AUSTRIA Trends and Developments Contributed by: Sonja Hebenstreit, Michael Cepic and Maximilian Kröpfl, Herbst Kinsky Rechtsanwälte GmbH
Herbst Kinsky Rechtsanwälte GmbH Dr Karl Lueger Platz 5
Vienna A-1010 Austria Tel: +43 1 904 21 80 Fax: +43 1 904 21 80 210 Email: office@herbstkinsky.at Web: www.herbstkinsky.at
Life Sciences in Austria: An Overview Austria is an active life sciences location that is internationally visible, has excellent research and development, and has a growing corporate landscape. Compared to other innovative sec- tors, the life sciences sector is by far the most innovative, has one of the highest research rates and significantly contributes to national value creation. Austria provides for several public funding pro- grams at national and regional levels specifi- cally directed to support the life sciences sec- tor. Funding is intended to enable and support the implementation of scientific discoveries into businesses. The Austrian Ministry for Labour and Economy has budgeted EUR45 million to fund life sciences projects as part of its transfor- mation initiative. Applications can be submitted until 18 December 2026. Over the last decade (2009-2021), the R&D activities in the life sciences sector have kept a good track, with the number of employees in the field increasing by 12.70% and the total R&D of business enterprises even more. Generally, this sector shows an upward trend with lots of
potential. Apart from its universities, Austria is home to the Austrian Academy of Sciences with 450 researchers and 38 ERC grants, the Institute of Science and Technology Austria, the Ludwig Boltzmann Society (LBG), the Vienna BioCenter and the Austrian Institute of Technology. Over the years, the number of business enterprises in the life sciences sector has increased to 982 with about 60.000 employees. Given that these numbers are referring to the year 2020, a much higher number is expected in the next national life sciences report, likely to be released in the first quarter of 2025 (Austrian Research and Technology Report 2024, 117). The Austrian life sciences sector has always focused on basic research, often transitioning to applied research, translation and innovation through spin-offs, start-ups and investing phar- maceutical companies. The formation of clusters and the expansion of research infrastructure also help to strengthen Austria as a business and research hub and promote cooperation between universities and non-university institutions. Examples include the Vienna BioCenter or the LISA Vienna.
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