2023-08-28 11:27:36
More effective, faster, more interdisciplinary, more international are key keywords that the new management of the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) is striving for in its future strategy. The AIT is increasingly seen as a “network node in Europe”, in line with this year’s motto of the European Forum Alpbach “Courageous Europe”. As part of this, the new management team of three, led by spokeswoman Brigitte Bach, presented their ideas to journalists in Alpbach on Monday.
Brigitte Bach, who will take office at the beginning of October, said that faster, more effective action and initiation of changes, if economically viable, is required simply because of the increasingly complex transformation that society is facing in view of the global challenges. At the beginning of July, Andreas Kugi, professor for complex dynamic systems at the Technical University of Vienna, was introduced as “Managing Director Scientific Excellence” and the previous AIT CFO Alexander Svejkovsky as “Managing Director Finances, Processes, Administration”.
One cannot “rest on one’s laurels,” said Peter Schwab, the AIT Supervisory Board Chairman who has been in office since 2021, at the presentation of the management of the non-university research institute. Digitization, climate change, labor shortages stand for “huge transformations as a challenge”: “AIT must develop further”, the owners – owner representatives are the Ministry of Climate Protection and the Federation of Industry – have received the vision of, among other things, contributing to a resilient, sustainable economy. The next three-year strategy period of the AIT starts in 2024, even if, according to the new management, future adaptations should be possible in view of the rapid developments.
The physicist Brigitte Bach, who previously worked at AIT and is now switching back from Salzburg AG, slightly late for contractual reasons, will be responsible for strategy, external relations and the product portfolio of AIT: In the future, she sees AIT “as a lever” or ” Change agent that supports the transformation”. In the future, pilot projects are to be launched in a more targeted manner, for example involving companies in research development and its implementation at an early stage, or addressing the municipal administration and the population themselves more intensively on the topic of energy transition or climate adaptation in order to find the best possible solutions.
Kugi named more interdisciplinarity as another goal, but not as an end in itself. The AIT is “a link between basic research, industry and the public sector and sees itself primarily as a supporter of getting innovations out of ideas from basic research. Therefore, one also wants to expand the networks with universities – regionally, nationally and internationally Diploma theses or doctorates result from a guest program to bring international researchers to AIT, or shared doctoral positions – “We are open here, it must be of benefit to both sides,” says Kugi.
In the area of digitization, it is also regarding using ChatGPT and “similar achievements” of artificial intelligence with their “disruptive potential”, internally and in cooperation with partners, and to see where these new technologies can be used sensibly.
The year 2022 had brought AIT a stable balance sheet result and a record in external revenues. CFO Svejkovsky lowered expectations for the following years in view of high inflation and rising interest rates as well as an imminent recession. However, the topic was “discussed” with the responsible climate ministry and is “confident that our questions and concerns will be heard”. Focusing the portfolio should also be aimed at in view of economic developments, but also with a view to the next but one financing period from 2027.
At the end of 2023, the management announced the commissioning of a new solid-state battery laboratory, and a large-scale robotics laboratory is also under construction at the Seibersdorf site.
Despite all the breadth of research, the AIT cannot do everything and therefore has to focus in order to be excellent. In contrast to the universities, however, one sees oneself in a position to go “consciously in the direction of application” with basic research taken up. According to Supervisory Board Chairman Schwab, one can score with long-term career opportunities, speed in project execution and larger infrastructure projects.
Bach also considers improved gender and diversity management at AIT to be a “heart-felt issue”: “We need to get more women into AIT and ultimately also into management positions.” The aim must be to take the time when recruiting and to have 50 percent women on the short and long lists of candidates – and, despite all the difficulties, to fill the selection committees with more women. You have to support women in visibility and their efforts to seize opportunities.
Bach sees the beginning of a “new culture of shared leadership at AIT” with the new three-person management structure. The management succeeds Wolfgang Knoll and Anton Plimon, who have managed AIT since 2008 as scientific and commercial directors.
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