In 1993, the 1st European Congress of Catalysis was held in Montpellier, France. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of this well established meeting, EuropaCatXI will take place in Lyon, France, in 2013. Today, catalysis is at the centre of major societal concerns about energy, environment and sustainable development. To meet these challenges, an interdisciplinary approach from molecules to materials and processes is required, joining efforts from heterogeneous, homogeneous and enzymatic catalysis. The ambition of EuropaCatXI is to cover the most advanced research topics in these fields and to pave the way for future research challenges. A general focus will concern the comparison between approaches involving fossil versus renewable resources and the replacement of noble metals by new catalytic materials. We hope you will have an unforgettable EuropaCat conference in 2013, and look forward to meeting you in the wonderful city of Lyon!