This talk will provide an overview on different tasks and activities during the last years connected to my position at DWD. Retrospectively, a reoccurring aspect in most of these topics is the creation and intensification of an ICON community. Examples are supporting the transition of COSMO partners (i.e. national meteorological services) from the COSMO-model to the ICON model, the organization of training courses and scientific conferences around the ICON model, providing documentation or participating in the creation of platforms like the grid & external parameter web interface Zonda.

Finally, some more scientific aspects will be highlighted. Examples are the inclusion of the ecRad radiation model into the ICON code and the introduction of a simplified prognostic aerosol scheme which can also be combined with ICON-ART. While ecRad is operational for several years already, the simplified prognostic aerosol is currently undertaking the final steps towards operationalization. I will present the idea behind the simplifications, show comparisons with measurements and verification results from a full forecast cycle experiment.