Description:
FTI Burgenland is the regional agency for research, innovation and technology of the province of Burgenland. It is owned and funded by the regional government of Burgenland. In 2014, a group of stakeholders from the government, science, industry and knowledge centres defined an RTI strategy. FTI Burgenland was set into operation in 2015 to implement this strategy and actively represents the province at various national institutions; one of the functions of FTI Burgenland is to act as a regional contact point for Horizon 2020 for the Austrian Research Promotion Agency.
One of the central objectives of the RTI-strategy is to make the region of Burgenland “fit for the future”. Starting with the analysis of the initial situation, the RTI vision was developed to serve as a basis for defining strategic focus areas and optimal framework conditions. For a prolonged time, Burgenland has built up areas of excellence, i.e., sustainable energy production and supply, building automation and optoelectronics. According to the principle “to strengthen the strengths, but leave room for the new and unexpected”, three focus areas for Burgenland were defined:
• Sustainable energy
• Sustainable quality of life
• Intelligent processes, technologies and products
The timely achievement of the set goals is tied to the consequent implementation of the subsequent strategic areas:
• Development of increased public-awareness for the importance of RTI
• Advancement of available human resources
• Improvement of research infrastructure
• Services for pre-incorporation candidates, start-ups, SME and existing industry
• Implementation of an RTI-coordination entity
The RTI-strategy Burgenland 2025 supports this objective due to the involvement and synergetic connection of all relevant public and private actors on the regional and federal levels, as well as the integration of selected international partners. To that effect, the subsidization activities of the region will increasingly be oriented towards criteria fostering RTI and existing areas of excellence or areas to be developed. Moreover, the activities to raise national and European research and structural funds will be enhanced.
