Austrian Research and Technology Report 2020

2.4.3 Special events in 2019 and outlook
On 26 February 2019, the shares of Carinthian Tech Research (CTR) were transferred from the federal state 
of Carinthia to Silicon Austria Labs (SAL). This was also the kick-off for the organisational and staff merg-
er between SAL and CTR, which was presented to the media on 25 June 2019. 
The first projects in 2019 already made it clear that Silicon Austria Labs (SAL) conducts both basic and 
application-oriented research along the entire value chain. The cooperative SAL model for research coop-
eration brings together players from various sectors of science and industry focused on a variety of appli-
cations and united by a drive to innovate. 
In the 
Radar Tomography
project, the project partners are exploring the use of intelligent radar sensors 
for industrial applications that are already common in the automotive sector. In this cooperation project, 
Silicon Austria Labs (SAL) brings together two partners from very different industries, resulting in brand 
new conceptual approaches and solutions. Launched in July 2019, the project is a perfect example of re-
search that extends from components to industrial use. 
The 
Tiny Power Box
project is all about optimisation of the power density of built-in battery chargers 
in electric cars, known as onboard chargers. The result: Lower weight, fewer components and smaller 
space requirements coupled with high efficiency for fast charging and lower environmental impact. This 
cooperation between the research centre and the five participating international companies is a model 
project in the area of power electronics. At the same time, the broad industry participation shows that 
jointly achieved research results can be utilised in a variety of applications all along the value chain, 
strengthening Austria’s long-term innovation potential. These projects highlight SAL’s function as a net-
worker and research partner with a focus on the entire system.
In the area of basic research, Silicon Austria Labs (SAL) works with universities and universities of ap-
plied sciences to conduct joint research in Uni-SAL Research Labs. At the Carinthia University of Applied 

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