Book excerpt: Aluminium is a well established modern lightweight engineering and functional material with a unique combination of specific properties like strengh, formability, durability, conductivity, corrosion resistance, etc. It is present in many intelligent solutions in established markets like building, transport, packaging, printing, and many others, in our fast moving modern society. The various aluminium alloys can be processed quite efficiently in large quantities by conventional fabrication routes, as well as in special sophisticated forms and material combinations for highly innovative high–tec solutions and applications. This book contains latest information about all these aspects in form of the refereed papers of the II th International Conference on Aluminium Alloys "ICAA", where world–wide experts from academia and engineers from industry present latest results and new ideas in fundamental as well as applied research. Since 22 years the ICAA series provides scientists and engineers with a complete overview over the latest scientific and technological developments, featuring profound technology–based overviews and new innovative perspectives. This book is a reference for the scientific community as well as for the aluminium industry working on aluminium alloy development, processing and application issues. It gives a global perspective on the current focus of international research with emphasis on in–depth understanding of specific properties and applications of conventional and advanced aluminium alloys.