Post-event Report | International Innovation Scouts @ Graz

The Innovation Scouts of AUSSENWIRTSCHAFT AUSTRIA are active in the most important future markets (including the USA, China, Japan, India, and Switzerland), supporting Styrian exporters in accessing local innovation networks and providing first-hand expertise from the respective countries.

At the beginning of March, 13 of these experts visited Graz and completed a comprehensive program:

The day began with an innovation breakfast at the ICS, attended by numerous Styrian specialists in innovation and technology from research institutions, universities, cluster organizations, and business organizations.

The focus was on the exchange of regional, national, and international current developments and trends, particularly in the sectors of mobility, human technology, and automation technology.

This was followed by visits and in-depth discussions at the following organizations:

• Science Park Graz GmbH – The High Tech Incubator
  … forms the backbone for visionary founders with global market ambitions, with the mission of turning innovative ideas into successful companies. Over the past 20 years, more than 200 high-tech projects in the early stages of founding have been transformed into flourishing companies.
• HyCentA Research GmbH – The Hydrogen Technology Research Center
  … one of the world’s leading research institutions for hydrogen technologies and electrochemical systems, committed to a holistic transition from fossil energy to green hydrogen and green electricity in industry, mobility, and energy supply.
• Virtual Vehicle Research GmbH – Europe’s largest center for virtual vehicle development
  … with more than 300 employees, VIRTUAL VEHICLE is Europe’s largest research center for virtual vehicle development. The research focuses on the integration of numerical simulations and virtual validation in the automotive and railway industries, with the goal of making the mobility of the future safer, more efficient, and more sustainable than ever before.

In addition to the outstanding research institutions, three Styrian start-ups in particular impressed by presenting their innovative products and services:

• Lanbiotic: A biotech start-up aiming to advance research into the skin microbiome and develop innovative skin care products to improve skin health.
• Robot Dreams: Development of AI-based software for the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases based on blood tests.
• Aventu: An innovative streaming platform for interactive audiobooks for families with children aged 4 to 12.

It was a particular pleasure for us to welcome our colleagues from all over the world to Graz and to introduce them to the diversity of the impressive Styrian research and innovation landscape!