New Chair of ISTA Board of Trustees

After the first ever change of the President of the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) at the beginning of the year, there has now also been a change at the top of the Board of Trustees of ISTA. The task of this board is to oversee the development of the Institute.

The new chairperson is Elisabeth Engelbrechtsmüller-Strauß (CEO/CFO, Fronius International GmbH, Pettenbach). Predecessor Claus J. Raidl (Former President, Oesterreichische Nationalbank, Vienna) had been in office since the foundation of ISTA.

Thanks for past efforts

“I would like to begin by expressing my sincere thanks to Claus Raidl. His chairpersonship of the Board of Trustees for many years was formative for the Institute. His passionate commitment to the independence of science and the Institute is also an example to me,” Engelbrechtsmüller-Strauß said.

Claud Raidl talks also very positive about his successor: “I have already had the opportunity to work with Elisabeth Strauß on the Board of Trustees since 2016 and have always known her to be extremely competent, experienced and with an affinity for science. I am very pleased and grateful that she has agreed to chair the Board of Trustees. I am sure that in this role she will advance the future of ISTA and its uniqueness in the Austrian research landscape. I wish her and ISTA a further such successful journey.”

Plans for the future

The Institute of Science and Technology Austria in Klosterneuburg, a PhD-granting research institute with focus on natural sciences, mathematics and computer sciences, currently has around 1000 employees and 75 research groups. This number is expected to double by 2036.

Elisabeth Engelbrechtsmüller-Strauß on the plans for the future: “ISTA embodies the best that Austrian science has to offer: excellent basic research, unconditional freedom of science and interdisciplinary cooperation. As Chair of the Board of Trustees, I will do my utmost to preserve these success factors and the autonomy of the Institute. It is also important for Austria as a center of commerce and industry that the Institute remains a workplace with the best conditions for researchers and other staff. ISTA’s continued growth will bring many changes and challenges, and I look forward to supporting President Martin Hetzer and his team in mastering them.”

About the ISTA Board of Trustees

ISTA’s Board of Trustees oversees the development of the Institute. As its highest authority, it ensures that the Institute, which opened in 2009, fulfills its mission and adheres to its founding principles. It supports the management and has responsibilities around strategic direction, budget, and appointment of leadership positions such as President and Managing Director. The Board of Trustees consists of 15 members. Nine of them are internationally well-known scientist. Three are appointed by the Government of Lower Austria. Three are appointed by the Federal Government and a fourth currently vacant seat is to be filled soon. The next meeting of the Board of Trustees will take place in December 2023.

More information on the boards and bodies of ISTA is available at https://ist.ac.at/en/institute/organization/