Immediately following the announcement of integration professional staff (now with ETG) under took an assignment to assist the region of Jena, Thuringia in former East Germany in linking the privatization process with regional economic strategy. The project was financed by the Treuhandanstalt and Jenoptic Carl Zeiss (JCZ). The project took place at the time that the JCZ had already announced layoffs of over 25,000 workers, with plans for layoffs of 20,000 more. The project undertook the following activities: (1) Presentation of an economic development framework based on market principles. (2) Multiple workshops on current world market trends and technology issues in electro-optics and optical technologies. (3) Organization and management of technology-business development working groups to develop business plans for spin-offs, joint-ventures and collaborative R&D. (4) Organization and management of a regional economic infrastructure strategy process, focusing on retraining, R&D and physical infrastructure. (5) Development of a business plan for a regional economic development organization (JEDCO). (6) Brokering of partnerships between US optoelectronics companies and components of CZJ. The project concluded with presentation of a business plan and limited business introductions. Subsequent to the project new management was brought to CZJ, the state of Thuringia established an economic development organization, became a co-owner of the remaining company, new federal government investment was attracted to the region, a Japanese company located operations in the region.