Dear Colleagues and Friends,       It is both my privilege and my pleasure to invite you to the 2008 Annual Con-ference and General Assembly of the Coimbra Group at the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena. Jena, located in Thuringia, the Green Heart of Germany, is one of the centres of dynamic development in Germany. This development is based on a strong network of scientific institutions both inside and outside of the University with top-calibre high-tech industries. In a fascinating combination of a historic, intellectual past, a delightful countryside and innovative, international research and industry, as well as youthful student life, this rich variety creates a unique backdrop which gives this small, lively city its  special charm and inspiring atmosphere. Not surprisingly Jena won a national competition and was awarded the title “City of Science 2008”.

The University is celebrating its 450th anniversary. Founded in 1558, it played a major role in the history of ideas in Germany, such as the centre of German philosophical thought at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century, or as a unique example for the integration of science, technology and industry a hundred years later. This is why “Innovation and Technology Transfer” was chosen as the focus of the plenary session of the Coimbra Group Annual Conference. In addition, a workshop entitled “European Regions of Knowledge: The Role of Universities in Regional Innovation Systems” planed in cooperation with the Task Force Doctoral Studies & Research will be offered to provide an opportunity for a more intense discourse. You will have the opportunity to visit the Beutenberg Campus, a unique combination of research facilities of the university, and of high-ranking research institutes and young high tech companies. You may also want to visit university faculties and departments of your choice to meet with our scientific community, in part some of the most renowned experts in their fields. We also invite you to participate in the festive academic procession through the City of Jena and the following ceremony on the occasion of the 450th anniversary off the University of Jena. Discover Jena through the eyes of Friedrich Schiller and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, or trace the footsteps of Carl Zeiss. Enjoy the narrow lanes of the old quarter and treat your taste buds at the numerous historical restaurants, cafés and bars of this town on the river Saale. I hold high expectations in this Conference, and I invite you to join in the meeting with gusto. Come, and both learn and teach. Let us extend our knowledge and widen our friendship networks. And, last but no least, enjoy the rich cultural environment that Jena and its University offers you. I look forward to meeting you in Jena   Warmly,     Prof. Dr. Klaus Dicke