  Over the last decade observations at submillimetre (submm) and millimetre
(mm) wavelengths, with their unique ability to trace molecular gas and dust,
have attained a central role in our exploration of galaxies at all redshifts.
Due to the limited sensitivities and angular resolutions of current submm/mm
telescopes, however, only the most luminous objects have been uncovered at high
redshifts, with interferometric follow-up observations succeeding in resolving
the dust and gas reservoirs in only a handful of cases. The coming years will
witness a drastic improvement in the current situation, thanks to the arrival
of a new suite of powerful submm observatories (single-dish and
interferometers) with an order of magnitude improvement in sensitivity and
resolution. In this overview I outline a few of what I expect to be the major
advances in the field of galaxy formation and evolution that these new
ground-breaking facilities will facilitate.
