Cooperation Activities of the City of Vienna
in Central and Eastern Europe
Dr. Michael Hofer
Vienna Science and Technology Fund (WWTF)
May 20, 2010
CITY COOPERATIONS OF THE CITY OF VIENNA
 Berlin | Bratislava | Brno | Budapest | Hanoi | Kraków | Ljubljana
Leipzig | Moskwa | Târgu Mureş | Trnava | Tunis | Zagreb
May 20, 2010
PRESS AND INFORMATION SERVICES
 Vienna values good
contacts to other
European cities,
especially in CEE
 City of Vienna has eleven
communication offices
abroad:
 Beograd | Bratislava |
Bucuresti | Budapest |
Kraków | Ljubljana |
Moskwa | Praha |
Sarajevo | Sofia | Zagreb
 http://www.compresspr.at
May 20, 2010
INTERNATIONAL STRATEGY AND COORDINATION
 The City of Vienna pursues a large number of
international activities to strengthen its network
of political, cultural and business contacts
 Objectives include:
 Strengthening Vienna's position as competence centre for Central
and Eastern Europe
 Providing incentives for international businesses to set up their
headquarters in Vienna
 Creating jobs by internationalising Vienna's economy
 Promoting tourism
 Positioning the City's renowned and acknowledged urban
technologies and strategies on international markets
 http://www.wien.gv.at/english/politics/international/strategy/
May 20, 2010
INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES OF THE CITY OF VIENNA
 About four main activities per year
 Focus destinations in 2010
 Shanghai (May) | Istanbul (June)
 Belgrade (September) | Warsaw (December)
 Blend of political consultations, business presentations, cultural
programmes, networking events, and experts talks
 organised with partners such as the Vienna Tourist Board, the
Vienna Business Agency (VBA), the Chamber of Commerce,
private enterprises, as well as Austrian Embassies, Consulates
and Trade Commissions
 Viennese Balls and Galas as high-class networking events
 for over 30 years, one of Vienna's most popular cultural exports
 about 40 Balls and Galas are held each year in cities such as New
York, Barcelona, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Prague, Bucharest,
Berlin, and Moscow
 http://www.wien.gv.at/english/politics/international/strategy/events
May 20, 2010
TINA VIENNA URBAN TECHNOLOGIES & STRATEGIES GMBH
 recognises the Viennese know-how on urban and environmental
technologies and shares it internationally
 publicizes Vienna’s technologies, strategies and know-how
internationally
 helps national and international partners take advantage of
insights, concepts and products developed in Vienna
 geographic focus of international activities is Eastern and
Southeastern Europe and the Middle East
 long experience managing the Pan-European Corridor VII
(Danube) with special expertise and cooperative relationships
with countries sharing the Danube River
 http://www.tinavienna.at/
May 20, 2010
INSTITUTE FOR THE DANUBE REGION
AND CENTRAL EUROPE (IDM)
 founded in 1953; addresses
current questions regarding the
Danube region, Central &
Southeast Europe
 wants to enhance knowledge
about the region and to promote
good neighbourly relations
 carries out research projects
dealing with current political,
sociological, social, economic,
cultural and ethnic issues
 organizes Young Scientists
Forum (YSF) on CSEE
 Secretary General:
Prof. Leopold März (BOKU)
 Support: City of Vienna – MA7
 http://www.idm.at/
May 20, 2010
CENTRE FOR URBAN DIALOGUE AND EUROPEAN POLICY
(EUROPAFORUM VIENNA)
 Strategies/ initiatives for a cross-border Central European region
 Municipal concepts for successful build-up of business locations
 Developmental perspectives for urban regions in the context of
European infrastructure policies
 Contributions to synergize European networks/ urban-policy
initiatives
 Activities:
 produce interdisciplinary analyses and expert reports
 plan and implement expert dialogues and communication projects
 manage conferences with international experts
 http://www.europaforum.or.at/
May 20, 2010
CENTROPE – CENTRAL EUROPEAN REGION
 New opportunities for enhanced
integration and collaboration in
the border quadrangle between
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Czech Republic (South Moravia Region)
Slovakia (Bratislava and Trnava Regions)
Hungary (Györ-Moson-Sopron County)
Austria (Vienna, Lower Austria, Burgenland)
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More than six million people in region
Common economic space and place to live in
25 public universities and art academies
High number of non-university research institutions,
polytechnics as well as private and public innovation centres
 http://centrope.info/
May 20, 2010
COMPETENCE CENTER
FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
 at Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration
 acts as a central contact point and hub for all matters related to
studies, research, and business in Central and Eastern Europe
 JOSZEF-Programme (supported by the City of Vienna – MA7)
 Target group: regular WU students and exchange students from
the 22 partner universities in CEE
 provides CEE students access to additional education at the WU
 gives WU students chance to acquire “CEE competence”
 additional support program designed in collaboration with corporate
partners for highly qualified students as prospective managers
 http://www.wu.ac.at/cee/en
May 20, 2010
BOB „BEST OF BIOTECH – GET YOUR BUSINESS STARTED
 an international life science
business plan competition
 Life Science Austria (LISA)
 BOB Partners abroad
 Czech Republic: The South Moravian Innovation Centre (JIC)
 Hungary: The Hungarian Biotechnology Association
 Poland: The Life Science Cluster Kraków
 Slovakia: The Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency
(SARIO)
 Slovenia: Tovarna Podjemov
 after four very successful BOB competitions since 2000, BOB is
now being organized for the fifth time, to be held in 2010
 http://www.bestofbiotech.at/
May 20, 2010
MOEL-PLUS-FUNDING PROGRAMME
 Grants for research and teaching stays at central, eastern, and
southeastern European universities & research organizations
 Target group: Scientists of all fields and academic age
 Duration: 3-6 months
 Grant dotation: € 1.850.- per month (excluding travel subsidiary;
scientists with habilitation may apply for an additional grant)
 Target countries: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech
Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia,
Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Mazedonia, Kosovo,
Albania, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Moldavia
 Apply for grants at the Austrian Research Association
 supported by the City of Vienna – MA 7
 http://www.oefg.at/frm_moel.htm
May 20, 2010
VIENNA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FUND (WWTF)
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Encourage top-performing research & scientists in Vienna
Emphasise importance of basic research for the City of Vienna
WWTF draws its funding from a private bank foundation
About € 60 million of funding from 2003-2010
Funding instruments
 Scientific research projects
 Vienna Science Chairs
 Thematic programmes
 Life Sciences
 Applied Mathematics
 Information and Communication Technology
 http://www.wwtf.at
May 20, 2010
CONTACT
Dr. Michael Hofer
Vienna Science and Technology Fund (WWTF)
A-1090 Wien, Waehringerstr. 3/15a
Tel.: +43-1-402 31 43 - 19; Fax - 20
michael.hofer@wwtf.at | www.wwtf.at
May 20, 2010