The fourth Joint HGS-HIRe (Helmholtz Graduate School for Hadron and Ion Research) and RS-APS (Research School of Advanced Photon Science) Lecture Week was held at Haus Ebersberg during October 9–14, 2016. The lecturers Michele Caselle (KIT), Andreas Fleischmann (Uni Heidelberg), Volker Tympel (HI Jena and FSU Jena) and Michael Zürck (UC Berkeley) gave a comprehensive overview of the various aspects of “Innovative detectors for photons and particles”. The lectures were complemented by student presentations dedicated to a deeper insight into selected topics.