Current report:

Research focuses on the digital sector

Nothing works without innovation - Vorarlberg wants to provide more support in this area.

(Bild: FH Vorarlberg)

The results of the current research report for Vorarlberg are revealing: cooperation is a key concept. Help is available to find the right partners.

It is only the second research and innovation report that State Councillor Marco Tittler (ÖVP) presented on Wednesday: entrepreneurs from the relevant segments are periodically surveyed in order to gain a picture of the current state of technology in Vorarlberg. Conclusion: Vorarlberg is doing well, but there is still room for improvement. The state government is keen to leverage this potential, according to Tittler, innovation plays a key role when it comes to competitive advantages. The application of future technologies would secure the business location. In other words: without research there is no innovation, without innovation there is no flourishing economy.

200 companies were contacted in the course of the evaluations, 77 of which responded. It emerged that 92 percent of the companies surveyed conduct research in-house, half want to maintain the current level of expenditure on research and a third want to increase funding. In addition, 82 percent already rely on collaborations.

Innovation plays a key role; the application of future technologies will secure Vorarlberg as a business location.

Landesrat Marco Tittler

Networking platform on Thursday
Cooperation in the field of research is unavoidable. However, the state derives different needs for action from this: Because while the large, extremely specialized companies have long been networked, smaller companies definitely need support in terms of establishing cooperation, explained WISTO Managing Director Jimmy Heinzle. The Technology Exchange on Thursday at the Bregenz Festival Hall offers a good opportunity to network. Around 150 regional and national providers will be presenting themselves there (more information at: www.wisto.at).

What also emerges from the current report is the change in direction that research is currently taking: Digital technologies are increasingly coming into focus. This year, artificial intelligence is already in first place among the research topics; a year ago, AI was only in fourth place. In the recent past, the focus of research in Vorarlberg was almost exclusively on "analog" areas, such as certain materials.

The report shows that even more Vorarlberg companies could benefit from the funding pots, especially those of the EU.

Wilfried Hopfer, Wirtschaftskammer Vorarlberg

Less positive is the fact that the shortage of skilled workers is also reflected in the research sector. The shortage of personnel is already the number one restriction that companies have to deal with.

Many patents, few players
Chamber of Commerce President Wilfried Hopfner sees potential in the utilization of subsidies. In some cases, ignorance on the part of companies is responsible for companies not applying for funding. The Chamber of Commerce and WISTO have set themselves the task of increasing awareness in this regard. Another goal is to revise Vorarlberg's research strategy. Until then, however, one or two patents will still be registered in the province: Vorarlberg is one of Europe's leaders in terms of inventions - even if the few large flagship companies such as Zumtobel and Blum are responsible for most of the patents.