The Electronic and Instrumentation Center (Centro de Electrónica e Instrumentação, CEI) has been recently created in the Physics Department of the University of Coimbra. The research areas of the Electronics and Instrumentation Center (CEI) are Atomic and Nuclear Instrumentation, Biomedical Instrumentation, Plasma Physics Instrumentation, Microelectronics, Optical Signal Processing and Telemetry and Industrial Control. The CEI counts nowadays with more than 26 permanent members including schoolmasters, researchers and technicians, as well as with up to 10 students currently preparing their final year projects in the Physics Engineering degree. The CEI keeps a close cooperation with several national and international institutions that develop work in common research areas with unquestionable scientific results. Among these, special reference should be made on the work performed along with the Centro de Fusão Nuclear (Nuclear Fusion Center) of the Instituto Superior Técnico of Lisbon as well as that performed with Biomedical Institute for Light and Image Research (IBILI), where is responsible for the Instrumentation and Biomaterials' Department. Concerning the teaching practice, CEI strongly supports the Instrumentation branch of the Physics Engineering degree as well as the new Instrumentation and Microelectronics Master degree with all its specialization branches. This center has great deal of concern with the community services promoted during the last years by regular cooperation with several national companies, consulting services, conference participation, symposia as well as the coordination of several Ciência Viva projects promoted by the National Science and Technology National Ministry.