Austrian Research and Technology Report 2020

Fig. 1-35 Structure of Austrian Cooperative Research 
(ACR)
ACR-institutes
(full members)
Associate members
Affiliate members
(non-regular members)
ACR office
Advisory
board
Supervisory
board
Source: Austrian Cooperative Research (ACR).

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1. Current Trends
83
However, only a tiny handful of SMEs have their own 
RDI departments, enough staff, a network of research 
partners or access to funding. This is where Austrian 
Cooperative Research (ACR) comes in – with the 
overarching aim of bringing SMEs closer to innova-
tion, teaching them the necessary expertise and sup-
porting them in their innovation and digitalisation 
efforts. In this, the organisation acts as a bridge in 
three ways: 
n
…from science to industry 
By running joint research projects with universities 
and universities of applied sciences and supporting 
and supervising master’s, diploma and doctor’s the-
ses, the Austrian Cooperative Research (ACR) insti-
tutes gain insights into relevant basic research in 
their respective areas of expertise, which they pass 
on to SMEs by means of cooperative research proj-
ects, training sessions and specialist events.
n
…from leading firms to SMEs
Austrian Cooperative Research (ACR) institutes work 
with both leading Austrian firms and SMEs. Coopera-
tive research projects, participation in consortia and 
sector-specific research activities enable the Austri-
an Cooperative Research (ACR) institutes to share 
the very latest technology and industry requirements 
with SMEs. This in turn allows the SMEs to integrate 
themselves more effectively into industrial value 
chains.
n
…from an international to an Austrian innovation 
system
The Austrian Cooperative Research (ACR) institutes 
serve numerous foreign-based customers, contribute 
regularly to international specialist events, work on 
various international boards, working groups and 
technical committees, and take part in EU projects 
on an on-going basis. This gives them international 
expertise in their relevant industries, bringing them 
international state-of-the-art knowledge that gener-
95 See 
https://www.acr.ac.at/ueber-uns/organisation/
96 Affiliate members of Austrian Cooperative Research (ACR) are companies and other RTI institutions that also undertake research 
and development on behalf of Austrian industry. They are involved, for instance, in the work described above to set and develop 
RDI priorities.
97 See 
https://www.acr.ac.at/acr-institute/
ates major added value for Austria’s SMEs and inno-
vation system.
Austrian Cooperative Research (ACR) is made up 
of the organisation’s management office, the supervi-
sory board and the advisory board as well as ordi-
nary, affiliate and associate members. 
Austrian Cooperative Research (ACR) has 26 mem-
bers at present.
95
In addition to 7 affiliate members
96
and 2 associate members, the following 17 coopera-
tive non-university and non-profit research institu-
tions currently come under the Austrian Cooperative 
Research (ACR) umbrella:
97
• AEE – Institute for Sustainable Technologies (AEE 
INTEC)
• BTI – Bautechnisches Institut (Institute for Build-
ing Technology)
• GET – Güssing Energy Technologies
• HFA – Holzforschung Austria (Austrian Forest 
Products Research Society)
• IBO – Österreichisches Institut für Baubiologie 
und -ökologie (Austrian Institute for Building Biol-
ogy and Ecology)
• IBS – Institut für Brandschutztechnik und Sicher-
heitsforschung (Institute for Fire Protection Tech-
nology and Safety Research)
• IWI – Industriewissenschaftliches Institut (Insti-
tute of Industrial Science)
• KMFA – KMU Forschung Austria (Austrian Institute 
for SME Research)
• KOV – Österreichischer Kachelofenverband (Aus-
trian Kachelofen (tile stoves) Association)
• LVA – Lebensmittelversuchsanstalt (Food Testing 
Agency)
• OFI – Österreichisches Forschungsinstitut für 
Chemie und Technik (Austrian Research Institute 
for Chemistry and Engineering)
• ÖGI – Österreichisches Gießerei-Institut (Austrian 
Foundry and Casting Institute)

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