5th Higher Education Policy Dialogue

Geopolitical challenges, digital and green transformation or climate change pose various challenges for society and the economy. Europe is determined to play a leading role in the revolution of sustainable technologies. Austria is not only an important production location in the centre of Europe, but also a location for innovation, as Science Minister Martin Polaschek emphasised in his opening speech.
 

Research, technology and innovation are the key levers for overcoming current and future challenges. In addition to the issue of digital sovereignty and resilience, the global technology race is about developing and implementing sustainable and forward-looking technologies and products. The availability of critical raw materials is just as relevant as environmentally friendly processes.
 

TU Austria President Sabine Seidler: ‘Excellent research at universities and research institutions guarantees the necessary expertise to be able to operate successfully at the international forefront.We need solutions for the big questions of our time.Partnerships with industry make it possible to implement these key technologies and integrate them into everyday social life.’
 

Academic excellence and cooperation therefore also contribute directly to Austria's competitiveness. ‘The green and digital transformation presents Austria's society and economy with major challenges.Research at Austria's universities is making an important contribution to overcoming these challenges.Close cooperation between research institutions and industrial companies is therefore particularly important.One important path is the expansion of innovative ecosystems made up of science, industry and start-ups, in which we boldly and consistently drive innovation forward.’ emphasises Christoph Neumayer, Secretary General of the Federation of Austrian Industries.
 

The 5th University Policy Dialogue therefore brought together experts from science, industry and spin-offs in the Kuppelsaal at TU Wien.
 

Philipp Gerbert, General Managing Director of TUM Venture Labs (UnternehmerTUM GmbH - Centre for Innovation and Start-ups at the Technical University of Munich), presented how such a system can be implemented and further developed in his keynote speech ‘Production technologies for the future - from research excellence to an innovation ecosystem using the example of TUM Venture Labs’.
 

The subsequent panel discussion ‘Production of the future - how universities, leading companies and start-ups can build an innovation ecosystem together?’ with the experts
 

• Helmut Antrekowitsch (Head of the Chair of Nonferrous Metallurgy, Montanuniversität Leoben),
• Elisabeth Arnold (Head of new business incubator, voestalpine Stahl GmbH),
• Philipp Gerbert (General Managing Director TUM Venture Labs, UnternehmerTUM GmbH),
• Angela Miltner (Co-Founder & COO Lignovations GmbH, spin-off of the TU Vienna and
• Sonja Wogrin (Head of the Institute for Electricity Economics and Energy Innovation, Graz University of Technology)
   

addressed the question of how a strategic dialogue can be strengthened. How is knowledge transfer made possible and what are the various cooperation options - from R&D cooperation to venture capital? Expectations of each other were also discussed, as was the question of whether each research result should deliver real, marketable results. The common goal is a sustainable and robust innovation ecosystem that accompanies and guides the transformation processes taking place and thus drives them forward in a positive way for society and the economy.
 

Further information:
Dr Elke Standeker, Bakk. MBA
Secretary General of TU Austria
T: +43 3842 402 7013
elke.standeker(at)tuaustria.ac.at