Key successes of Austria's three technical universities
Ten years of university autonomy mark a decade of strengthening and future-oriented development of Austrian universities. The track record of Austria's three universities of technology - united in the TU Austria network - is impressive: with almost the same number of staff (financed by the federal government), the number of students has risen by 66 per cent and third-party funding from research funding and economic cooperation has almost tripled.
The growth in the number of students at Austria's three technical universities - TU Wien, Montanuniversität Leoben and TU Graz - is higher than in the rest of the university sector: over 44,000 young people are currently studying at TU Austria universities, an increase of 66 per cent in ten years. In contrast, the number of academic staff financed from the negotiated federal budget has hardly changed: whereas in 2005 there were around 3,600 full-time equivalents, as of 2013 the TU Austria universities only have 300 more full-time equivalents. Key evidence of the performance and innovative strength of TU Austria universities is not least the third-party funding revenue, which has increased by around 12% annually over the last ten years. While income from commissioned and applied research totalled 63 million euros in 2004, by 2013 it had risen to almost 164 million euros.
TU Austria as a central factor in Austria as a high-tech location Harald Kainz, Rector of TU Graz and acting President of TU Austria, explains: "University autonomy was and is the driving force behind our success. In TU Austria, we as technical universities are also pooling our strengths and utilising synergies to further strengthen and position Austria as a location for innovation and science." For example, infrastructure is jointly financed, teaching programmes are coordinated and research is pooled. Kainz continues: "The achievements of the technical universities in teaching and research are the basis for the prosperous development of domestic industry and the economy. And so we are available with concentrated expertise as trainers of the next generation of scientists and engineers for Austria as a high-tech location and as partners for business and industry." The technical focus of the TU Austria universities in engineering and natural science subjects is primarily on energy, materials technology, production engineering, geotechnics, techno-economics, but also information and communication technology.
The three technical universities have their specific strengths and achieve top results in individual areas.
TU Vienna: Top class in patents
In 2013, TU Wien registered a total of 16 patents nationally (up 2 on 2012) and is once again the only university to rank among Austria's most innovative companies. Only four Austrian companies were able to register more patents in 2013 than TU Wien. Rector Sabine Seidler: "It is not only the quantity of TU Wien's patent applications that is impressive, but also their quality. Every year, the Austrian Patent Office presents the INVENTUM Award for the best inventions in the country - TU Wien took three of the ten places on the shortlist. This is impressive proof of the application potential of academic research."
Montanuniversität: Disproportionate increase in third-party funding
Montanuniversität Leoben has been able to significantly increase the share of third-party funds in its total budget over the last 10 years. While the funds from business co-operations and research funding in 2004 were still at € 9 million, in 2013 it was over € 25 million. Wilfried Eichlseder, Rector of Montanuniversität Leoben: "A solid basis of basic research is required in order to be able to acquire successful third-party funded projects. This basic work must be supported by the public sector and is also a basic prerequisite for the continuous development of our society." Montanuniversität Leoben currently employs just under 500 staff funded by third-party R&D projects, which corresponds to 299.7 full-time equivalents.
TU Graz: Top in the COMET programme
The TU Austria universities are the initiators of most COMET activities in Austria, with TU Graz standing out in particular with a total of 29 participations in K-centres or K-projects. Rector Harald Kainz of TU Graz: "The activities of TU Graz in the COMET programme of the FFG have created 1,100 high-quality jobs. Today we have 5 times more employees than 10 years ago. The proceeds from the COMET participations of TU Graz are also impressive: while in 2003 it was € 16.1 million, in 2012 it was already just under € 100 million."
Continuing upward trend
Austria's three universities of technology have seen university autonomy as a great opportunity from the outset and have utilised it to the full over the past ten years. The concrete successes prove the concept of autonomous universities right and are also testimony to the enthusiasm and willpower of the TU Austria universities. "Pointing out successes is legitimate, but resting on your laurels means standing still. In order to continue the upward trend of the technical universities, which is so important not least for Austria's economy, appropriate framework conditions are urgently needed: Progress and cutting-edge research in the natural sciences and technical subjects are particularly infrastructure-intensive and therefore cost-intensive. The decisive factor in the quality of teaching is the staff-to-student ratio, i.e. the human resources. And in order to accelerate the transition from the results of basic research to innovative technology, we need subsidised technology transfer and models for co-financing in the area of third-party funding," emphasise the three TU Austria Rectors Kainz, Seidler and Eichlseder in unison.
TU Austria
Three Austrian Universities of Technology - One Force - United Through Excellence TU Wien, TU Graz and Montanuniversität Leoben founded the "TU Austria" association in 2010. This creates an association in the field of technology and natural sciences with more than 44,000 students, 460 million euros in total assets and 8,800 employees. The mission of TU Austria is to join forces to achieve more in the areas of research, teaching and university policy and to act as a partner for business and industry with concentrated expertise.
Contact us
Mag. Dr Elke Standeker, Bakk. MBA
Secretary General of TU Austria
T: +43-3842-4027013
elke.standeker(at)tuaustria.ac.at
Image: TU Austria, Photo: Matthias Heisler
