab, the virtual conference at the Kwa Maritane Lodge, the visit at the NECSA institute and the many opportunities to discuss relevant topics – one person was in the focus of everything all the time: Frikkie de Beer.

He enabled to held the meeting for the first time outside the established regions of neutron imaging (USA, Japan, Europe) – and he did very well together with his team. We never expected a meeting like this with many native aspects: drumming as opening ceremony, safari tours in the early morning or after the evening session, very interesting meals and a beautiful climate (not only related to the weather conditions). This was probably the reason why almost all presentations and posters where on high standard and gave exciting reasons for many discussions.

Now, Switzerland takes over to organize the 10^th World Conference in the field of neutron imaging. It will be a real challenge to enable a scientific and cultural meeting on the best standards, which will be made available in 4 years from now on.

After hot desserts in South Africa, cold mountains might be the right contrast.

Despite of the preparation of the next meetings of the ISNR society, I understand my position as their elected president in the way to try to bring closer together members and interested persons in neutron imaging in order to promote this i imitable technique in the best way and to attract more users to all facilities which are able to serve on high standard. On the other hand, there are many neutron sources (by trend the most essential component in neutron imaging) which could be used much better if some investments and simple improvements are taken. To enable the best neutron utilization of those facilities, knowledge transfer is needed. This aspect should be in the focus of ISNR, using the ISNR homepage (www.isnr.de).

There are many new options in neutron imaging available now, which were unbelievable at the time when neutron radiography conferences were initiated in 1981. Aside to the digital imaging aspect in neutron imaging we are now able to use phase contrast features, polarized neutron imaging, tomography, time dependent imaging and we come close to the performance of neutron scattering devices in some respect. It will be only a question to time if “neutron imaging” and “neutron scattering” will find their common working place and language – past enmity becomes over. We have to learn a lot from each other.

Such approach might take place within the European Spallation Source project (ESS), where we can only win together. Pulsed and time-dependent neutron fields will be a real challenge in order to find out the best features and applications, also for imaging.

I like to invite you for a more intensive interaction inside ISNR in order to establish a powerful and creative community for imaging with neutrons under best possible conditions.