In April 2011, researchers from diverse background met at the Gulbenkian Institute (Oeiras, Portugal) to discuss the emerging input of biophysics into the field of developmental biology. The scope of the workshop was to bring together scientists working in different model systems and to discuss some of the most recent advances towards understanding how physical forces affect embryonic development. Discussions and talks highlighted two main trends: that many aspects of embryogenesis can be accurately quantified and translated into a limited number of physical forces and biochemical parameters; and that simulations and modeling provide new conceptual interpretations of classical developmental questions.