Vienna – Life Sciences Location
Knowledge Clicks with Business
Research, science and high-technology are essential economic factors for any city. For the last five years or so the promotion of locations in Vienna for technology and research has been a prime concern of the City Councillor for Finances and the Economy, Deputy Mayor, Dr Sepp Rieder.
The interim balance is satisfactory and since 2000, thanks to the urge to set up new enterprises and various other development factors in the field of life sciences, a very positive result can be identified.
That the location for science and business should constitute a close-knit entity is a slogan which cannot be refuted. This is the reason why business- and employment-policy aspects occupy the foreground. Research successes are naturally chalked up as prestige successes but these must also be expressed in concrete figures: the numbers of new enterprises, places of employment in research and development, new orders for suppliers etc., etc.
Promotion measures are therefore delineated as follows:
Research, science and high-technology are essential economic factors for any city. For the last five years or so the promotion of locations in Vienna for technology and research has been a prime concern of the City Councillor for Finances and the Economy, Deputy Mayor, Dr Sepp Rieder.
The interim balance is satisfactory and since 2000, thanks to the urge to set up new enterprises and various other development factors in the field of life sciences, a very positive result can be identified.
That the location for science and business should constitute a close-knit entity is a slogan which cannot be refuted. This is the reason why business- and employment-policy aspects occupy the foreground. Research successes are naturally chalked up as prestige successes but these must also be expressed in concrete figures: the numbers of new enterprises, places of employment in research and development, new orders for suppliers etc., etc.
Promotion measures are therefore delineated as follows:
- New settlements of research and development units in the Vienna location by means of international location marketing
- The promotion of cooperation arrangements between business enterprises and research units – not forgetting the CEE countries
- Support and promotion of research cooperation especially among small and medium-size enterprises
- The provision of tailor-made real estate for research and science with a view to the creation of clusters
- Improved marketing of research achievements through assistance for start-ups – particularly for expansions.
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If one has to define the concept of Life Sciences by sectors then it would embrace bio-technology, pharmaceuticals, medical techniques and other enterprises related to life sciences.
At present the greatest number of jobs is filled by major pharmaceutical enterprises such as Baxter (2,300) and Boehringer Ingelheim (1,000) – with altogether 9,652 persons employed by 140 enterprises.
Intensive cooperation with university departments – Campus Vienna Biocenter
As early as 1992 the Campus Vienna Biocenter was brought into being. Partnership-like relations brought together Life Sciences research institutions in the university field with the private business sector. This led to the formation of a nucleus of eight University of Vienna chairs which have scored internationally-acknowledged summit achievements in molecular-biology, as well as to the creation of the Research Institute for Molecular Pathology, a Life Sciences think-tank of the Boehringer-Ingelheim company group. In 1998 the largest bio-technology enterprise in Austria so far was founded in the Vienna Biocenter. Since then the campus has expanded continuously. Today a wide spectrum of organisations enables joint research, development and innovative science to be applied. In this way the campus follows the Viennese tradition of variety and contrasts.
“Life Sciences – the Vienna Location” – a study of the Vienna location in international comparison
In order to get a medium- and long-term view of detailed developments concerning the Vienna location a consolidated study was recently published. “Life Sciences – the Vienna Location in International Comparison” was commissioned by the Vienna Municipal Department MA 27 (EU Strategy and Economic Development) and completed in the course of 2005. The study was undertaken by “Technopolis” of Vienna together with Fraunhofer ISI of Germany. The control was exercised by MA 27 in close cooperation with ZIT (the Centre for Innovation and Technology) together with LISA VR, a working group linking the federal state (Allgemeines Wirtschaftsservice – aws) and the City of Vienna.
At present the greatest number of jobs is filled by major pharmaceutical enterprises such as Baxter (2,300) and Boehringer Ingelheim (1,000) – with altogether 9,652 persons employed by 140 enterprises.
| Facts and figures for the Vienna Region The majority of Life Sciences enterprises in the whole Vienna Region are situated in the capital city itself. The numbers for the whole Vienna Region:
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Intensive cooperation with university departments – Campus Vienna Biocenter
As early as 1992 the Campus Vienna Biocenter was brought into being. Partnership-like relations brought together Life Sciences research institutions in the university field with the private business sector. This led to the formation of a nucleus of eight University of Vienna chairs which have scored internationally-acknowledged summit achievements in molecular-biology, as well as to the creation of the Research Institute for Molecular Pathology, a Life Sciences think-tank of the Boehringer-Ingelheim company group. In 1998 the largest bio-technology enterprise in Austria so far was founded in the Vienna Biocenter. Since then the campus has expanded continuously. Today a wide spectrum of organisations enables joint research, development and innovative science to be applied. In this way the campus follows the Viennese tradition of variety and contrasts.
“Life Sciences – the Vienna Location” – a study of the Vienna location in international comparison
In order to get a medium- and long-term view of detailed developments concerning the Vienna location a consolidated study was recently published. “Life Sciences – the Vienna Location in International Comparison” was commissioned by the Vienna Municipal Department MA 27 (EU Strategy and Economic Development) and completed in the course of 2005. The study was undertaken by “Technopolis” of Vienna together with Fraunhofer ISI of Germany. The control was exercised by MA 27 in close cooperation with ZIT (the Centre for Innovation and Technology) together with LISA VR, a working group linking the federal state (Allgemeines Wirtschaftsservice – aws) and the City of Vienna.
