The high expectations set on ceramic materials in recent years have always been balanced by the very considerable difficulties seen in reaching the required levels of reproducibility and cost. Indications of the significant progress, which can be seen in the papers presented in this volume, coupled with the recognition that considerable problems still lie between the state of the art and the full and confident exploitation of the many merits of ceramics, provide a healthy basis for the profitable selection of future research directions. The mastery of ceramic processing and the imaginative matching of the properties of these materials to diverse applications remain among the most promising sectors for technological development. A selection of contents: The d doping layer: Electronic properties and device perspectives (F. Koch, A. Zrenner). Future very-large-scale integration technology (M. Hirose). High temperature superconducting ceramics (C.J. Humphreys, D.J. Eaglesham). Fabrication. Process of fine milling for ceramic materials (H.W. Hennicke, J. Stein). Non-uniformities and pore formation (U.B. Agbarakwe et al.).