3rd Higher Education Policy Dialogue of TU Austria & IV on the topic of “Gamechanger Digitalization”
The 3rd Higher Education Policy Dialogue took place in the Kuppelsaal of the Vienna University of Technology on Monday, September 13, 2021.In the presence of Federal Minister Heinz Faßmann, the discussion focused on how science and business can take advantage of the opportunities offered by internationalization and digitalization.
The increasing dynamics of digitalization are opening up new opportunities, but also challenges for Austria's science and industry. At the 3rd Higher Education Policy Dialogue, renowned representatives from science and industry discussed this topic.
In her welcoming address, host and Rector of the Vienna University of Technology Sabine Seidler addressed the importance of the digitalization process. “Digitalization itself, or rather the digital transformation, requires permanent technological and social innovation. This is what Austria's three technical universities stand for.”
“With regard to digitalization, TU Austria is pursuing the goal of further intensifying the networking of engineering departments with the methods of computer science and mathematics. This increases the performance of known methods, but above all opens up new possibilities,” emphasized Wilfried Eichlseder, Rector of the University of Leoben and current President of TU Austria, in his opening statement.
Georg Knill, President of the Federation of Austrian Industries, discussed the importance of digitalization, especially for the manufacturing industry in Austria: “Digitalization is a key location factor and holds enormous potential for industry - as well as for the state and society as a whole - which we must exploit. It pays to be among the best here: according to the latest study 'The Digital Dividend', companies with a high level of digitalization achieve greater sales and productivity growth as well as stronger employee growth than companies that rely less on digitalization. A successful digital future requires an environment that promotes innovation. And this environment must also be characterized by a proactive transfer of knowledge and technology between science and industry. Strengthening strategic cooperation between industry and science can secure the international competitiveness of Austrian industry and drive forward the digital transformation.”
Federal Minister of Education, Science and Research Heinz Faßmann presented the RTI Strategy 2030 and the ambitious objectives for Austrian universities. “The digital transformation poses major challenges not only for companies, but also for our universities and scientific institutions. At the same time, however, digitalization also offers many opportunities and potential for improvement. Even closer cooperation between science and business will make a significant contribution to putting innovations from basic and applied research into practice and make Austria fit for the future. We must therefore focus even more on the effectiveness of excellent research in the future.
Keynote speech on the topic of cooperation between science and business
Günther Schuh, Managing Director of RWTH Aachen Campus GmbH, then gave his keynote speech on the topic of “Enrolled companies - rethinking cooperation between science and business”. RWTH Aachen University is considered a pioneer in terms of cooperation between business and science. Interdisciplinary teams from the university, major research institutions and industrial consortia work together there to drive forward sustainable innovations and create a fruitful ecosystem for technology transfer.
Panel discussion
The concluding panel discussion on the topic of “What opportunities and challenges does digitalization bring and how can this be used for successful knowledge and technology transfer between science and industry? “: Federal Minister Heinz Faßmann, Günther Schuh (Managing Director of RWTH Aachen Campus GmbH), Elisabeth Engelbrechtsmüller-Strauß (CEO of Fronius International GmbH), Stefanie Lindstaedt (Director of the Institute for Interactive Systems & Data Science at Graz University of Technology and Managing Director of Know-Center GmbH Research Center for Data-Driven Business & Big Data Analytics), Barbara Sanchez Solis (Head of the Center for Research Data Management at Vienna University of Technology) and Thomas Plank (CEO of Tributech Solutions GmbH). The panelists discussed the latest developments in the field of digitalization and their impact on educational institutions and industry from their respective perspectives.
Further information:
TU Austria:
Mag. Dr. Elke Standeker, Bakk. MBA
Secretary General of TU AustriaT: +43 3842 402 7013
elke.standeker(at)tuaustria.ac.at
https://www.tuaustria.ac.at/
