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New Materials in Austria
What are new materials?
New materials are an integral part of highly innovative areas of technology. Many key technologies would not be viable without the application of new materials, including:
- Information technology
- Environmental technology
- Defence technology
- Energy technology
- Transport technology and
- Manufacturing technology.
Materials science is generally understood to cover:
- the science of materials properties
- the physical, chemical, economic and other effects of these properties, and with them
- the scientifically-based choice, manufacture and analysis of materials for technical applications.
Here "material" is understood as the collective term for raw materials, basic materials, semi-finished parts, manufacturing supplies, parts and groups which are required for the manufacture of end products.
The economic success of materials innovations is only exceptional when new markets can be reached through new products. In addition, the application of new materials throughout the whole life cycle can lead to a significant reduction in materials and energy use, with lasting benefits for the environment.
Competence from Austria
As the area of new materials is extremely widely distributed in Austria, there are numerous companies in Austria involved in the field of new materials. It is extremely difficult to cite a precise number of companies in Austria who are involved in new materials, as the spectrum of this field is simply too broad. There are certain clusters in this area who not only represent the large interests of the industry, but also enable smaller companies in particular to establish industry networks and improve their efficiency.
These companies are found above all in Upper Austria, where the largest and most important Plastics Cluster (site in German) is based. Along with the plastics cluster, this has developed into a competence centre for new materials. The plastics cluster is a joint initiative from the federal provinces of Upper and Lower Austria. Clusterland Upper Austria GmbH (in German) and ecoplus, the Business Agency of Lower Austriaare support institutes of the plastics cluster. With more than 380 partner companies, the plastics cluster is the largest network for plastics technology in Austria. The plastics cluster brings together companies from the areas of :
- Plastics processing
- Plastics mechanical engineering
- Mould and toolmaking
- Manufacture and trading in raw and recycled materials
- Plastics services and institutes and
- R & D transfer centres.
There are additional technology centres involved in materials science in Ried, Kapfenberg and Uttendorf. TheMaterialcluster Styria (in German) combines all Styrian companies, institutions and science facilities, covering the whole value chain of the materials industry. In the region of Styria, Materialcluster Styria connects 5 universities, 2 applied science universities, 22 impulse centres and the Graz science park. In Styria alone there are over 1,100 companies involved in materials science.
The Austrian Research Centers (ARC) span the largest non-university and application-oriented research facilities in Austria. The ARC has its own business area called "Materials Technologies", composed of Functional Materials and Light Materials. The centre of functional materials is located in Seibersdorf. The light metals competence centre in Ranshofen covers the the second sector of materials technologies.
More and more institutes are getting involved in the research area of materials. These include the Institute of Materials Science and Technology in Vienna, as well as the Institute of Materials Science and Testing of Plastics in Leoben.
In addition to the renowned clusters, technology centres and research institutes, important materials events are also held in Austria. VIENNA-TEC presents the whole market of innovative products, services and solutions in this industry area and holds six trade fairs under one roof.
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