Sustainable performance-orientated research funding for universities of applied sciences at national level is a prerequisite for more research funding from the EU

At a major virtual networking conference organised by the European Universities of Applied Sciences (www.UAS4EUROPE.eu) on 11 May 2021 under the title "Universities of Applied Sciences - From breakthrough ideas to breakthrough innovation", European research policy had its say.

In her welcoming address, Mariya Gabriel, EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education, Youth and Sport, emphasised the important role of universities of applied sciences in the next research framework programme "Horizon Europe". The main aim is to make ground-breaking ideas usable for European society and its citizens. The universities of applied sciences have a key role to play in achieving the common goal of a "green, digital and healthy Europe".

This view was also emphasised by Members of the European Parliament Angelika Niebler and Claudia Gamon. Both emphasised the application-oriented research profile of universities of applied sciences. This is where innovations are developed that a Europe of the future urgently needs. Universities of applied sciences ensure that innovative ideas result in applications that are successful as products and services on the market. At the same time, universities of applied sciences train highly qualified specialists who are so urgently needed in the new professional fields of the future (keyword: "green jobs"). This is made possible by the independent profile of universities of applied sciences, which includes a new approach to research and teaching. Universities of applied sciences conduct research and teaching embedded in a regional environment with which they are in constant dialogue. In co-operation with business, industry and society, they are able to develop innovative products and services that are of direct use to people. All political players involved in the conference considered this form of cooperation to be essential for the implementation of the next EU research framework programme "Horizon Europe". In this context, the great importance of sustainable/stable research funding by the nation states was also emphasised as a prerequisite for the successful acquisition of EU funds. In Austria, these funds are currently only made available by the federal government to universities, but not to universities of applied sciences.

"It has been proven that the "UAS research" lever works for the economy, in particular for SMEs and for society as a whole, in order to leverage innovations and make them effective. Now we also need to make greater use of this lever in Austria and provide UAS research with sustainable, performance-orientated funding in the future. We are looking forward to the announced talks with BM Faßmann and are confident that research will be reflected in the next UAS development and financing plan in terms of sustainable, performance-oriented funding," says Raimund Ribitsch, President of the Austrian University of Applied Sciences Conference (FHK).