Austrian Research and Technology Report 2020

Climate and Energy Fund (KLIEN) 
The federal government set up the Climate and Ener-
gy Fund (KLIEN) as a “one-stop shop” in 2007. It is 
the only organisation in Austria that supports the 
entire innovation process in the areas of climate, en-
ergy and mobility, from basic research right through 
to market launch. It is underpinned by the Climate 
and Energy Fund Act
78
and owned by the Republic of 
Austria, represented by the Federal Ministry for Cli-
mate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innova-
tion and Technology (BMK).
A mission-focused programme approach open to all 
types of technology spans a wide range of options 
for transformation right through to application. The 
strategy of the Climate and Energy Fund (KLIEN) is 
deliberately oriented towards technologies with sig-
nificant growth potential in Austria and abroad. It 
produces solutions that have an impact on a broad 
scale, make the most of Austria as a location and 
help to protect the climate. 
Evaluations
To ensure that funds are used efficiently and areas 
with the potential for optimisation are identified, the 
funding allocated must be evaluated regularly and 
comprehensively. The programmes that form part of 
the Climate and Energy Fund (KLIEN) boast a high 

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1. Current Trends
73
degree of networking,
79
with findings from research 
programmes being picked up and progressed further 
by market programmes, for instance. And, vice versa, 
insights gained during implementation are fed back 
into research.
The key role played by the Climate and Energy 
Fund (KLIEN) in Austria is also becoming clear at in-
ternational level, as illustrated by mentions by the 
OECD,
80
UNFCCC
81
and IEA
82
amongst others.