The two first-light instruments for the GTC, OSIRIS and CanariCam, are now
close to being fully operational and are the subject of separate presentations.
Second-generation instrumentation is currently being constructed, and two new
third-generation instruments were recently selected for funding. Once all is
delivered GTC will possess a very powerful set of instruments for scientific
exploitation, covering a wide range of wavelengths and spectral resolutions,
and allowing important multiplexing capability. In this talk we will give an
overview of the scientific opportunities that will be opened, review the overall
scientific capability and place this on an expected development time line.