New instrumentation and cutting edge research

Stimulated by Ondrej Krivanek's contributions, the complex interaction between research and innovations in the instrumentation for electron microscopy is discussed. Specific attention is given to aberration correction and to spectroscopy in both the valence region and at the energies of localised phonons or bond vibrations. Current thinking about projection imaging and dielectric excitation theory may be challenged. More significantly in the new fields of investigation opened up to them, electron microscopists will need to build closer relations, particularly with the photonics and scanning tunnelling microscopy communities. Further improvements in instrumentation could usefully be directed towards imaging and spectroscopy at higher scattering angles as well as the incorporation of other facilities such as photon stimulation and secondary electron imaging.