diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 9aaea84239d269a87954af91e0bdc82208ea5fd4..b512b20d9f18fceca29f842e5cfc7ef1f6fe34ee 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ project(DD4hep)
 
 # project version
 SET( DD4hep_VERSION_MAJOR 0 )
-SET( DD4hep_VERSION_MINOR 2 )
+SET( DD4hep_VERSION_MINOR 3 )
 SET( DD4hep_VERSION_PATCH 0 )
 
 SET( DD4hep_VERSION "${DD4hep_VERSION_MAJOR}.${DD4hep_VERSION_MINOR}" )
diff --git a/doc/release.notes b/doc/release.notes
index f2954ac0f9bf4a730c2be4dbaa897d341d884be1..202ce35dcbc549907cd64902c3e945c548eb53f0 100644
--- a/doc/release.notes
+++ b/doc/release.notes
@@ -1,6 +1,14 @@
 DD4hep  ----  Release Notes
 =================================
 
+ --------
+| v00-03 |  third beta release ...
+ --------   - broken geometry (for some rotations/translations)
+            - 'backup release' before placement options 
+               will be reduced
+
+
+
  --------
 | v00-02 |  second beta release ...
  --------