Extragalactic science and cosmology

Predicting the future scientific needs of the VLT and the ESO community is challenging. However, it is essential that we consider the greatest scientific return given the limited financial resources available. In this talk, I will reflect on the recommendations from previous ESO meetings in the context of cosmology, before looking ahead to the future instrumentation that could revolutionise extragalactic science and cosmology with the VLT in the 2030s and beyond. I will also present the current state of the field for galaxies and cosmology, including the most pressing questions that should be addressed in the coming decade. Finally, I will discuss the importance of data longevity, calibrations, and high quality data reduction support.