The AIT Austrian Institute of Technology can look back on a financially successful year in 2024. With earnings after taxes of 5.42 million euros (previous year: 4.89 million euros), the result remained at a level that will enable further investments in strategic future fields. Total operating income reached €218 million, an increase of 9 per cent over the previous year. External revenues from contract and co-financed research played a major role in this, growing by 11.3 per cent to a total of €130.7 million. Despite an expected decline in order intake due to high one-off effects in the previous year, AIT's order backlog increased by 6 per cent to 276.2 million euros at the end of the year. The institute also grew in terms of personnel: AIT currently has 1,653 employees from more than 50 nations.
Focus on Europe's competitiveness
‘At AIT, we pursue a clear vision: We make innovation a driving force in Europe," emphasises Brigitte Bach, Managing Director and Spokesperson of the Management Board of AIT, at the presentation of the 2024 balance sheet. ’In view of increasing global competition, Europe needs targeted investment in research and innovation as well as close cooperation between science, industry and the public sector. Innovation means that research reaches the market. And that is ultimately what AIT is all about.’ That is why Austria's and Europe's competitiveness is at the heart of AIT's research and development activities.
AIT ranks among the leaders in European research programmes
‘The extent to which we are demonstrating leadership here, in line with our vision, can be seen in our participation in the current EU research framework programme Horizon Europe: AIT is currently active in 127 projects, 26 of which it coordinates. With total funding of over 77 million euros by the end of 2024, we are one of the top three research institutions in Austria,’ says Brigitte Bach.
Impact of AIT research
The three members of AIT's management board presented the latest Impact Report at the annual press conference and emphasised that AIT research delivers concrete solutions to real challenges – technology-driven, application-oriented and measurable.
‘The Impact Report uses numerous examples to show how AIT technologies have a direct impact on the economy and society,’ explains Andreas Kugi, Scientific Director of AIT. Artificial intelligence (AI) is used, for example, to protect against online fraud with the Fake Shop Detector (awarded the State Prize for Digitalisation), in the steel industry for quality control and in the autonomous operation of machines. With AI Factory Austria, AIT is playing a key role in setting up a supercomputer hub with an AI one-stop shop for companies. In the field of sustainable and resilient infrastructures, the spectrum ranges from leading quantum communication technology to optimised energy concepts with high-temperature heat pumps for CO₂-neutral brick production and innovative mixed reality solutions for training emergency services.
The impact of the AIT is also reflected in key figures: 601 peer-reviewed publications, 296 invited lectures, 20 patents, around 160 PhD students – almost 60% of whom are in cooperation with industry and practice partners – and numerous international awards testify to the quality of the work.
Strategic fields for the future
At the annual press conference, Andreas Kugi highlighted several strategic future areas for the AIT: ‘In the coming years, we will continue to expand our national and international network, strengthen those areas in which we are already leaders, and make targeted use of synergies from cooperation.’ These include areas such as applied AI engineering, digitalisation and data infrastructures; security research and quantum technologies; and the optimisation of industrial processes through AI, automation, energy and resource efficiency, and new innovative human-machine concepts.
AIT is investing in important future topics
AIT also invested heavily in research topics and infrastructure in the 2024 financial year. ‘With an investment volume of 13 million euros, key projects were initiated and continued,’ explains AIT Managing Director Alexander Svejkovsky: In Vienna, a new solid-state battery laboratory began operations. In Seibersdorf, work began on setting up the AIT H2Lab as a national test environment for hydrogen technologies. This was complemented by the start of construction of a large test bench for heat pumps up to 100 kW – an investment in the practical relevance of climate-friendly energy systems.
Ecosystem for spin-offs in Europe
A particularly dynamic field is technology transfer via spin-offs and entrepreneurship initiatives: ‘In 2024, we supported three new spin-off projects in the pre-start-up phase. The aim is a market-oriented and successful launch,’ says Alexander Svejkovsky. ‘We are helping to shape an ecosystem for spin-offs in Austria and Europe. This ecosystem will be strongly supported by cooperation with universities, incubators, funding agencies and other established players in the start-up world in Austria. Austria must carry more weight in this area in order to attract European capital,’ says Alexander Svejkovsky.
Supervisory Board Chairman Peter Schwab: Innovation is an investment in the future
‘Innovation is the translation of research results into successful products and services. Innovation is the key lever for enabling new growth. We are thus making a concrete contribution to strengthening Austria's and Europe's competitiveness and ensuring that they emerge stronger from this phase of recession,’ explains Supervisory Board Chairman Peter Schwab.
‘In 2025, AIT will be stronger, more powerful, strategically clearer and remain invested in urgently needed research priorities,’ summarises Peter Schwab. ’We would like to thank our owners – the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure and the Federation of Austrian Industries – for their reliable support and strong backing.’
Technology Talks Austria 2025 focuses on Europe's competitiveness
The topic of Europe's competitiveness will also be the focus of Technology Talks Austria on 11 and 12 September 2025 at the MuseumsQuartier in Vienna. With over 900 participants from research, industry and politics expected to attend, the technology talks will address the question of how technology and innovation can strengthen Europe's position in global competition.
About the AIT
The AIT Austrian Institute of Technology is Austria's largest research and technology organisation with currently 1,653 employees working on the central infrastructure issues of the future. The AIT focuses on two interlinked research areas: ‘Sustainable and resilient infrastructures’, particularly in the fields of energy, transport and health, and ‘Digital transformation of industry and society’. It works closely with scientific organisations, industry and public institutions.