Technology Talks Austria: What Drives Cutting-Edge Research?
How do scientific breakthroughs come about – and what are the conditions researchers need to do pioneering work? How are Austria’s Clusters of Excellence progressing? And what can we learn from the cutting-edge research at CERN and from collaborations between science and research-intensive industries? These questions were the focus of the FWF workshop at the Technology Talks Austria 2026. Moderated by FWF President Christof Gattringer, the panel discussion featured Paul Adam (Head of Research at Boehringer Ingelheim, Vienna), Robert Legenstein (Graz University of Technology), Tracy Northup (University of Innsbruck), Thomas Pieber (Medical University of Graz), CERN Director Mark Thomson, and Section Head Barbara Weitgruber (Federal Ministry of Women, Science and Research).
Freedom and long-term funding
In her opening remarks, Barbara Weitgruber emphasized the strategic importance of science and research in the face of global crises: They are crucial to Europe’s security, resilience, and technological sovereignty. Quality research depends on reliable framework conditions, long-term funding, freedom and independence in research, outstanding researchers, and high-performance infrastructure, as well as stronger collaboration across disciplines, institutions, and national borders.
Clusters of Excellence: Basic research with high innovative potential
Robert Legenstein from the “Bilateral AI” Cluster of Excellence, Tracy Northup from the “Quantum Science Austria” Cluster of Excellence, and Thomas Pieber from the “MetAGE” Cluster of Excellence provided examples of how new insights are emerging from these Austrian research networks. Their research in the fields of artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and aging and health clearly demonstrates the innovative potential that long-term basic research can unlock. Interdisciplinary collaboration, strong research networks, and cooperation with partners from business and industry play a crucial role.
CERN: Cutting-edge research through European collaboration
CERN Director-General Mark Thomson talked about the European dimension of cutting-edge research. CERN serves as a prime example of how long-term European collaboration facilitates scientific excellence: By pooling their resources, expertise, and infrastructure, countries can launch research and technology projects that individual nations could not carry out on their own, strengthening Europe’s innovative potential and international competitiveness.
Science and industry working together for innovation
Paul Adam (Boehringer Ingelheim) shared insights from the perspective of a research-intensive company and emphasized the importance of cooperation between academia and industry for the development of new pharmaceuticals. About half of Boehringer Ingelheim’s clinical development programs are based on external innovation; at the same time, the company invests heavily in research and development in Austria and collaborates closely with academic institutions and biotech start-ups.
The workshop made it clear that scientific breakthroughs cannot be planned – but the conditions under which they can occur can be. Freedom to explore new ideas, long-term funding, interdisciplinary collaboration, high-performance research infrastructures, and international networks lay the foundation for scientific progress and technological innovation “made in Europe.”
Podcast tip: An interview with CERN director Marc Thomson
Listen to the latest episode of the FWF podcast “Was wir wissen” (in German) for an in-depth interview with CERN Director Marc Thomson, recorded while he was attending the Technology Talks Austria.
