TREND Conference

Knowledge Management in Slovakia

10. November 2004, Radisson SAS Carlton Hotel, Bratislava

Some Austrian Approaches to Support

Knowledge Transfer and Innovation

Manfred Horvat
Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG)
 Contents
Austria: some key data
Science & research - government - business
Taking an active approach
Aspects of knowledge management in the
Austrian innovation system
R&D expenditure in Austria
creating a favourable environment:
institutions for university industry cooperation
supporting participating in EU RTD activities
House of Research
 Austria: Some key data

 Area: 83.871 sq km
 population: 8,048 mio. (2003)
 rate of higher education: 5,83 %
 total RSE per 1000 labour force: 4,7 (2000)
 GDP (2003): 204 billion $
 R&D expenditure in % of GDP 2,27 % (2004 est.)
 ratio public 7 private expenditures 45 % / 55 %
Science & research - government - business

The „Triple Helix“ ...

Technology development and innovation as an

interactive process involving many actors
importance of a supportive environment
providing a well designed set of instruments
facilitating university-industry communication:
from transfer to interaction
develop efficient National Innovation System
utilize European Research & Innovation Area
 Constitution of National Innovation Systems
© ics intellectual capital services

8.International Links & Infrastructure

3.Public&
non-profit R&D:
6.Clusters 7.Domestic and
4.Public 5.Linkages
International
Good Customers

2.Education

1.People and Culture

9.IP 10. Risk Finance 11.Rewards/ Incentives

12. Government Policy, Funding and Procurement Institutions

 Taking a proactive approach
Support your innovation capacity by cooperating

Establish contacts and cooperation with

firms, universities and research organisations

screen the capacities for R&D information,
promotion, communication and cooperation,
information sources, funding possibilities

develop your short, medium and longtern
research and innovation portfolio

Aspects of knowledge management in
the Austrian innovation system
Government measures promoting R&D and
innovation






 Research expenditure in % of GDP
Research Expenditure in % of GDP A substantial growth from 1998 to 2004
2,5 2,27
2,18
1,95
2
1,78

1,5

0,5

0
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Year

Total research spending in 2004: 5,3 billion €

Government plan 2006: 2,5 %, 2010: 3,0 %
Creating a favourable environment for

R&D and innovation in Austria

Re-organisation of the science and research
promotion system in Austria


Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG)


tax incentives for R&D
preparing an Austrian Innovation Strategy
 Starting 1 September ´04:
Austrian Research Promotion Agency
A corporation merged from 4 organisations

Board:15 members O w n e rs
5: ministries B M V IT , B M W A
3: WKO, IV, AK
2: industry
5: employees‘ represent. B o a rd
+ 3 advisory members:
2 RFTE, 1 ÖGB; 1 FWF 2 D ir e c to r s Extended directorate

P r o m o tio n o f S c ie n c e / In d u s try A e r o n a u tic s In te r n a t. R e s e a r c h

R e s e a r c h & T e c h n o lo g y C o o p e r a tio n and and
S pace T e c h n o lo g y C o o p e r a tio n

Advisory Board Advisory Board Advisory Board Advisory Board

FFF TIG ASA BIT

 Austrian Research Promotion Agency
(FFG)
Combined measures and activities

„bottom up“ promotion of RTD projects

management of strategic RTD programmes
information & assistance for researchers
participation in EU RTD networks
agency function at EU & international level
representation in EU & internat. committees
 Funding of R&D projects in AT
FFG - Industrial Research Promotion (ex FFF)

„Bottom up“ funding of individual projects


„strategic programmes“ in selected
technology areas

 Programmes to support institutions
for university industry cooperation
FFG - Science / Industry Cooperation (ex TIG)
Competence Centre Programmes
plus
indnet
AplusB programme
FH plus
Christian Doppler Association
Christian Doppler Laboratories
 plus

 K plus: Austrian Centres of Competence

 promoting co-operation between science and
industry in joint research centres
 corporations, ~ 15 partner companies
 about 800 researchers and support staff in
18 K plus centres doing research involving
about 300 industrial & 150 research partners
 co-funding by federal and regional
authorities - 40 - 60% of real cost
 total research volume: € 400 mio (7 years)
 K plus and international cooperation
FFG - Science / industry cooperation (ex TIG)

Foreign firms can participate in the Programme





Foreign research partners as core partners or
loosely cooperating partners
www.kplus.at
 K ind and K net
FFG - Science / industry cooperation (ex TIG)
K ind: 14 industrial centres of competence

K net: 7 networks of competence

K ind and K net build on and further develop
existing know how into industrial applications
responsible bodies: corporation, association,
consortia
funding: at least 40 % from private companies
 AplusB Centres
FFG - Science / industry cooperation (ex TIG)

Increasing the numbers of academic spin offs

from universities and Fachhochschulen
since 2002: 6 AplusB centres established




partners: universities, Fachhochschulen, non-
university research organsations
 Christian Doppler Laboratories
Christian Doppler Association

26 CD-Labs established at universities

cooperation universities (9) and industry (40)
focus on application oriented basic research
and technology transfer
evaluation based on


industrial funding is doubled by „matching
funds“
 Supporting RTD cooperation in the EU+
FFG - Division for International Research and
Technology Cooperation (BIT)
FFG/BIT is ...
 Hosting Austrian National Contact Point for all
specific EU RTD and other intern‘l programmes
 a partner in international networks for
collaborative RTD and TT: e.g. NCPs, IRCs,
EUREKA, OPETs, EICs,
 a partner in and co-ordinator of EU projects
supporting the FFG/BIT objectives & strategies
 > 60 staff including about 40 experts
 the gateway to RTD partners from Austria
 FFG/BIT: Core services & activities
 providing information on EU & int. RTD for 28.000
persons from 14.000 organisations in Austria
 assistance & coaching for proposers






 targeted training for proposers
 organising active stimulation measures
 promoting technology transfer (IRCA)
 monitoring the Austrian participation in FP6
 NCP support for newcomer countries
 FFG/BIT‘s client base
ca. 14.000 organisations ca. 28.000 persons
Annual growth rate: ~ 2.000 persons
UNI
OTH 10% UNI
ROR OTH
22% 22%
8% 26%

ROR
9%

IND
IND
43%
60%
More than 40% of the client organisations are in active contact
with FFG/BIT - theirsuccess rate is significantly higher than
that of organisations without direct contact to FFG/BIT











Austria in the EU Framework Programmes

FP4 (1994-1998):
 > 1000 successful organisations
 > 1.900 participations in ~ 1.450 projects
 € 199 Mio EU funding
 10.000 participations from abroad
 ~ 72 % financial return

FP5 (1998-2002):
 ~ 1000 successful organisations
 ~1.980 participations in ~1.380 projects
 ~ € 300 Mio EU funding
 > 12.000 participations from abroad
 ~ 100% financial return

FP6 (2003-2006), as of to date: >800 participations

 Benefits from EU RTD cooperation
Feedback from entreprises participating in EU FP

 additional financial and other resources

 strengthening international competitiveness
 achieving critical mass for RTD
 sharing the risks and the opportunities for
developing new knowledge and innovation
 getting international, finding strategic partners
 gaining information, orientation and know how
 personnel and organisational development
 international benchmarking
 image and reputation
 The FFG/BIT Initiative:
„Partnership for Research“

Making strategic use of the

Marie Curie Mobility Scheme for preparing the
ground for long-term RTD co-operation
 identifying Austrian host organisations
 promoting Marie Curie fellows from abroad to Austria
and vice versa
 preparing a EU RTD project as integrated part of the
Marie Curie training
 stimulating mobility of AT researchers to go abroad
http://www.bit.ac.at/partnership
 House of Research
Spring 2006

 A one-stop shop!
 hosting all science,
research and technology
promotion organisations
 creating synergies by
close cooperation and
coordination
 utilizing joint
administration and
support structures
 Main characteristics of recent
developments of R&D in Austria
Accelerated efforts for change and innovation
of entreprises, particularly SMEs
CIS: leading innovation rate of SMEs
4th CIS rank: innovator rate in manufacturing
3rd CIS rank: innovation output
27 % increase in business R&D expenditure
24 % increase of public R&D expenditure
36 % increase of R&D funds from abroad
Barcelona objective seems feasible for AT!
 Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG),
International Research and Technology Cooperation (BIT)
Donau City Straße 1, A 1220 Wien
Tel: +43 (0)5 7755-4001
Fax: +43 (0)5 7755-4099
Email: manfred.horvat@ffg.at
www.ffg.at, www.bit.ac.at