A Model Region Thanks to Top-Level Research

With its business and research strategy #upperVISION2030, Upper Austria has set itself the target of becoming a model region for the creation and use of sustainable plastics solutions, energy sources and vehicle concepts. The mission of the UAR Innovation Network is clear: to prepare the ground for climate neutrality, the circular economy and the energy and mobility transition and to support businesses as they work on developing innovative technologies.

Speaking at a press conference given jointly with PROFACTOR at that company’s premises in Steyr, Markus Achleitner, head of the department for industry and research of the Upper Austrian government, said: “UAR has been a turbo for the research community in Upper Austria for over 20 years. One of the tasks performed by the lead research company of the province of Upper Austria is coordination of the rolling planning process for #upperVISION2030 within the local research community. The UAR Innovation Network plays a central role in ensuring the implementation of the strategic priorities.”

Highly dynamic innovation

The ten associated companies of Upper Austrian Research GmbH maintain a total of 700 partnerships with companies – from innovative SMEs to high-tech industry leaders. Many of these companies have relied on the research centres’ expertise for many years. “In the UAR group, over 1,000 employees are working on the technologies of the future, focusing primarily on efficient production,” says Dr Wilfried Enzenhofer, MBA, CEO of Upper Austrian Research – the lead company for research in the province of Upper Austria. ““That’s an increase of 60% over the past five years. We owe this continuing success to the dedication and expert knowledge of the researchers and the confidence placed in them by industry and science.”

Facets of sustainability

The UAR Innovation Network consists of 18 research institutes overall. Apart from its associated companies, the lead company for research in the province of Upper Austria is also involved in managing the development of eight other centres. Within the network, all the various facets of a sustainable future are addressed, including carbon neutrality & energy efficiency, the circular economy & bioeconomy, resource efficiency & sustainable processes through digitalization.

Throughout the entire life cycle

In industry, sustainability concerns the entire life cycle of products. This is shown by picking out just a few of the research projects being carried out at PROFACTOR. The EU project Zero3 is working on a sustainability monitoring platform which should enable companies to identify bottlenecks across value streams and potential areas for optimization. Research related to collaboration between humans and machines decreases the workload and ensures efficient use of resources. And the “EnzATex” project sees leading local companies working with other research centres from the UAR Innovation Network to develop innovative technologies for recycling mixed textiles.

For more details, see the press kit (German only)

© Land OÖ/Ernst Grilnberger