The 2018 European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress in Paris, France, highlighted the subject of pulmonary vascular disease (PVD). 2018 was an exciting year for the PVD community as it was the first ERS International Congress since the formation of Assembly 13, which is dedicated to PVD, pulmonary embolism and the right ventricle.This article aims to summarise the high-quality studies presented at the 2018 Congress into four subject areas: the use of risk stratification in pulmonary arterial hypertension, the molecular mechanisms and treatment of pulmonary hypertension (PH), understanding and improving the right ventricle in PH, and finally, advances in the field of acute pulmonary embolus.