The number of design and processing requirements in the chemical and biochemical industries are increasing to adapt to rapidly changing markets and the global competition, as well as to shift toward more sustainable production and to meet the need for new and innovative products. Hence, more efficient processes are needed. Reactive and membrane-assisted distillation can achieve higher efficiencies and high capacities. They are believed to be important technologies for retrofitting existing processes and for incorporation into future processes for efficient and flexible (bio)chemical production. This manuscript aims to briefly summarize past research with a more detailed view on current research areas within the application, modeling, design and optimization of reactive- and membrane-assisted distillation processes, with a special focus on pervaporation, vapor permeation and organic solvent nanofiltration. By identifying the current challenges combined with future perspectives of the chemical processing industry, a personal opinion on future research trends, needs and challenges for these technologies is given. These technologies need to be addressed to increase trust in the potential and reliability of reactive- and membrane-assisted distillation, which would enable the intensification of manufacturing processes. (C) 2013 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.