I am honoured to be the Technical Programme Chair for the 8th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, hosted in Europe in 2022. It is especially gratifying that we will be able to meet together physically for the first time since 2019.

The technical programme for this truly global event is jointly prepared by the three principal regional photovoltaic conferences - the European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference (EU PVSEC), the Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (IEEE PVSC), and the International PV Science and Engineering Conference (PVSEC). I would like to acknowledge the contribution of the co-Chairs Arno Smets and Shuzi Hayase to setting out the technical programme in 5 topical themes. The themes cover topics ranging from silicon cells, evolving and emerging technologies and Tandems, modules, PV systems engineering and applications. The energy transition topic covers the wide range of multidisciplinary efforts required to ensure the rapid deployment of PV technologies on a massive and global scale as a key element of the ecological transition.

This year we aim to further increase the number of conference papers that may be put forward for publication in peer-reviewed journals. On top of our longstanding collaboration with Progress in Photovoltaics, we continue with the agreements in place to publish a selection of our best submissions in Solar Rapid Research Letters and EPJ Photovoltaics. Through these different offerings we increase the number of high quality peer reviewed papers being generated by the conference to more than 100 with a range of publication options, including Open Access.
 As we launch our call for papers, we encourage researchers working in the broad range of fields covered by our technical programme from all around the globe to be part of this World Conference and take advantage of this truly global setting in the first physical event of this size in Europe in two long years. The "unstoppable growth" of the solar sector puts the industry on the path towards terawatt size in 2022 which we will celebrate and debate ways to go even further and faster. I look forward to following your presentations, and to exchange and connect with you over a freshly brewed espresso, experiencing la dolce vita Italian style.

See you in person once again, in Milan in 2022.