AbstractWhen Professor Luis Oro turns over the middle of June, he will be 70 years old, and he will be completing a cycle of almost half a century (48 years) dedicated to chemical research in the field of organometallics and homogeneous catalysis, and in general to the development of chemistry. In this aim, he has assumed different and complementary responsibilities, from leading innovative research projects, to the formation of professional scientists for academia or the chemical industry, from the direction of the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry, to that of diverse editorial management consortia or even having taken the responsibility of guiding the overall Spanish scientific policy.It has been a long trek done with tons of enthusiasm, excellent companions and plenty of generosity. It is our pleasure and privilege to walk around the main steps of Professor Oro’s life; a life dedicated to investigate and to work to situate chemical research, and science in general, in the proper place it should be in our modern society.