Austrian Research and Technology Report 2020

Technology transfer and exploitation at universi-
ties of applied sciences 
Universities of applied sciences take an applica-
tion-oriented approach to teaching and research, 
their core areas of expertise. At these institutions, 
research not only helps to generate knowledge. In-
stead, right from an early stage – when new insights 
are being gained – potential tangible applications 
are also being conceived with the aim of creating in-
novative products and services too further down the 
line. And this approach also influences teaching. It is 
taught to students from day one and is regarded as 
both a quality criterion and a USP for a university of 
applied sciences degree. 
To exploit their potential for innovation to the full, 
the universities of applied sciences have been pro-
viding active support to students, graduates and em-
ployees setting up new ventures for many years now. 
Many institutions provide office space, infrastructure 
and services. This creates an innovation-friendly en-

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Austrian Research and Technology Report 2020
vironment for keen entrepreneurs that has already 
incubated numerous start-ups now enjoying global 
success. 
Over the past few years, the universities of ap-
plied sciences have put numerous measures in place 
to ensure that the results of their employees’ and 
students’ research work are handled professionally. 
All universities of applied sciences have set out stan-
dards governing IP rights and, in particular, service 
inventions in staff employment contracts and in 
training contracts with students based on the appli-
cable copyright law. This allows external partners 
and companies to be dealt with professionally and 
provides a clear decision-making process for market-
ing issues. 
In their internal process management, the univer-
sities of applied sciences rely on research institutes 
working closely with service facilities (e.g. Finance & 
Controlling, HR and Legal, Quality Management, Sci-
ence Mediation and Communication) and external