The new program Knowledge Transfer and IPR Exploitation was launched by the BMWFW to strengthen the cooperation between science and economy, and to promote entrepreneurship at Austrian universities. The program was funded with approximately € 20 million and is designed to enhance the ties between basic research, application-orientated research, and the industry. The project is managed by the Austria Wirtschaftsservice GesmbH (aws).

Three regional knowledge transfer centres (East, South and West) as well as a thematic knowledge transfer centre for life sciences at Austrian universities were established to provide more attractive incentives for universities and public-sector research institutions to intensify the transfer of knowledge from science to industry and society.

By strengthening the cooperation and coordination, and by developing coordinated profiles and focuses, the knowledge transfer centres create ideal conditions for an efficient and successfull transfer of scientific research results to the industry and to society, and further for the development of key networks. A special funding was initiated for collaborative projects in the field of arts as well as social and cultural sciences.  

The Knowledge transfer centre 'East' ('WTZ Ost') is a platform that connects research, new knowledge, technologies, inventions and know-how, not only within the universities but also make them accessable to the economy, politics, and our society. The knowledge and technology transfer with all its diverse innovations from different fields of collaboration partners of the 'WTZ Ost' (Arts, Humanities, social and cultural studies, technology, life sciences, medicine and much more) are a great challenge and at the same time our greatest strength. With innovative cooperation projects dealing with technological, economic, creative and social key issues in the transfer process, we want to strengthen our position regionally and build international networks. www.wtz-ost.at

wings4innovation is the initiative of 17 Austrian academic research institutions that aims at establishing an independent Translational Research Centre | TRC in the field of Life Sciences in Austria to transfer breakthrough basic research into commercially valuable assets.

The main focus of this new organization will lie in early stage development of innovative small molecule and biologic drug candidates for human diseases with a high medical need. Once it is fully operative, the TRC intends to become the one-stop-shop for Life Sciences innovation in the region.

Our current objective is to establish early contacts with potential collaborators and customers to exchange expectations and ideas on how to best integrate industry partners capabilities and needs into the set-up of such an initiative

www.w4i.org