Austrian Research and Technology Report 2020

participations and 3.1% of coordinations). 
It is under Pillar III, “Societal Challenges”, that 
Austrian institutions have the highest levels of par-
ticipations, in the thematic clusters “Intelligent, envi-
ronmentally friendly and integrated transport”, with 
4.1% (coordinations 3.5%, and budget 3.4%) in com-
parison to all participations in this cluster, “Integra-
tive, innovative and reflexive societies” with 4.0% 
(coordinations 2.7%, and budget 3.6%), and “Secure, 
clean and efficient energy” with 3.4% (coordinations 
3.4%; budget 3.5%). These thematic Societal Chal-
lenges may be seen as Austrian areas of strength in 
comparison to the rest of Europe. Below-average lev-
el participations occur particularly in the clusters 
“Food safety and security, sustainable agriculture 
and forestry, maritime and limnological research and 

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1. Current Trends
59
bio-economy” with 2.1% (coordinations 2.3%; budget 
2.1%) and “Health, demographic trends and well-be-
ing” with 2.3% (coordinations 2.6%; budget 2.1%). In 
purely quantitative terms, the clusters “Transport” 
(€155.6 million), “Energy” (€123.1 million) and “Health” 
(€105.9 million) are the most significant for Austria 
within this pillar. 
It is within the “Industrial Leadership” pillar that 
Austrian institutions have the highest proportion of 
participations, particularly in the thematic clusters 
“Materials”
62
with 3.8% (coordinations 2.2%; budget 
4.5%), and “ICT” with 4.0% (coordinations 3.9%; 
budget 3.5%); these industry-related themes are 
recognised strengths for Austria. To lesser extent 
this is also true for the “Advanced Manufacturing” 
cluster, with a participation share of 3.5% (coordi-
nations 6.0%; budget 4.5%), and “Biotechnology”, 
with 2.8% (coordinations 0.9%; budget 2.9%). In the 
“Excellent Science” pillar, Austrian institutions have 
an above-average proportion (3.6%) of project ap-
plicants within the programme area “Future and 
newly emerging technologies (FET)” (coordinations 
4.5%; budget 3.3%), and in applications to the “Eu-
62 Nanotechnologies, Advanced Materials and Production (NMP) programme.
ropean Research Council (ERC)” with 2.7% (coordi-
nations 2.7%; budget 2.7%). There are comparatively 
low levels of participation in “Research infrastruc-
tures”, with 1.9% (coordinations 3.0%; budget 1.6%). 
In terms of monetary value, the ERC with €266.7 
million and the Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions 
(MCSA), with €117.6 million, are of particular rele-
vance to Austria, despite relatively low levels of