Project Content and Aims

The Wissens- und Technologietransferzentrum Ost (knowledge and technology transfer centre East) promotes the exchange between universities, brings together different disciplines, and thus creates a fertile environment for a variety of innovations. The WTZ Ost opens education institutions for a wider public and does its best to make insights gained, research results, technologies, and inventions  easily accessible for economy, society, and politics. In short, the transfer of knowledge and technology on a broad scale is the foremost task of this platform.

Interdisciplinary Cooperation Projects

WTZ Ost 3.0 supports the following three interdisciplinary and cross-institutional cooperation projects.

STEM education: interdisciplinary, hands-on, and inclusive (lead: University of Applied Sciences Technikum Wien and University of Applied Arts Vienna).

Despite a wide range of efforts and activities (both in and out of school), the number of students who opt for a career path in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) is still low. To remedy this situation, initiatives and teaching programmes such as “Programming Lego Robots Yourself” and the “Living Wall” prototype (wall panels equipped with sensors to convey knowledge in a playful manner) have already been launched in the predecessor project WTZ-OST MINT (WTZ East STEM). The current follow-up project expands on that and encourages teams of researchers, artists, and students to work together on artistic science-communication projects to the mutual benefit for all who are involved: Students are introduced to STEM research, artists are given the chance to discover a new field of activity, and (young) researchers get in touch with new, innovative formats of science communication. The initiative also commits itself to promoting “Citizen Science” (public participation and collaboration in scientific research) by providing teachers with methods and tools that enable them to realise projects, in which citizens are actively involved.

From STEM to STEAM (lead: Academy of Fine Arts Vienna) 

The knowledge transfer formats in the cooperation project “From STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics)” are part of the WTZ Ost and WTZ West. Their main focus is on artistic-creative methods and practices and how they can be of use for inter- and transdisciplinary cooperation and for handling future challenges. In other words, the initiatives are intended to bridge the gap between the STEM disciplines and the artistic-creative sector. For this purpose, conferences, meetings are organised and training programmes are offered. An already existing international network of experts is expanded on the basis of the STEAM focus and the “Mission-Oriented Research and Innovation Policies” of the European Commission. The “New European Bauhaus” initiative and the “EIT Creative KIC” also play an important role in the international orientation of this cooperation project. In addition, contacts with the business community – as employers for graduates from the artistic field – are to be strengthened. All these efforts are driven by the ambition to convince artistic-creative knowledge producers and those from the STEM disciplines of the mutual benefits of inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration and that there is great potential for synergies.

ForXtransfer – Research & Innovation: Networks and Transfer (lead: TU Wien & Medical University of Vienna)

Knowledge gained by previous knowledge and technology transfer centres forms the basis for new activities in the area of technology-marketing. More importantly, networking activities with partners from research, industry, and society are intensified. The already well-established knowledge transfer is improved and better adapted to the needs of the research and transfer partners through a balanced mix of new and proven initiatives. Moreover, strategies for exploitation are devised and identified and the spotlight of the international technology market is turned on the WTZ partners. Participation in trade fairs, partnering events, and conferences etc. is supported, as it is possible to get directly in touch with potential partners on such occasions. Also, comprehensible videos for various target groups on how to use and apply new technologies are produced. The collaboration with designers serves a similar purpose. With their help prototypes are developed making new technologies “tangible” and it more easy to grasp their potential. All these knowledge transfer measures are rounded off by hackathons for digital solutions and networking formats such as the “Research Salon” and the “Innovation Cafes”, which provide opportunities for knowledge exchange in an informal atmosphere. All institutions and all partners involved are given access to Austria-wide technology exploitation platforms and to the services offered by the WTZ competence centre.