The aim of the project is to measure and analyse the innovation behaviour of companies in the metropolitan region of Bremen-Oldenburg in the reference period from 2004 to 2006 with a future outlook on 2008. It is based on a survey of companies in the metropolitan region of Bremen-Oldenburg, which in turn is based, in method and content, on the Mannheim Innovationpanel.The project is also linked to a previous study from 2004, in which the innovation activities of companies in the Federal State of Bremen in the period from 2001 to 2003 were examined. The reason for these studies is because of the effort of the State of Bremen, to turn Bremen into one of the leading technology industry locations by 2010. Some important measures that have been undertaken in this context have been summarised in Bremen’s innovation programme, “InnoVision 2010- Bremen’s Innovation Offensive.” The development of the innovation activities in the regional economy of Bremen and its neighbouring regions can be tracked with the help of the current assessment. Thus it will be possible to attain indicators for success and possible new challenges. The main difference, compared to the first study, is that this time the surrounding region will also be considered. There will be an analysis of the share of companies engaging in innovation, the orientation of innovation activities, expenditures associated with innovation and the success of innovations. The innovation behaviour of companies in the metropolitan region of Bremen-Oldenburg will – as in the Bremen innovation report of 2004- be compared to the innovation behaviour of companies located in other metropolitan areas in Germany. The results will be made public in the Bremen innovation report of 2008.