Austrian Research and Technology Report 2020

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Austrian Research and Technology Report 2020
The Research Funding Act will substantially change the framework conditions for the Agency to be able 
to act more quickly and more effectively, also in light of the challenges outlined above. In this context, the 
Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) is working with the federal ministries acting as owners on a 
new governance policy. The objectives are to: 
• clarify and untangle the responsibilities between the ministerial departments and the Agency;
• substantially simplify the funding offer and make it clearer and more accessible for Austrian companies 
and research institutions;
• promote a concerted focus on the major challenges by breaking up small-scale programme structures;
• improve planning certainty by extending the funding periods, with a switch to 3-year funding agree-
ments.
The launch of Horizon Europe (1 January 2021) marks the start of a new framework programme at the in-
ternational level. Accordingly, careful attention will be paid to preparation and consultation with respect 
to the new programme structure. Finally, the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) will take over as 
chair of EUREKA from July 2020. With its 47 partner countries and well-established instruments, EUREKA 
offers companies and research institutions a unique and flexible framework for international cooperation. 
2.10 Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft (LBG)
The Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft (LBG) is a research performing organisation that has so far focused on 
the topics of medicine, life sciences, humanities, and social and cultural sciences. The current government 
programme provides for the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft (LBG) to transform from a research perform-
ing organisation into a research promotion agency and to add a focus on the topic of health. The new 
programme includes a clear commitment to the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft (LBG). The Ludwig Boltz-
mann Gesellschaft (LBG) is seen as one of the key institutions in the Austrian research area, and it will be 
given several years of financial and planning security when the Research Funding Act comes into force, 
thereby providing a solid basis for funding and promoting outstanding and innovative research.
Founded in the 1960s, a far-reaching structural and substantive transformation of the Ludwig Boltz-
mann Gesellschaft (LBG) was implemented from 2000. Since then, Ludwig Boltzmann Institutes have been 
founded through highly competitive calls for tender, most recently in conjunction with Open Innovation in 
Science methods, equipped with a critical core of staff and set up with fixed-term contracts. In contrast 
with other cooperative programmes geared towards economic concerns under Austrian research agendas, 
the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft (LBG) started at an early stage to establish a presence in topic areas 
that follow other logics than boosting industrial competitiveness. They identified and addressed early on 
challenges of relevance to society which could be overcome through research. In the past, new sources of 
funding were also used to expand the LBG Open Innovation in Science Center and the LBG Career Center 
for junior researchers.