The Initiative: Research Diversity was launched to emphasise the advantages and strengths of a diverse research landscape and to better network the many stakeholders.
Alpbach (OTS) - The research landscape in Austria is diverse and heterogeneous. Applied research in particular is more diverse than it appears. Research is essential for the future viability of a country, basic research as well as application-orientated research, the boundaries are fluid. However, it is application-orientated research that brings marketable innovations to the ground and into the economy and society. ACR and FHK have jointly developed the Initiative: Research diversity to emphasise the advantages and strengths of a diverse research landscape and to better network the many players.
The Initiative: Research diversity was created to advocate for a strong, diverse and sustainable research landscape in Austria. A diverse corporate landscape, such as Austria has, also needs a diverse and broad-based research landscape. Through specialisation, industry knowledge and market proximity, the many application-oriented research institutions bring innovations to market maturity and into the economy. Austria needs much more of this innovation performance in order to finally catch up with the innovation leaders in Europe.
The aim of the initiative is to network the many players in application-oriented research, to raise awareness of the benefits and needs of a diverse research landscape and to anchor these in future research strategies. "With the Research Diversity Initiative, we want to set an example of recognising diversity and competition as a strength and an advantage. At the ACR, we see every day how important and beneficial application-orientation is for research in order to find the best solutions for current challenges," says Iris Filzwieser, President of the ACR - Austrian Cooperative Research. "Shaping the future in a positive way requires a diverse range of research stakeholders, as different expertise and different approaches are needed to answer the pressing questions of our time. The Initiative: Research Diversity aims to raise awareness of this and increase the transfer of research results to society," adds FHK President Raimund Ribitsch.
More than 100 supporters have already joined the initiative. The next step is to establish a regular dialogue in the form of networking meetings in order to develop bottom-up positions and proposals on how the diversity of the research landscape can be used to increase innovation performance in Austria.