Recent achievements in applied homogeneous catalysis are described. Special focus is given on the development of novel palladium catalysts which are of industrial interest for the synthesis of bulk and fine chemicals. Most of the reported work has been done in an intensive collaboration between the Degussa AG (DHC) and the Leibniz-Institut fur Katalyse e.V. The clear vision of the goal and a close interaction of basic research and applied catalysis have led to a fast development from the initial discovery to the upscaling of the ligands. Such a combination of know how from academic and industrial partners will provide the 1 1061 basis for further innovations in catalysis in future.