4th Session

The fourth session of FORWIT took place on 11 November 2024. After an informative working breakfast with Federal Minister Polaschek and Federal Minister Gewessler, a workshop on the resilience of the Austrian STI system was held in collaboration with experts from the AIT. The main points of discussion were recent geopolitical developments and the challenge of making an efficient contribution to European competitiveness.

The working session of the Council dealt with key topics for 2025 and the preparation of the Council sessions in the coming year. The further development of procedural standards to maintain equidistance and impartiality in terms of objective advisory activities was also discussed. Council members reported on their activities, including an input to the FWF event on CoARA (Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment), initiatives on deep tech funding and international networking with other councils. Upcoming events in which FORWIT is involved were also discussed: in particular the ERA Symposium, the REvaluation Conference and the Science Ball 2025.