FFG: structural change, innovation offensive needs

FFG-subsidies contribute significantly to the economic dynamics of rural communities

Vienna (OTS/www.ffg.at) – is Crucial for the Output of our innovation system is how quickly new ideas and findings from basic research economically be used. „This means that The Federal government’s planned initiative for excellence must be of an innovation offensive,“ emphasize the managing Director of the Austrian research promotion Agency FFG, Henrietta Egerth and Klaus Acting, on the occasion of the presentation of the FFG-balance sheet 2018, together with the head of the Economica Institute for economic research, Christian helmet stone.

„The key points of such an innovation offensive planning security are a result of the research financing act, a dynamic development of the R&d Budgets, and the Expansion of the Agency’s autonomy“, reports the FFG-managing Director. Austria have found in recent years by significant efforts in connection to the innovation-forefront of the industry States. This has also been confirmed by the OECD in its recent country report. „In any OECD developed country, the economy invested in the structure-adjusted more in research and development in Austria“, summarize the FFG-CEO-to-date results. „But there is still potential for improvement, we need to realize, that Austria in the future, one of the best research sites in the world.“

The Austrian economy is under increased pressure to adapt. Traditional market structures and business models are losing importance. As a result, new opportunities for innovation open. „We are taking on new topics and respond rapidly to changing developments in the innovation system. Many of our measures – particularly in the area of SMEs and the cooperation of industry and research – have contributed to make Austria one of the leading research site,“ explain the FFG CEO Henrietta Egerth and Klaus Acting.

Economica: FFG-subsidies are to communities in rural
Room

Innovation-friendly framework conditions and market-oriented funding programmes for the structural change in the economy is more important than ever. This is especially true for rural areas, as a recent evaluation of the Economica Institute for economic research on the regional effects of the FFG funding.

This includes data from a total of 9.273-funded projects and 15.534 project partnerships were evaluated in the period from 2014 to 2016. The distributed funding volume amounted to 1.2 billion euros. As regards the regional distribution of funding, dominate in the case of an absolute consideration of the capital regions and University towns. However, the relative comparison shows only – in relation to the respective economic performance – the actual meaning of the research support for the regional economy.

The evaluations of Economica prove that the FFG-research subsidies have a disproportionately large importance especially for communities in rural areas. „The FFG funding in municipalities of rural areas a significant contribution to the regional economic dynamics“, Christian helmet stone. The analyses show also that the means of the research funding will be distributed across all provinces and regions, especially where there is a corresponding innovation infrastructure and/or operating sites. The contribution of the FFG-research promotion of the local value added is, in Particular, also in structurally weak regions such as the Mühl – and wine district, but also in tourism regions in Salzburg and Tyrol is above average.

On average, be activated by a FFG-funding in Euro to Euro 1.63 by own resources of the project partners. This means that at an average funding rate of around 38 percent, and research funds in the amount of 62 percent of the total volume by the private sector to be financed.

FFG-funding statistics to 2018: research and Innovation always
wider

The owner of the FFG, the Federal ministries for transport, Innovation and technology (BMVIT) and the digitization and business location (BMDW). On behalf of the Federal Minister, Margaret Schramböck and Federal Minister Norbert Hofer have been approved by the FFG in the year 2018 a total of 3.854 research projects of about 3,900 organizations are involved. This corresponds to a Plus of 7 percent in the number of research projects and 14 percent in the number of organizations in comparison to 2017. „The FFG reached, and today supports more than 5,000 researchers and innovative companies in Austria“, the Austrian research promotion Agency management. Overall, subsidies were granted in the last year, in the amount of 833 million euros. It also includes 215 million euros in broadband funds for 472 projects.

Link to the entire press kit with all the graphics:
https://www.ffg.at/presse/Bilanz2018

Austrian
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Economica Institute for
economic research
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