Book excerpt: In September 2013 the VDZ extended a warm welcome to the delegates of the 7th International VDZ Congress "Process Technology of Cement Manufacturing". From 25 - 27 September the congress again served as a forum for the cement industry, with engineers, researchers and equipment suppliers sharing their knowledge on state-of-the-art cement manufacturing technology. Nearly forty speakers from around the world reported on their specialist fields. More than six hundred participants from almost 50 countries heard lectures on topics of high relevance to those working along the value chain of cement and concrete. In times of an about-turn in energy policy, sustainability, energy efficiency and the use of natural resources were again key topics, as well as technical advancement in grinding and burning technology. An outlook on future developments in the global cement and energy markets and research reports on new cements completed the congress programme. Even if the global economy is still facing enormous challenges and the economic growth of the emerging countries has slowed down, cement remains a building material without which modern society could not function. Technological progress and the predicted increase in global demand for cement are the basis for the future growth of our industry. The VDZ Congress 2013 has once again illustrated how cement producers and users, researchers and equipment suppliers can work together to successfully master the challenges our industry faces.