Innovative business ideas and motivated graduates, students, lecturers and researchers are the basis for successful start-ups

The high number of start-ups and spin-offs that emerge from universities of applied sciences every year is proof of the transmission function of Austrian universities of applied sciences. According to a survey conducted by the Austrian University of Applied Sciences Conference (FHK) among the 21 universities of applied sciences, there are around 50 start-ups per year; in 2019 there were 52. Since this figure was collected, more than 600 innovative start-ups have been recorded that have a connection to the UAS degree programme or a research activity as part of the UAS degree programme.

These figures clearly show that graduates of university of applied sciences degree programmes are put in a position to become entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurial thinking, soft skills and application orientation, which are taught to students, are essential components of the curriculum. In this way, scientific findings are used to develop innovations that can be directly applied in business and society. The President of the FHK, Raimund Ribitsch, says: "The potential for future start-ups, for example in the areas of climate and energy, mobility and transport, nutrition and health, also in connection with digitalisation, is enormous. The universities of applied sciences therefore see this as confirmation of their mission to create an innovative environment for students."

Education Minister Heinz Faßmann says: "The pleasingly high number of spin-offs impressively demonstrates the existing innovation potential at universities of applied sciences and emphasises the pronounced entrepreneurial spirit as an essential prerequisite for successful knowledge and technology transfer. These successes encourage us to continue on our current path and further optimise the framework conditions for successful, new spin-off start-ups and thus consistently implement the government programme."

In the 2019/20 academic year, the universities of applied sciences had 55,487 students. This is around 17% of all students across Austria. With 15,243 graduates in the 2018/19 academic year, they already accounted for more than 30% of Austria's university graduates. In the field of economics and engineering, their share of the annual graduation rate is already 50%. (Source: uni:data/BMBWF).