It is probably inevitable - on a 66 th birthday, we reflexively think of the classic song by Udo Jürgens: “Life begins at sixty-six, the best is yet to come”. In this respect, we see it as a sign of vitality that, after many years in Göttingen, the annual conference of the Society for Tribology GfT is venturing to move to a new location for its 66 th edition - to Wernigerode, the “colourful town on the Harz Mountains”, as the writer Hermann Löns once called the place. Is the change a good sign? Don’t we love reliability, predictability, simplicity and clarity? Instead, the Greek philosopher Heraclitus is said to have stated 2,500 years ago: “Nothing is more constant than change.” And let’s take a look at the current world situation - isn’t it characterised by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity? Abbreviated boldly as VUCA, these terms have now found their way into trendy management seminars. Everyone should put their own house in order - what does this mean for tribology? Between constant change and the desire for stability, there is perhaps a key concept: Sustainability, or more precisely: thinking about ecological, economic and social sustainability together as a long-term anchor of stability. While CO 2 reduction in vehicles has long been a central driver of tribological development, other focal points will come into focus in the future: energy efficiency is increasingly in conflict with resource scarcity, political framework conditions and environmental regulations. Issues such as environmental compatibility, durability and recyclability must be given greater weight. Market distortions caused by unstable framework conditions require more robust products and faster new developments. The reduction in available solutions necessitates new approaches to materials and low-wear systems. Wear remains a key factor limiting service life - new lubricants, digital twins and AI-based condition monitoring are becoming increasingly important. The latter, in its current form, has been known for many years to reduce downtimes and repair costs. New methods for AI-supported early damage detection will further safeguard the reliable operation of energy systems. In the past, development times were heavily dominated by the scope and duration of experimental test series; in future, comprehensive simulation tools and efficient design methods will be essential to drastically reduce testing costs and remain competitive. This requires close co-operation between research and industry. The Research Association for Drive Technology (FVA) and the “Research Field on Tribology” are examples of long-term supporters. Let’s move on to the GfT’s own activities - there is some news to report from the Working Groups (WG). Under the overall direction of Prof. Bartel and in cooperation with the FVA, the Training and Further Education Working Group has continued the new seminar series. The seminar “Plain bearings - basics, calculation and use” took place for the second time in May 2025. New to the programme is the seminar “Fundamentals of Tribology - Friction, Wear & Lubrication”, which was held online in May 2025. There will be a continuation, also online, in September 2025 with “Fundamentals of Tribology - Materials, Damage & Methods”. Further events, e.g. on gearbox lubrication and rolling bearing lubrication, are in preparation. There is a new addition to the Regional Working Groups: the Hanover WG is being expanded to become the Hanover/ Northwest Regional WG under the leadership of Prof Max Marian. In addition to Leibniz Universität Hannover, Emden/ Leer University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Clausthal University of Technology and Paderborn University will also be participating. The Munich, Rhine-Neckar and Berlin-Brandenburg Working Groups are now offering their regular lecture events in a hybrid format, which will also enable supraregional participation - significantly increasing their reach. The Climate Protection & Sustainability Working Group, for which Dr Mathias Woydt is responsible, recently published the position paper “The concepts of ‘wear and tear’ and ‘wearing parts’ in the field of tension with ‘obsolescence’”. This activity should be seen in the context of emerging standardisation approaches. To draw your attention to this and already successfully running activities in the field of tribological standardization, a separate session on this topic will be offered for the first time at the German Tribology Conference. The Public Relations Working Group, headed by Dr Mirjam Bäse, is committed to presenting the tasks and benefits of the GfT even more prominently in the modern media world - informative and easily accessible on the News 42 Tribologie + Schmierungstechnik · volume 72 · issue 2/ 2025 Ladies and Gentlemen, Gesellschaft für Tribologie News 43 Tribologie + Schmierungstechnik · volume 72 · issue 2/ 2025 one hand, attractive for the younger generation on the other. To this end, we have launched a new website that endeavors more than ever to provide our target groups with comprehensive and up-to-date information. In addition, the GfT’s presence on social media will be further expanded to reach young tribologists in particular “on their channels”. The Young Tribologists Working Group has a new leadership with Klara Feile, Christian Orgeldinger and Dr. Benedict Rothammer. This WG will organize the 8 th Young Tribological Researcher Symposium on July 21 and 22, 2025. This year’s host is the Rhineland-Palatinate Technical University Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU). As always, this year’s GfT Annual Conference aims to offer you plenty of inspiration for new tribological approaches and solutions. In addition to already established special sessions, e.g., on the research field of tribology, it includes many exciting contributions, poster, and technical exhibitions and, of course, stimulating discussions “in between” in the circle of the GfT family! In addition to the strictly scientific contributions, you can also expect tribological curiosities, e.g., a plenary lecture on the tribology of wine tasting. And for friends of the brew, there will be an opportunity to get to know the TU Clausthal, which is celebrating its 250 th birthday this year, from a different angle on the evening before the GfT conference (28.09.): At the Institute of Tribology, we can put the results from the TU Clausthal research brewery to a practical test. Finally - after the conference is always before the conference - here is a reminder of the 3 rd International Tribology Conference nextlub, which will once again take place in Leipzig from January 20-21, 2027 as a joint format of Uniti, FVA and GfT. Preparations are already underway! We are now looking forward to seeing you again at our GfT annual conference, for the first time in beautiful Wernigerode am Harz! Rolf Luther, Chairman of the Executive Board of GfT Dr. Thomas Gradt, Managing Director of GfT