This overview addresses technical, biological and medicinal aspects of vanadium chemistry with special emphasis directed towards recent developments in industrial areas and (potential) pharmacological applications, along with novel insight into vanadium compounds occurring in, or associated with, living organisms. This includes the model character and potentiality of some of these systems for application domains. Focal points are industrial processes such as oxidation and polymerisation catalysis, vanadium-based batteries, breathing metal-organic frame-works, and quantum information, along with environmental concern. Examples for the latter aspect are the detoxification of exhaust gases, and the (bacterial) detoxification of soils and water. With respect to pharmacological and thus health issues, diabetes and tropical diseases (sleeping sickness, Chagas disease, leishmaniasis and amoebiasis) are accentuated.