From Quantum Computing to Digital

Image Processing: ICT Research and

Technology Transfer in Austria

Guenther Krumpak
ITBeurope
Brussels, April 16, 2008
For a start, maybe some of the usual
cliches…?
Because like this we can awake your
appetite…

‚
 …For the more sober but still exciting reality

• Blackberry – with a heart from Austria

Blackberrys operate with a printed curcuit board by

AT&S www.ats.net
Austria‘s Digital Economy 2006

A success story comparable to tourism:

 Production value: € 33,58 bn. (+5%)

 Domestic output: € 22,05 bn. (+1%)

 Export/Foreign revenues: € 11,80 bn. (+17%)

Export share 35%, of which 57% CEE

 Austrian companies: € 4,60 bn. (+31%)

Export share 41,5%
 Multinationals: € 7,20 bn. (+12,5%)
Export share 75,3%
R&D in general and for ICT

R&D expenses 2007 ~ €6.83 bn. (Statistics Austria)

R&D quota ~ 2.54% of GDP (2006: 2.47%) = > EU-average (2.25%)

= no. 10 (OECD)
• ~ 37% public
• ~ 47% private
• ~ 16% foreign.

Since 2000
• Public + 67% (7,6 % p.a.)
• Private business + 89%
• Total R&D expenses + 70% (7,84% p.a.)

R&D expenses for digital technologies

• 2004 ~ € 1.07 bn.
• 2007 ~ € 1.4 bn.

Sources: Statistik Austria, Statistical Yearbook 2007, pp. 150-176 www.statistik.at/wcmsprod/groups/zd

/documents/webobj/023859.pdf#pagemode=bookmarks u. Stat. JB 05/07, S. 162, BMVIT,
ITBeurope
European Innovation Scoreboard

www.proinno-europe.eu/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.display&topicID=306&parentID=51
European Innovation Scoreboard

• Austria is in the group of "innovation followers" countries whose

innovation performance is above the EU average but below the
"innovation leader" countries. Other EU countries in this group
which therefore have a similar level of performance are Belgium,
France, Ireland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Its innovation
performance has improved over the last 5 years relative to the EU
average.

• Within the five dimensions of innovation, Austria performs well

above the EU average in the Knowledge Creation and Intellectual
Property dimensions, with relatively high levels on indicators of
R&D expenditure, patenting and numbers of Community
trademarks and industrial designs.
However, Austria has relative weaknesses in Innovation Drivers,
due to low levels of tertiary education and lifelong learning, and in
Applications stemming from low employment in high-tech
services, and low shares of new to firm and new to market
products. Austria has above average efficiency in transforming
innovation inputs into outputs.
Who does ICT research in Austria?

Universities: Universities of Technology Vienna and Graz, WU

Wien, Unis Vienna, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Graz,
Klagenfurt, MedUnis Wien, Graz, Montanuni Leoben, Uni
Krems, UMIT Innsbruck www.portal.ac.at

Academic colleges: Technikum Vienna, Campus Vienna, St.

Pölten, Hagenberg, Salzburg etc. www.portal.ac.at

Research and Competence Centers: ARCS, Joanneum R., ACV,

VRVis, FTW, evolaris, SCCH, KERP, Kompetenzzentrum für
Automobil- und Industrieelektronik etc.
www.vto.at/m-2037.html

Total > 70 University institutes, > 30 public research centers, >

50 academic colleges
> 120 ICT companies

Employment in R&D ~ 43.000

 Who does ICT research in Austria?

Multis: Austrians (selection):

• Telekom Austria
• Siemens (PSE)
• Philips • Kapsch
• NXP • Frequentis
• Infineon
• AT&S
• Sony DADC
• Epcos • AMS
• Alcatel • SEZ
• General Electric
• Datacon
• Plansee
• Skidata
• Datarius
Softwarepark Hagenberg • EV Group
Highlights

Basic research:

• Quantum physics & quantum informatics

• Storage materials/technologies
• Artificial Intelligence
• Symbolic computation

Applied research:

• Embedded systems
• Semantic systems
• Medical informatics
• Computer vision and visualisation
• Speech processing
A few examples I

Quantum Computing: 2 internationally leading organisations:

• Institute for Quantum Optics, Quantum Nanophysics and Quantum
Information at Vienna University www.quantum.at and the
• Institute for Experimental Physics at the University of Innsbruck
www.uibk.ac.at/exphys/institute/en/research.html

These institutes boosted Austria to 4th place in physics in the international

Thomson Scientific ranking
http://sciencewatch.com/dr/cou/2008/08mar20PHY/

Quantum Computation
• Quantum Computer Technology has the potential to perform tasks utterly
intractable on any conceivable classical computing hardware. The focus of
research is entanglement-based quantum computation with single photons,
which have the advantage of allowing high-speed operations while
undergoing negligible decoherence.
Quantum Teleportation & Communication & Entanglement
• Quantum state teleportation, quantum dense coding, entangled-photon
quantum cryptography.
Quantum Cryptography
Quantum Information Theory
A few examples II

The Atom Chip Group

Bringing Atomic Physics and Quantum Optics on a Chip:

Over the last 10 years research groups set out to develop a similar
approach for quantum physics: starting with atomic physics based
quantum optics and quantum manipulation. Central to our effort is the
AtomChip, a micro fabricated, integrated devices in which electric,
magnetic and optical fields can confine, control and manipulate
cold atoms.

The Atom Chip combines the best of two worlds: Cold atoms – a well
controllable quantum system – with the immense technological capabilities
of nanofabrication in microelectronics and micro optics to manipulate
quantum states. Through miniaturization, AtomChips offer a versatile
new enabling technology for implementing quantum optics,
quantum measurement and quantum information processing.

www.atomchip.org
A few examples III

Artificial Intelligence:

• Language Technology
• Neural Computation and Robotics
• Intelligent Music Processing and
Machine Learning
• Intelligent Software Agents and
New Media
• AI and Society

Austrian Research Institute for

Artificial Intelligence (OFAI)
www.ofai.at
A few examples IV

Embedded systems
• TTTech, a spin off of Vienna‘s University of
Technology, produces world leading real time
applications, „time triggered systems“, for
companies such as Audi or Boeing
www.tttech.com
A few examples V

Computer Vision and visualisation

• The Center for Virtual Reality and Visualisation

(VRVis www.vrvis.at) collaborating with the
Institute for Computer Graphics and Algorithms
at Vienna‘s University of Technology
www.cg.tuwien.ac.at and others have meanwhile
earned international reputation by being called
„The Vienna Group“
A few examples V cont‘d.
 A few examples VI

• Corporate
research:

November 2007:
Striking new
development in
medical
informatics: brain
controlled arm
prothesis by Otto
Bock Healthcare
Products
www.ottobock.at
A few examples VII

More medical informatics:

CNSystems, Technology
leader in digital surveillance,
diagnosis and therapy control
of the human blood circulation
system and exporting to > 40
countries www.cnsystems.at
Essential information

www.researchinaustria.info
www.research-it.at
www.innovationszentren-austria.at

Services:
www.aba.gv.at
www.vba.at
www.brainpower.at
www.ffg.at
www.itbeurope.org
 Digitale Wirtschaft Österreichs 2008

A bit of self promotion:

Overview on ICT business and

research in Austria (Yearbook,
German):
Facts&figures
Leading companies & industries
Numerous statistics
Comprehensive information on
relevant institutions,
businesses, universities and
platforms
Thank you

…for your attention! This presentation you will find on

www.itbeurope.org as of April 21, 2008

„Digitale Wirtschaft Österreichs 2008“ (German) is available with

Computerwelt www.computerwelt.at and VITE www.vite.at.

The English online version will be available on www.itbeurope.org as

of May 2008

See you again – maybe in Vienna!

Günther Krumpak
ITBeurope, a division of CEconsult GmbH
Floetzersteig 177, A 1140 Vienna
Tel : +43 1 914 26 78
Fax: +43 1 419 34 13
Mobil +43 681 102 164 37
g.krumpak@ceconsult.at
www.itbeurope.org