University of Excellence - fteval

(UoE) stands out for its high-quality PhD programmes and outstanding career
opportunities for younger researchers; thematically it concentrates first and foremost on
new combinations and "hot" research fields in the natural sciences. Thanks to an active,
strict and selective recruitment policy and an excellent work and study environment it
attracts many of the best researchers worldwide – both postdocs and professors – as well
as the most talented students in the subjects offered. The attractiveness of this institution
is founded on outstanding material and immaterial working conditions and an
international, exceptionally lively intellectual climate. To start with its reputation would be
principally determined by a number of professors of high international standing, but if the
project is implemented the UoE should swiftly become a trademark of excellence in
research and study. With approx. 30 research groups in place after a few years, the UoE
should succeed in becoming one of the world's leading research institutions in a few
thematic fields.
Why would the establishment of a UoE pay off for Vienna?
The necessary investment which should not be borne exclusively by the City of Vienna
would be offset by outstanding study facilities at the advanced degree (namely PhD) level
as well as the build-up of a concentrated pool of expertise that can also be exploited
economically at the local and international level. Comparable examples elsewhere show
that in the long term there is significant potential for the exploitation of intellectual property
rights as well as for the establishment of new high-tech enterprises. Equally important for
Vienna, however, is the immaterial value; the enhancement of the city's lighthouse
function as a centre of scientific knowledge and intellectual culture, the continuance of an
illustrious tradition. Last but not least, the project also entails a form of urban
development appropriate for today's knowledge society.
Vienna is already a good centre for research and innovation – but it does not yet
feature among the very best
Vienna has good prospects of playing an outstanding role in the emerging knowledge
society and in the European Research Area. Both the scientific capability and the
innovative strength of Viennese companies can be rated as good. But Vienna does not
feature among the absolute elite of innovative European cities and regions, and ranks in
the upper mid-field in regional comparisons. It is to be assumed that the metropolitan
areas that lead the field in knowledge generation and dissemination in future will also be
those that (i) boast the highest added value and the highest standards of living and thus
(ii) are the most attractive locations for businesses.
It is further assumed that the particularly strong and dynamic centres for research and
innovation, whether in Europe, the USA or Asia, will develop over-proportionally in future
and that the gap will thus widen. For Vienna and Austria this means both investing more
overall and investing more at the highest level. From the point of view of the study, this is
a non-negotiable factor if Vienna is not to lose ground and fade into insignificance as a
location.
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