Austria’s Clusters of Excellence in Full Swing

Launched around two years ago, the nine Clusters of Excellence, Austria’s largest research networks, have now reached their full size and established stable structures. More than 1000 researchers at 18 locations are working more closely together than ever before in key areas of basic research. Join moderator Valerie Huber in discovering the Clusters of Excellence!
February 19, 2026
Valerie Huber im PortrÀt
Join moderator Valerie Huber as she discovers the Clusters of Excellence, which involve more than 1000 researchers at 18 universities and non-university research institutions. © FWF

In Austria’s Clusters of Excellence, around 1000 researchers are strengthening cooperation in key areas of Austrian basic research: Energy storage, quantum technologies, the future of knowledge, brain research, Eurasian cultural heritage, microbiome research, healthy aging, artificial intelligence, and materials research.

An initial look at the Clusters’ progress at the Think Beyond Summit shows: The Clusters have quickly established themselves as one of the main pillars of the Austrian research landscape and are producing promising research findings. They offer highly qualified jobs and provide national and international researchers here in Austria with attractive conditions for cutting-edge research – especially for early-stage researchers. Clusters of Excellence are characterized by a successful combination of cutting-edge research, research-led education, and the advancement of early-stage researchers, as well as an exchange of knowledge at national and international levels. Collaborations with the business community and the public to facilitate knowledge and technology transfer are another key element of the Clusters. The Clusters’ initial research results provide an optimistic outlook on the potential for the coming years.

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“Cutting-edge research is not created in an ivory tower, but where people share their knowledge and take responsibility together. In our Clusters of Excellence, researchers are working across disciplines and locations on the big questions of our time. It is precisely these collaborations that make us strong: We make a point of investing in structures like these, because scientific progress is not an end in itself, but must benefit everyone. My thanks go to all those whose work today is creating the conditions for a fairer and more sustainable society tomorrow,” said Minister of Science Eva-Maria Holzleitner.

“With the Clusters of Excellence, we have created efficient structures for top-level research in Austria together with the participating universities and non-university research institutions,” says FWF President Christof Gattringer. “The first few years have already shown that the initiative significantly increases scientific excellence and international visibility and helps advance the careers of early-stage researchers. My thanks go to all researchers and institutions who are laying the foundations for numerous new scientific discoveries.”

“Initial results of the Clusters of Excellence show the strategic added value of large-scale funding: Lasting alliances are being created between science, industry, and society, and research can be transferred more quickly into socially relevant applications. This strengthens both the research location and society in the long term. In the coming years, the close networks between the stakeholders will create additional innovation,” says FWF Vice-President Ursula Jakubek.

Planned ten-year term based an interim review

The FWF provides 60% of the funding volume for the individual Clusters, and the remaining 40% comes from the participating universities’ and non-university research institutions’ own budgets. As the Clusters continue, more knowledge is generated and the overall social return on investment grows. The Federal Ministry of Women, Science and Research and the FWF are on track for the full ten-year term, but the entire duration can only be guaranteed once the funding agreement between the Ministry and the FWF has been concluded on the basis of the RTI Pact. The prerequisite for continuation is an interim scientific review, which is already being prepared by the FWF.

Cluster of Excellence “EurAsian Transformations”

Cluster of Excellence “EurAsian Transformations”

Eurasia’s more than 4,000-year history is an almost inexhaustible archive of human experience with political, economic, cultural, and ecological transformations. Austria’s universities offer a considerable range of subjects, from Assyriology to Byzantine studies and Tibetology, helping to understand this history in all its diversity, in a world that is rapidly moving towards multipolarity. Cooperation is key, just as it is for the development of new approaches using methods from digital humanities, machine learning, and AI. The “EurAsian Transformations” Cluster is creating a new generation of globally minded researchers with regional expertise who are in an active dialog with society.

Empires, from China to the Mediterranean, played a central role in the history of Eurasia. How did empires expand and collapse? What role did the interactions between their centers and peripheries play? How did great powers compete and cooperate? The consortium’s research clearly shows that large, hierarchically structured empires do not guarantee lasting stability or resilience in times of crisis. On the contrary: They are dependent on wars. Resilience and stability, on the other hand, are based on networking, not isolation. It was not soldiers but traders who ensured wide-ranging contacts and cultural exchange. Studying the cultural diversity of Eurasia shows us how sustainable connections are created.

Cluster of Excellence “Knowledge in Crisis”

Cluster of Excellence “Knowledge in Crisis”

Since its launch, the Cluster of Excellence “Knowledge in Crisis” has produced numerous peer-reviewed publications and books with leading publishers, built a strong cohort of early-stage researchers, and established productive relationships with stakeholders in Austria and abroad.

The Cluster will continue to deepen its research into the crises of knowledge, truth, and expertise and further expand its cooperation with educators, political decision-makers, and the business community. The aim is to incorporate scientific findings even more strongly into social practice and decision-making processes, creating sustainable, effective impulses for change.

Cluster of Excellence “Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage”

Cluster of Excellence “Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage”

This Cluster of Excellence is pursuing the goal of fundamentally advancing energy conversion and storage. Instead of releasing more carbon from the lithosphere, water and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and biosphere are to be used as raw materials for recyclable energy sources. The focus is on water splitting to produce hydrogen and on the conversion of CO₂ into chemicals and synthetic fuels using electrocatalysis and photocatalysis. As existing processes are limited by low efficiency and the use of rare precious metals, MECS is concentrating on developing cost-effective, highly active, selective, and stable catalysts made from common elements. The Cluster’s work is based on an in-depth atomistic understanding of the underlying processes and material properties, with the long-term goal of transferring new energy materials into applications in close cooperation with industry partners.

The Cluster of Excellence brings together experts from physics, chemistry, surface and material sciences, and computer-aided modeling in a national research network. The Cluster currently includes 22 research groups. Over 150 scientists are involved, including numerous early-stage researchers. Educational opportunities include a structured doctoral program and targeted training for postdocs and early-stage researchers.

Cluster of Excellence “Quantum Science Austria”

Cluster of Excellence “Quantum Science Austria”

More than 60 research groups in the "Quantum Science Austria" Cluster of Excellence are producing new findings in quantum physics. For example, researchers were able to experimentally investigate previously inaccessible quantum states and novel particle phenomena. They have been studying special collective effects in multi-particle systems, unusual electronic states (“strange metals”), and new types of light structures. Customized quantum materials also play a key role in testing fundamental theories of quantum physics in the laboratory. Scientific progress has also been made in quantum communication, quantum teleportation, quantum sensors, and the development of an atomic clock. A quantum computer was also sent into space for the first time to demonstrate that quantum computers can also function outside of laboratories. Overall, the projects combine basic research with technological perspectives and contribute to preparing the next generation of information, communication, and measurement technologies. Numerous outreach activities in the 2025 World Quantum Year rounded out the Cluster’s activities.

Cluster of Excellence "Microbiomes Drive Planetary Health"

Cluster of Excellence "Microbiomes Drive Planetary Health"

In the Cluster of Excellence “Microbiomes Drive Planetary Health,” 34 research teams are investigating how microbiomes function, how they react to global change, drugs, and pollutants, and how they can be specifically influenced to achieve positive effects for planetary health. A special feature of this Cluster is the close integration of medical and environmental microbiome research. The development of microbiome-based solutions for urgent challenges in the field of planetary health is also a key element of the Strategy for European Life Sciences. Numerous scientific publications document, among other things, the discovery of completely new microbial metabolic pathways which are highly significant for the ecosystem, surprising findings on the effects of drought on soil microbiomes, innovative methods for more precise long-term recording of human eating habits, and the discovery of a new mechanism by which a Parkinson’s drug influences the intestinal microbiome. Seven highly competitive ERC grants, new industrial collaborations – for example with BASF as part of a Christian Doppler laboratory for the biodegradation of water-soluble polymers – and the start of a major clinical study are evidence of the Cluster’s scientific dynamics. With a new master’s degree program and the aim of establishing an internationally visible “Austrian School of Microbiome Science,” the Cluster is strengthening Austria’s leading position in this pioneering discipline in the long term.

Cluster of Excellence “Neuronal Circuits in Health and Disease”

Cluster of Excellence “Neuronal Circuits in Health and Disease”

A number of structures have already been successfully established in the first year since the Cluster’s launch: A total of around 70 early-stage researchers were recruited for the participating research groups. In addition, the participating institutions initiated 14 cooperative research projects that specifically strengthen interdisciplinary exchange. A structured collaboration with the German Research Foundation (DFG) has been established; a joint symposium in Freiburg is planned for the fall. The Cluster’s work is also gaining international recognition: Three researchers were recently elected to the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).

Cluster of Excellence “Metabolic Control of Aging and Disease”

Cluster of Excellence “Metabolic Control of Aging and Disease”

The Cluster of Excellence “MetAGE” combines innovative basic research with clinical studies to decipher the metabolic regulation of healthy aging. With the opening of the Healthy Aging Center Austria at the Medical University of Graz and the parallel implementation of the Pro-MetAGE study in Vienna and Graz, MetAGE is setting new standards in aging research. In addition to numerous scientific publications, the Cluster’s scientific achievements include discoveries on polyamine-induced autophagy and senolytics as well as patent applications. With around 100 employees, more than half of whom are pre- and postdoc early-stage researchers, and strategic partnerships, such as with DirectSens GmbH, MetAGE is driving research and knowledge transfer forward. Active participation in outreach events such as the European Researchers’ Night and the youth health conference XUND und Du emphasize the Cluster’s commitment to society.

Cluster of Excellence “Circular Bioengineering”

Cluster of Excellence “Circular Bioengineering”

Since its launch, the Cluster of Excellence “Circular Bioengineering” has successfully established the joint use of research infrastructure at the five participating research institutions in Vienna and Graz. Fifty doctoral students and 30 postdoctoral researchers in the Cluster were given comprehensive access to analysis and research laboratories as well as university research centers. Together with more than 40 international cooperation partners, 30 teams are working in four research programs on the circular use of renewable raw materials, new microbial production systems, biocatalytic synthesis processes, and the economic and social effects of increased biomass use. Initial findings have been published in 25 scientific papers.

In addition to research, “Circular Bioengineering” focuses on networking with industry and on social visibility. A cooperation with the Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology has been initiated and joint projects defined. The Cluster presented its research results in an industry-oriented manner at the European Summit of Industrial Biotechnology and has been involved in organizing numerous specialist conferences. The BOKU Future Conference on May 20, 2026 will focus on circular bioengineering and will present, among other things, science art projects created in collaboration with students from the Academy of Fine Arts, as a way to visualize the circular use of renewable raw materials in a dialog with art and the public.

Cluster of Excellence “Bilateral Artificial Intelligence”

Cluster of Excellence “Bilateral Artificial Intelligence”
  • Research institutions: Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Johannes Kepler University Linz, Graz University of Technology, Linz University of Technology, University of Klagenfurt, Vienna University of Economics and Business
  • Website: https://www.bilateral-ai.net/home

The Cluster of Excellence “Bilateral AI” has set itself the goal of taking artificial intelligence to a new level. Impressive milestones have already been achieved in its first year: Numerous scientific publications document the Cluster’s strong research performance. The relevance of their work for business and the economy is also demonstrated by two new companies, the spin-off “Emmi AI” and the start-up “OptiKonf FlexCo.” Successful technology transfer is also visible in other areas: For example, the Austrian-Bulgarian AI company “graphwise” uses results generated by the Cluster. Prestigious awards emphasize the excellence of the researchers. “Bilateral AI” played an important role at numerous events, including the AI Festival at TU Wien, which was co-organized by the Cluster, the first BilAI Industry Day at Graz University of Technology, and a Summer School program. The Cluster of Excellence has a strong national and international industrial network, the Bilateral AI Industrial Advisory Board, and is represented at international flagship conferences with keynotes, workshops, and posters. Numerous formats for knowledge transfer and community work – including a BilAI workshop at the IMAGINE Festival and two BilAI pitches at the AI Austria Meet-up – complement the Cluster’s activities.

FWF Clusters of Excellence

The Clusters of Excellence strengthen outstanding fields of research through cooperation across institutions, disciplines, and national borders. Longer-term perspectives and a comprehensive range of funding opportunities provide established, internationally oriented top research teams with sustainable support. The Austrian Science Fund (FWF) provides 60% of the funding volume for the individual Clusters, and the remaining 40% comes from the participating research institutions’ own budgets. The FWF and the participating research institutions have earmarked an investment volume of almost €260 million for the Clusters of Excellence for the first five years (from 2023/2024) of the planned ten-year term.