Jena is a compact university and research city in Thuringia that blends historical character with a modern scientific culture. Set in the Saale valley and surrounded by limestone hills, it offers a calm setting for focused exchange, with many venues and sights a short walk or tram ride from the center. Two central train stations (Paradies and West) and a straightforward tram network make transfers short; green riverfront paths, the historic market square, the Botanical Garden, the Zeiss Planetarium, and the JenTower observation deck are all within easy reach.

Home to Friedrich Schiller University and a dense network of research institutes, Jena has a long tradition in optics and photonics shaped by Zeiss, Abbe, and Schott—an ecosystem that naturally supports research-driven conferences. The city’s research landscape also includes the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology, and the Helmholtz Institute Jena, fostering collaboration across materials science, photonics, and the life sciences.

The conference will be held at Friedrich Schiller University Jena’s Rosensäle. The venue is easy to reach by public transportation and by car, with quick connections to the city center and major points of interest. Its historic halls blend period architecture with modern infrastructure and barrier-free access—just steps from the Botanical Garden and the central campus.