FH Research Forum 2018 at FH Salzburg - Panel on 10 years of COIN (Cooperation & Innovation) - 126 million euros invested to date, 206 projects financed, more than 1,000 partners throughout Austria

10 years of the COIN (Cooperation & Innovation) success story was the focus of a panel discussion today at the 12th Austrian FH Research Forum, which is being held this year at Salzburg University of Applied Sciences. In cooperation between the Austrian University of Applied Sciences Conference (FHK) and the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), the FFG programme, which was launched in 2008 with the first calls for proposals, was highlighted. "The innovative strength and research achievements of Austrian companies, universities and research institutions are impressive and contribute to Austria's further development as an innovation leader. With COIN, we have a targeted programme to further develop the necessary skills and also to create tangible added value and increase competitiveness through strategic networking," emphasised Margarete Schramböck, Federal Minister for Digital and Economic Affairs, in the run-up to the FH Research Forum.

"COIN has established itself as a central funding format for research at universities of applied sciences and has significantly strengthened research at universities of applied sciences," emphasise FHK President Raimund Ribitsch and the two FFG Managing Directors Henrietta Egerth and Klaus Pseiner. To date, the two commissioning ministries, the Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs (BMDW; 84 million euros) and the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT; 42 million euros), have invested a total of 126 million euros. This has enabled 206 projects with around 1,050 partners throughout Austria, as well as international partners from Germany, the Netherlands and Canada.

"COIN 'Aufbau' is an ideal programme for universities of applied sciences to continuously and directly expand their research expertise with concrete projects," say the two FFG managing directors Egerth and Pseiner. The format has proven its worth and also allows them to set priorities. For example, the next COIN "Networks" call in autumn 2018 will focus on digitalisation. "Continuous updating of COIN is important in order to be able to pick up on new developments at the universities of applied sciences immediately. For example, new fields of research in the areas of energy and IT have emerged in the course of digitalisation. In the coming years, there will be more new study places and new degree programmes will be developed. COIN is ideally suited to establishing and expanding research capacities here," says FHK President Raimund Ribitsch.

COIN consists of the two programme lines "Development" and "Networks". While the former supports R&D expertise at universities of applied sciences and non-university R&D institutions, the "Networks" programme focuses on innovation projects in SME networks. To date, the FFG has handled 17 calls (10 calls in the "Networks" programme line and 7 calls in the "Development" programme line). In the COIN "Aufbau" programme line, universities of applied sciences are clearly in the lead with 84 funded applicants, followed by Austrian Cooperative Research (ACR; 31 funded applicants) and non-university R&D institutions (16 funded applicants). In terms of federal states, most projects are in Vienna, Upper Austria and Styria.

In the COIN "Aufbau" programme line, up to two million euros are available per project, the maximum funding rate is 70 percent and the project duration can be up to five years. Participation is possible both in the form of individual submissions and as consortia. In COIN "Networks", projects are funded with up to 500,000 euros, the maximum funding rate is 60 per cent and the project duration is two to a maximum of three years. At least four companies must be networked, three of which must be SMEs or, optionally, an R&D institution can also participate. Previous calls for proposals have focussed on the areas of international (cooperation with South East Europe), service initiatives and open innovation.

Further information at https://www.ffg.at/programme/coin-cooperation-innovation

Enquiries & contact:

Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs
Felix Lamezan-Salins, B.A.
Press spokesperson of the Federal Minister Margarete Schramböck
+43 664 88 69 23 07 / +43 711 00-805128

felix.lamezan-salins@bmdw.gv.at

Austrian Conference of Universities of Applied Sciences (FHK)
Kurt Koleznik
Secretary General
Tel.: 0664/4244294

FFG - Austrian Research Promotion Agency
+43 5 7755-6010
presse@ffg.at
www.ffg.at