In this roundtable discussion from iwCAR-T 2026, a panel of experts in cell therapy for solid tumours discuss the current state of CAR T-cell therapy beyond hematological malignancies. The panel explores key challenges including target selection, T-cell persistence, and the immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment, alongside emerging strategies such as armoured CARs, combination approaches with targeted therapies, and in vivo CAR T-cell generation. The discussion also addresses the importance of patient selection and earlier lines of therapy, and considers how academic–industry partnerships and evolving manufacturing technologies may shape the future of the field.