Acknowledgements

Thanks to generous support by many chemical and pharmaceutical companies from Switzerland, Europe, and the USA, the continuity of this unique Conference has been guaranteed.

The principle of industrial participation in exchange for Conference support was established early on and has generated a solid financial basis for the Conference; it is also a continuous motivation for the organizers to strive for highest quality in all aspects of the Conference.

Much appreciated support by the European Science Foundation (ESF) from 1991 to 2003 formed the basis for the Junior Scientists Participation (JSP) Program, which facilitates attendance for promising young scientists at the beginning of their academic careers. The JSP Program has also been supported by the Division of Fundamental Research of the Swiss Chemical Society. All these contributions have been instrumental in maintaining this highly successful program.