Shareholders, Supervisory Board and management bodies ...

02
Annual Report 2008
Management report
Structural report
16
Annual Report 2008
2.1.4 Strategic positioning and development of research areas
AIT’s strategic focus on infrastructure reflects the central importance of this field for industry and the
public sector. The public sector itself is a key investor in transportation, energy, health, security and
innovation infrastructure, and consequently has an important role to play in innovative procurement
management. At the same time the development of innovative industrial solutions with a strong
systems orientation calls for an environment that is conducive to top quality research and
development.
In recognition of this the Austrian Institute of Technology will present itself as a highly specialised
R&D partner in its selected fields of technology. Its activities in these areas will focus on developing
technologies, methodologies and processes that will generate leading-edge innovations with an
implementation timeframe of five years or more. AIT will also act as a central node in the European
innovation network with outstanding foresight capabilities.
A cornerstone of AIT’s future work will be the ability to agree multi-year budgets with the Ministry.
This will lead to a secure flow of funding and enable AIT to focus on long-term research topics and
activities.
In order to align the focus and positioning of departments’ R&D portfolios with the new operating
framework, we have launched an internal strategy development process with a view to drawing up
the first four-year programme, for the 2010–2013 period. This process, to be completed by May
2009, will lay the groundwork for implementing AIT’s new strategy.
2.1.5 Restructuring the governance system
At the same time the ownership structure and governance system have been adjusted to the new
conditions and requirements faced by the Austrian Institute of Technology. AIT’s central goal is
achieving scientific excellence in its chosen areas of research. This will be the task of two new
bodies, to be established in 2009 (Figure 1). A Strategic Research Advisory Board is being created
to support the Supervisory Board by taking a forward-looking perspective on strategic and research
policy issues with implications for the organisation as a whole. This advisory board will be complemented
at departmental level by evaluation panels, which will assess the scientific quality of
research and report to the Board of Management (Figure 2).