Austrian Research and Technology Report 2008

192 Pages·2008·1.51 MB·English

Austrian Research and
Technology Report 2008
Report under Section 8 (1) of the Research
Organisation Act, on federally subsidised
research, technology and innovation in Austria
Austrian Research and Technology Report 2008
Owners, Authors and Publishers:

Federal Ministry of Science and Research

Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology

Federal Ministry of Economics and Labour

1010 Vienna

All rights reserved

No parts of this publication may be reproduced except when the source is referenced.

Translated by Trisha Kovacic-Young

Designed and produced by Peter Sachartschenko & Susanne Spreitzer OEG, Vienna

Cover photo: MEV

Printed by:

AV+Astoria Druckzentrum GmbH, 1030 Vienna

Vienna © 2008
Preface
Preface
Vorwort
Experience shows that prosperity and progress goal of broadening the base for research and
in our society are nourished by the fruits of development in Austria to bolster the objec­
science, research and innovation. What be­ tives of Lisbon and Barcelona.
gins as pure scientifc inquiry often yields a
completely new type of product in the end. To prepare for the period after 2010, the gov­
The Austrian federal government has com­ ernment launched its Research Dialogue and
mitted itself to a platform of securing lasting System Evaluation in Alpbach in 2007. The
economic growth with an increase in both the results of these initiatives will be integrated
quantity and quality of jobs. Modern frontier into the national RTI strategy to support and
research is one of the key engines for driv­ expand the long-term role of Austria as a des­
ing progress on all fronts and making such tination for science and research. The aim
progress accessible to businesses through ap­ of our joint efforts is to improve the climate
plication-oriented research. Numerous gov­ for research and innovation and their signif­
ernment projects such as the Excellence Ini­ cance for the future of our society.
tiative for Science, the COMET Programme
for Competence Centres, the Innovation It is our sincere hope that the Research and
Voucher and efforts to promote research at Technology Report 2008 will contribute to
institutions of higher education (universities this effort as a barometer of Austria’s RTI en­
and universities of applied sciences) share the vironment!
Dr. Johannes Hahn Werner Faymann
Federal Minister for Science and Research Federal Minister for Transport, Innovation
and Technology
Austrian Research and Technology Report 2008 3
Content
Table of Contents
Inhalt
Executive Summary 9

1 Current Developments in the Austrian Innovation System 13

1.1 Development of R&D expenditures in Austria 13

1.2 Austria’s position on the European Innovation Scoreboard 2007 17

1.2.1 Introductory comment 17

1.2.2 EIS 2007 Indicators 18

1.2.3 Austria’s relative position 20

1.2.4 The Summary Innovation Index 22

1.2.5 Summary 26

1.3 New Instruments in Austrian Research and Technology Policy 26

1.3.1 Innovation Voucher 26

1.3.2 Climate and Energy Funds 27

1.3.3 Austrian Research Dialogue 27

2 Innovation in the Business Sector 29

2.1 Austria’s technological innovators 29

2.1.1 Austria’s patent specialisation in the course of time 30

2.1.2 Austria’s position in individual felds of technology 32

2.1.3 Summary 36

2.2 The effect of private equity and venture capital on companies’ innovation and growth 37

2.2.1 Introduction 37

2.2.2 Data and methods 38

2.2.3 Empirical results 39

2.2.4 Summary and economic policy-oriented evaluation 44

2.3 Development and structural composition of R&D intensities in the Austrian business sector

in 2004 in comparison with other OECD countries 45

2.3.1 Introduction 45

2.3.2 Diffculties encountered when making an international comparison of

R&D expenditures in the business sector 47

2.3.3 Data 48

2.3.4 International comparison of R&D expenditures in the business sector 48

2.3.5 Industry-specifc breakdown of R&D intensities in the Austrian business sector 51

2.3.6 Summary 53

Austrian Research and Technology Report 2008 5
Content
2.4 Innovation and climate protection 54

2.4.1 Introduction 54

2.4.2 Guidelines and strategies for energy effciency, climate protection and

environmental technologies 57

2.4.3 The Austrian environmental technology industry 59

2.4.4 Climate-relevant aid programmes in Austria 62

2.4.5 Summary 67

3 Universities in Transition 69

3.1 The development of third-party funding at Austrian universities 69

3.1.1 Development of the structure of university fnancing 69

3.1.2 Amount of third-party funding by companies on an industry level 71

3.1.3 Summary 74

3.2. University development: Positioning on the basis of key indicators

from the intellectual capital report 75

3.2.1 The intellectual capital report under the 2002 Universities Act 75

3.2.2 The intellectual assets of the university: Human, structural and relationship capital 76

3.2.3 Research and development as a core process of the universities 79

3.2.4 Outputs in Research and Development 80

3.2.5 Summary 82

3.3 Doctoral study in Austria: International comparison and empirical survey of doctoral candidates 82

3.3.1 The European doctorate 82

3.3.2 New forms of doctoral study in Europe 84

3.3.3 Distinctive features and initiatives in Austria 86

3.3.4 Doctoral studies in Austria from the students’ perspective 87

3.3.5 “Careers of Doctorate Holders” survey in Austria, 2007 94

4 Internationalisation of the Austrian Innovation System 99

4.1 R&D activities of Austrian frms abroad 99

4.1.1 Measuring the R&D conducted by Austrian corporations abroad 100

4.1.2 Development of R&D activities abroad by Austrian corporations 100

4.1.3 Actors and strategies 103

4.1.4 Does outsourced R&D replace or complement domestic R&D? 104

4.1.5 Summary 105

4.2 China as a location for Austrian corporate R&D 105

4.2.1 The attractiveness of the Chinese (research) market 105

4.2.2 Austrian company activities in China 108

4.2.3 Summary 113

4.3 Austria in the European Research Area 113

4.3.1 The concept of the European research area (ERA) 113

4.3.2 Implementation of the European Research Area 114

th
4.4 Austria in the 6 EU Framework Programme 119

4.4.1 Austria’s participation in the Sixth EU Framework Programme – results at a glance 119

4.4.2 Funds and Returns 120

4.4.3 Summary 122

6 Austrian Research and Technology Report 2008
Content
5 Women in Research, Development and Innovation 123

5.1 Introduction 123

5.2 Women in research and development – Employment trends 124

5.2.1 Employment conditions in the university sector 126

5.2.2 Research funding and the employment situation 130

5.2.3 Employment conditions in the business sector 131

5.2.4 Research personnel in natural science and technical research facilities

outside the university 132

5.2.5 About the situation of female scientists in technically oriented research

outside the university: Trends of the last three years 133

5.3 Gender and excellence: Using strategies for excellence against the gender bias 134

5.4 Women’s careers in research and technology 136

5.4.1 Gender-specifc careers 136

5.4.2 The career form of self-employment 137

5.5 Conclusion 138

Literature 143

Statistical Annex 153

Austrian Research and Technology Report 2008 7
Executive Summary
Executive Summary
Kurzfassung
The Austrian Research and Technology Re­ The most recent issue of the European In­
port is an annual compilation of current sta­ novation Scoreboard also gives high marks to
tistics, fndings and assessments on research, Austria for innovation. Austria scored eighth
technology and innovation policy in Austria, in the overall ranking, placing it securely
providing an overview of Austria’s position in in the middle of the feld alongside Luxem­
this policy feld. This year’s report was com­ bourg, Ireland, France, Belgium and the Neth­
missioned by the Federal Ministry of Science erlands. Since 2003, Austria has also shown
and Research (BMWF), the Federal Ministry the most dynamic performance among the
for Transport, Innovation and Technology EU-15 countries, with an upward tendency.
(BMVIT) and the Federal Ministry of Econom­ As in past years, the group of “innovation
ics and Labour (BMWA) with the cooperation leaders” includes countries such as Sweden,
1
of STATISTIK AUSTRIA and tip . Finland, Denmark and Germany.
In 2007, Austrian research and technology
policies made signifcant strides in the devel­
Current Developments in the Austrian Innovation
System opment of this policy feld by introducing an
Innovation Voucher, establishing a Climate
The year 2008 will continue the very positive and Energy Fund and launching the Austrian
trend in research and development spending Research Dialogue. Only in the coming years
in Austria. STATISTIK AUSTRIA expects an will we be able to fully assess the impact and
R&D share (relative to GDP) of 2.63%, up results of these activities.
from 2.55% (2007). This puts Austria’s R&D
rate ahead of both the EU member states’ av­
Innovation in the Business Sector
erage and the comparable value among OECD
member states. Austrian businesses have greatly intensifed
In recent years, this trend was especially their research efforts in the past ten years.
dynamic in the share of the business sector, Austria joins Germany, Denmark and Finland
which fnances the lion’s share of Austria’s among the EU countries with the sharpest
R&D expenditures. The public sector’s share rise in R&D expenditure in the business sec­
of funding also saw substantial growth. tor relative to GDP. This quantitative growth
1 Tip (www.tip.ac.at) is a consulting programme for research, technology and innovation policy and a joint project of the Austrian In­
stitute of Economic Research (WIFO), Joanneum Research (JR) and the Austrian Research Centers (ARC). This report was written
by Bernhard Dachs (coordination, ARC), Claudia Steindl (coordination, ARC), Martin Berger (JR), Helmut Gassler (JR), Werner Hölzl
(WIFO), Daniela Kletzan (WIFO), Angela Köppl (WIFO), Karl-Heinz Leitner (ARC), Brigitte Nones (JR), Michael Peneder (WIFO), Andreas
Reinstaller (WIFO), Doris Schartinger (ARC), Ingrid Schacherl (JR), Andreas Schibany (JR), Helene Schiffbänker (JR), Nicole Schaffer (JR),
Gerhard Streicher (JR), Fabian Unterlass (WIFO) and Georg Zahradnik (ARC).
Austrian Research and Technology Report 2008 9
Executive Summary
in innovation activities is accompanied by a One of the major long-term challenges to
qualitative change in Austria’s business sec­ policymakers is coping with climate change.
tor. Technological innovations are among the
One sign of this qualitative change can be key solutions here as well, because a change
seen by analysing the Austrian patent port­ toward sustainable and climate-friendly eco­
folio. Austria has held onto its traditional nomic structures requires the development
strengths in material sciences, machine tools of radically new technological solutions over
and construction, while weaknesses in infor­ the long term. Targeted technology fund­
mation technology, medical technology and ing programmes can accelerate this change,
semiconductors have been lessened or turned generating effects that are good for both the
into strengths. The fnding that Austria is ecology and the economy. In addition to de­
specialised primarily in low- and medium­ livering greater independence from energy
level technologies is only partly true. imports and reduced emissions, investing in
This same qualitative and quantitative the development of energy- and emission­
change in the Austrian business sector is efficient technologies can also create export
also evident from an industry-level perspec­ opportunities for the producers of environ­
tive: Nearly all industries increased their mental technologies. The Austrian envi­
R&D intensity. At the same time, a gradual ronmental technology industry has already
structural change toward more R&D-inten­ proven in the past that innovations – pushed
sive industries can also be seen. Despite clear by regulations – contribute to dynamic eco­
signs of change, however, the analysis is still nomic development.
based on the assessment that the “Austrian
structural paradox” persists. Austrian busi­
Universities in Transition
nesses are strongly specialised in traditional
Universities are the most important source
industries, where they are also highly com­
of new scientifc insights within the inno­
petitive.
vation system. Universities are also needed
Founding a company requires capital –
to train highly qualifed human resources.
capital that small, young and innovative
Participation in the Bologna process and the
companies in particular are often unable to
enactment of the Universities Act 2002 have
raise through traditional sources of funding.
done much to help universities succeed in
This leads to a key role for private equity and
this dual role and will continue to infuence
venture capital in funding innovation and
development in the coming years.
growth. A reduction of welfare losses due to
One example of this is the trend in third­
market failures, a positive contribution to
party funding of Austrian universities. The
the overall economic structural change and
share of non-earmarked public funding that
additional growth incentives: three good rea­
universities receive is falling. At the same
sons why policymakers should pay close at­
time, the proportion of funds from propos­
tention to private equity and venture capital.
al-oriented research is rising, with much of
The primary focus here, besides the necessity
this money coming from the Science Fund.
of public funding, is on creating optimal con­
The share of university funding coming from
ditions.
10 Austrian Research and Technology Report 2008