Facts and figures

Austria has performed impressively in terms of investing in research and innovation despite several years of moderate growth. Austria has met the European target of investing 3% of the GDP in research and development for several years, achieving this target as early as 2015. In 2023, Austria’s research investment percentage stood at 3.256%, making it one of the five EU countries (along with Sweden, Belgium, Germany, and Denmark) that meet the European R&D intensity target.

Austria benefits from a robust research and development (R&D) ecosystem, housing 87,458 full-time equivalent research personnel as of 2021. Public sector funding largely supports research at higher education institutions. Austria’s R&D sector is recognized internationally, and the country excels in securing ERC grants, ranking second only to the Netherlands within the Horizon 2020 framework. The success of Austria in Horizon 2020 stems from a higher success rate in applications than the EU average and is supported by a mix of public and private funding, with €1.96 billion allocated for projects.

Austria’s life sciences sector benefits from a strong research network and skilled workforce with a total of 17 universities, 13 universities of applied sciences and 25 non-university research institutes dedicated to or with high percentage of life science research activities. In 2020, the total number of life science students at universities and universities of applied science amounted to more than 77,000.

Recognizing the sector’s importance, Austria initiated a strategy involving stakeholders to identify key areas for development supported by a €45 million funding initiative for 2024 to 2026¹. The strategy focuses on basic research, research infrastructure, personalized medicine, and scientific-business collaboration. With a spotlight on health amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Austria aims to advance in digitalization, medical devices, and immunology. The goal is to sustain Austria’s reputation as a leading hub for life sciences research, business, and production, fostering innovation and competitiveness along the entire development pathway.