This is a summary paper of the 27th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference which was held from 22–27 October 2018 in Gandhinagar, India. The results in the categories of EX/W (wave–plasma interactions, current drive, heating, energetic particles), EX/D (plasma–material interactions, divertors, limiters, scrape-off layer (SOL)), and ICC (innovative confinement concepts) in magnetic confinement experiments are summarized. In total, 121 papers have been contributed to these categories. Interesting results on the coupling between energetic particles, magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), wave–particle interaction, turbulence, SOL physics, and divertors are presented at this conference. For example, control of energetic particle driven MHD by electron cyclotron heating and resonance magnetic perturbation, mitigation of disruption by energetic particle driven MHD, control of decay length by SOL turbulence, and wave scattering by SOL density fluctuations were discussed in this conference. Deeper understanding of these couplings will be essential for the sustainment of high performance steady-state plasma in ITER.