Catalysis represents an important discipline of chemistry, since it offers a number of widely recognized benefits — catalysed reactions can be mediated under mild conditions, proceeding with high conversion and selectivity. This allows even complicated products to be obtained in high yield without by-products and with little waste. Thus, properly optimised catalysed reactions can fulfil the requirements for “green” chemical production. New goals for catalysis are constantly being identified, including the sustainable production of valuable chemicals from renewable sources. Immobilisation of catalysts is another important aspect, as the supported catalysts can not only be more easily separated from the desired product but also reused several times, thus reducing the cost of the chemical process. Immobilised catalysts can also offer some unexpected advantages, such as increased selectivity and stability. The importance of these developments is now widely appreciated and more and more exciting results are to be expected from collaboration between academic and industrial scientists.
 
The symposium hotel is located in Potsdam near Berlin, directly on the banks of the Griebnitzsee. The setting and the limited number of 50 participants including 20 invited speakers provide a convivial atmosphere for the ready exchange of thoughts and ideas.