Lorentz force velocimetry(LFV)is a noncontact technique for the measurement of velocities in hightemperature metal melts that is based on exposing the liquid metal to a magnetic field and measuring the force acting upon the magnet system([1],[2],[3],[4]).The present communication provides an overview of recent research activities in LFV carried out at the Institute of Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics at Ilmenau University of Technology.The overview will focus on fundamental issues such as the suitability of LFV for local velocity measurement as well as on applications such as flow measurement in poorly conducting melts,industrial applications in aluminium production as well as on wet,dry and numerical calibration methods for LFV-systems.The present overview will be supplemented by individual presentations on specific topics to be presented in the papers by Heinicke,Jian,Wegfrass,Gramss,Kolesnikov and Karcher.