The impact of the GEFTA (Gesellschaft für Thermische Analyse) with the decision in 1996 to withdraw from the proposal as a member of eurostar opened new opportunities for our scientific society, which had been discussed in 1996 and 1997.

A proposal for a change of our Statutes will be made for the GA in Karlsruhe, March 1999, with the goal to keep up dynamic activities of eurostar in the next century.

The main activity of eurostar in 1997 was the organization of the PhandTA 3 a Symposium/Workshop on Pharmacy and Thermal Analysis. The PhandTA 3, which took place from October 12 to 15, was a great success, scientifically as well as judget from the social events.

Of course, the Conference Location "Monte Verità" in Ascona was rather ideal for the over 120 participants with the integrated conference halls, restaurant and hotel at the same place.

Ten Plenary Lecturers, seven Key and nine Short Communications, three Workshops and 37 Poster Presentations in the segment of Applied Physical Chemistry in Pharmacy included many outstanding presentations and vivid scientific discussions.

The integration of the STK in a Joint Meeting on October 14 with the presentation of the two STK Awards is already an usual procedere. Prof. Dr. Jürg Stucki, University of Bern, Award for Applied Chemical Thermodynamics gave the Lecture "Mathematical Modelling of Ca²⁺-Oscillations" and Dr. Annette Bauer-Brandl, University of Freiburg i. Br., STK Award-Young Scientists for "Pharmaceutical Technology" presented the Lecture "Crystal Energies of Polymorphs of Drug Substances and its Relevance to the Manufacture of Solid Dosage Forms: A Case Study".

With "Thermal Analysis in Switzerland" activities of eurostar and STK had been reported by E. Marti and D. Giron, Chimia (1997) 747-750.

We were currently activ to install a web page: http://www.eurostar-science.org. At present contact persons, announcements and programs of conferences can be found world wide.

At the GA 1997 was decided to have another PhandTA, which is now as PhandTA 4, taking place at the Tulla-Hörsaal, University of Karlsruhe from March 23 to 26, 1999. The location had been chosen because Karlsruhe is in the center of Europe and because Prof. Dr. Ing. Ellen Ivers-Tiffée, Awardee of the STK for Applied Chemical Thermodynamics in 1996, is the head of the Institute for Materials and Electrotechnology. Mrs. Ivers-Tiffée has been elected as Prorector of the Fridericiana beginning in October 1998 for the period of two years.

The Organizing Committee of the PhandTA 4 is working hard to present a outstanding Scientific Program.