Statement concerning the government’s work programme

FORWIT welcomes the work programme presented yesterday by a new federal government consisting of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ) and NEOS. The core topics of FORWIT – research, science, innovation and technology development – are addressed in the chapter ‘Education, Innovation and the Future’ (p. 175ff.), which is dedicated to areas such as research governance and funding, knowledge and technology transfer, data, digitalisation and Austria as a location for AI.

In a first statement, Council Chairman Thomas Henzinger is pleased that FORWIT’s recommendations have been taken up in the programme and are now to be implemented.

‘The new federal government has set itself the ambitious goal of achieving a research quota of 4 per cent by 2030. This is a clear commitment to investing in the country’s future. Other FORWIT recommendations were also included in the government programme, such as the extension and increase of the Future Austria Fund, the commitment to an independent next EU research framework programme and the establishment of an umbrella fund to support domestic start-ups. The ‘cultural change in research funding’ aimed for by the government towards more autonomy and competition is to be expressly welcomed,’ says Henzinger.

As the government’s advisory body, FORWIT is ready to support the federal government in its science and innovation policy projects, particularly in the development of the planned Higher Education Strategy 2040.