In a retrospective view the period of the International Conferences on Circulating Fluidized Beds against the background of emerging demands in energy and raw materials supply is outlined. Growing world population and sustainable development call for efficient and economic processes preferably with the highest possible integrated pollution control. Gas-solid reactors for fine particles such as CFB-risers and downers increasingly compete with long established reaction systems and gain increasing acceptance in manifold new processing route. They allow not only for clean electricity from low-grade coal but also to supply raw materials to different processing industries with less environmental burdens in an even economic way. New CFB-processing routes will be explained with examples from utility, cement, steel and petrochemical industries. CFB research and development have to concentrate upon risers and downers as well, as single units or integrated into a processing system. The resulting systems approach in CFB development requires the optimal use of innovative basic research results from different professional disciplines in university and industry and the cooperation between users and plant constructors as well.