December 1, 2015
IST Austria – “Joint Declaration” for a well-kept house
Vice Chancellor and Minister of Science, Research and Economy Reinhold Mitterlehner and Governor of Lower Austria Erwin Pröll renewed today the support by the federal government of Austria and the State of Lower Austria for the Institute of Science and Technology by signing a “Joint Declaration” in celebration of the new Lab and Office Building on the campus of IST Austria.
Today, Tuesday December 1, 2015, IST Austria achieved another significant milestone according to plan of the development of the Institute at the ceremonial opening of “Lab and Office Building West” which will house up to 30 additional research groups on roughly 10’000 sqm. Vice Chancellor and Minister of Science, Research and Economy Reinhold Mitterlehner as well as Governor of Lower Austria Erwin Pröll used this joyful occasion to express their continued support for the further development and the independence of the Institute of Science and Technology (IST Austria) in Klosterneuburg.
The public signing of the “Joint Declaration” by the federal government of Austria—represented by the Vice Chancellor and Minister of Science, Research and Economy Reinhold Mitterlehner, by the State of Lower Austria—represented by the Governor of Lower Austria Erwin Pröll, and by IST Austria-represented by Claus J. Raidl in his capacity as chairperson of the Board of Trustees as well as Haim Harari, chairperson of the Executive Committee, took place today at the ceremonial opening of the Lab and Office Building West in the Raiffeisen Lecture Hall on campus in Klosterneuburg.
The “Joint Declaration” documents the goals and guiding principles of the Institute and expresses the shared intention to vigorously pursue the successful development of IST Austria, which is an essential prerequisite for the independence of the Institute. The declaration guarantees that the factors essential for the success of the Institute keep their full impact. A decisive role is played by the proven supervisory and management structure of IST Austria which is based on international standards. The “Joint Declaration” is published on the website of IST Austria and can be read there.
“IST Austria was established with the aim to build up an institute of scientific excellence for the long term, and we are well on track. This institution contributes significantly to Austria’s international visibility as a location for world-class research, attracts top scientists and adds to our innovative strength. With its achievements, IST Austria is also driving other knowledge institutions to maximize their performance, and ultimately, Austria as a center of knowledge profits from the competition,” says Vice Chancellor and Minister of Science, Research and Economy Reinhold Mitterlehner.
“For the state of Lower Austria, IST Austria is the flagship in our growing fleet of scientific institutions. In economic and social terms, countries with excellent basic research are much better equipped for the world of tomorrow than countries that believe it would be possible to actively shape the future without science. For this reason, I am delighted that we hear nothing but good news from IST Austria these days, and we therefore firmly renew our affirmation for the successful project IST Austria by signing the “Joint Declaration”. It underlines the validity of IST Austria’s principles and its independence. It also affirms our willingness to actively and passionately support this project,” says Governor of Lower Austria Erwin Pröll.
“Today, we have every reason for celebration. We are opening our biggest building so far on campus—all within the specified time and cost frames, we receive positive feedback from the economic evaluation, and with the “Joint Declaration” we get the kind of political support necessary for the successful development of our ambitious project. We wish to extend our thanks to everyone who supports IST Austria in word and in deed. Not only do we want to strengthen the science location in the long term with our research performance, we also want to become an exemplary model for modern management of research and research infrastructure”, add Thomas Henzinger, President of IST Austria, and Georg Schneider, Managing Director of the Institute, unanimously.
As a first concrete step to solidify the common understanding of the “Joint Declaration”, a trilateral high-level panel was launched for coordinating activities—consisting of the federal government of Austria, the State of Lower Austria, and IST Austria.
