The Way Forward – Closing Remarks at Quark Matter 2017

This contribution is a written version of my closing talk [https://indico.cern.ch/event/433345/contributions/2321629/attachments/1411355/2158856/ZajcQM17.pdf] presented at the Quark Matter 2017 [https://indico.cern.ch/event/433345/] conference. Neither the talk nor this contribution to the conference proceedings is intended as a comprehensive summary1. Rather, a brief discussion is presented of emerging themes and challenges in the field of relativistic heavy ion physics. 1Those seeking such a summary should consult Jürgen Schukraft's masterful overview [3] in the opening talk of the conference.