Three key drivers of change in the world of software are identified, and their impact on a range of software engineering research is assessed. The rise of agile approaches to software development adds further pressure for software process research to develop and evolve processes that are supportive of change while meeting the most stringent needs of society. Two examples of successful process evolution, aimed at highly regulated industries, are outlined as pointers to the future direction of Software Process Research. Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.