Enabling Synergies – Science Industry Talk 2013

Hermann Hauser put it bluntly: ”You have no history of 800 years – that is your advantage.“ This was one of many suggestions stated at this year’s Science Industry Talk, jointly organized by the Association of Austrian Industries Industriellenvereinigung (IV) and the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria) under the title “Partners in Innovation: Synergies between Industry and Basic Research” on June 4. Other speakers apart from the Anglo-Austrian venture capitalist Hauser (Co-founder of Amadeus Capital Partners) were Hermann Kopetz, Co-Founder of the Austrian spin-off TTTech (specialized in Real-Time Systems), Horst Domdey, Managing Director of BioM Biotech Cluster Development GmbH in Martinsried near Munich and Sriram Rajamani, Assistant Managing Director of Microsoft Research India. Asked for their advice by the chair, IST Austria President Thomas A. Henzinger, the experts provided numerous examples and convincing analysis on how to attract talent and match it with capital.

After the words of welcome by IST Austria’s Managing Director Georg Schneider who focused on case studies for the successful transfer from scientific findings to industrial application, Therese Niss, the president of the Young Industry within the IV, stressed the importance of an increased interaction between these two fields. Finally, Austria’s federal minister for science and research, Karlheinz Töchterle, emphasized the necessity for a better understanding and appreciated the intention to develop a spin-off park adjacent to the campus.

The Science Industry Talk was concluded by a reception in the foyer of the Raiffeisen Lecture Hall.