Scintillators are materials able to efficiently convert high-energy radiation (X-rays, gamma rays, charged particles, neutrons, etc.) into visible or ultraviolet light, thus enabling their measurement using light detectors. Such materials find applications in a number of fields, spanning from high energy physics, to medical diagnostics, security, industrial controls, and several other industrial sectors. The research devoted to the development of novel materials with properties suitable for modern applications is a lively field involving many laboratories all around the world.

The SCINT series is a forum, beginning in 1992, on scintillator materials spanning from fundamental aspects to technological applications and it is organized every two years in a different country, grouping together the research community working on scintillators: physicists, chemists, materials scientists, engineers, industrial companies.

In 2024, the 17^th International Conference on Scintillating Materials and their Applications (SCINT2024 – https://www.scint2024.com/ ) was held exclusively in person at the University of Milano, Bicocca, Milan, Italy, from July 8^th to July 12^th.

 Topics included:

• Mechanisms and theory of scintillation
• Characterization of scintillators
• Crystals: growth and structural control
• Optical ceramics and glasses
• Nano- and metamaterials, hybrids, and other novel materials
• Scintillators for fast timing detection and imaging
• Scintillators for neutron detection and imaging
• Applications of scintillators: fundamental research, health, environment, energy, metrology, industrial controls.

The event was attended by approximately 230 scientists from 24 countries around the world. Among them, 25% were students.

The scientific programme was very rich, including:

• 5 plenary lectures
• 10 keynotes
• 65 oral presentations
• 120 posters were also presented during a dedicated session and left available for the whole week.
• Two prizes for young researchers were awarded for the best oral and best poster presentation and delivered to the winners during the closing session on July 12^th.
• A rich social program was organized in order to favour contacts and discussions among the participants: it included a welcome party on Monday 8^th, several guided tours during afternoon of Wednesday 10^th, and a social dinner on Thursday 11^th.
• A sponsor exhibition was organized from Monday 8^th to Friday 12^th; in fact, the conference benefited from the contribution of a high number of industrial companies, namely: Crystal Photonics, Crytur, APL Engineered Materials, BrightComSol, Hilger Crystals, NuviaTech, Scionix, Tecnologie Avanzate, Technology Nuclear Electronics, CAEN.

The submitted conference proceedings will be published on IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science after a regular peer-review process.

In addition to the conference, a two-day summer school free of charge for young researchers entitled “Scintillators – Physical mechanisms, applications, and future perspectives” was held on July 6^th  and 7^th. It was attended by over 70 participants. Lectures from experienced researchers in the scintillation field were proposed, together with short presentations and posters of students’ work. The school was supported by the European project SPARTE, with additional contributions from the TWISMA and UNICORN projects.

The SCINT 2024 attendees deserve our warmest thanks and consideration for making this edition a great success. All the committee members are looking forward to welcoming everyone again at SCINT 2026 in South Korea.

Srilalan Krishnamoorthy, RISC Chair, can be reached by E-mail at [email protected]