Austrian Research and Technology Report 2020

Current situation and outlook
These technical challenges, institutional limitations 
and staffing developments mean that the GBA and 
ZAMG need a comprehensive, root-and-branch re-
form of their structures and responsibilities. There 
is also no reason why such a reform of its state 
Fig. 1-38: Cross-sphere areas of expertise
Critical zone
Source: Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF) (2019b).

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1. Current Trends
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meteorological, seismological and geological ser-
vices cannot enable Austria to assume the role of 
international pioneer. For this to happen, however, 
the resources needed to perform government-level 
tasks and the scientific expertise available for this 
will have to be pooled at national level and har-
nessed as effectively as possible.
In terms of their content and structure, therefore, 
the main pillars of the reform project are as follows:
• ensure the performance of the core govern-
ment-level tasks of a state meteorological, seis-
mological and geological service over the long 
term and on a sustainable basis in a federal gov-
ernment institution with full legal capacity;
• work closely with universities on research, teach-
ing and the use of infrastructure;
• provide quality assurance for disaster manage-
ment and the supply of raw materials;
• set up a national core facility for all geological, 
geophysical, meteorological and climatological 
data;
• guarantee compliance with international obliga-
tions.
The overarching aim of the reform is to optimise a 
partnership for the future between science and re-
search-based services that are of relevance to soci-
ety. If this is to be achieved, then, above all, the prin-
ciples of “responsible science” also need to be re-
flected at institutional level and – based on facts 
– help to strengthen societal resilience.

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2. Key Players in Research 
Funding and in
Non-university Research 

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