For sustainable production of chemicals, new reactions, methods and manufacturing processes must be designed in a safe, compact, flexible and energy efficient manner. One tool to produce chemicals in a more sustainable way is to use various types of catalytic processes. Currently, a paradigm shift is taking place in chemical synthesis and technology through combining organic synthesis, biocatalytic methods as well as homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis into efficient one-pot operations and various domino/cascade- and tandem/sequential-type processes. Several examples are presented, highlighting challenges and opportunities of this approach. (c) 2008 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.