Mission:
The Austrian Industrial Research Promotion Fund (FFF) is Austria's most important source of finance for research and development projects and innovation projects carried out by industry. The fund - established in 1967 under the Austrian Research Promotion Act - is an independent legal entity. Since 1968 the fund has provided assistance in the amount of ATS 23.1 billion (in 1999 ATS 1.6 billion) for over 14,848 research projects. However, FFF also supports scientists working on new products together with companies. It helps companies by providing them with an objective evaluation of each project's chances of success, co-operates with know-how transfer agencies and helps in the search for joint ventures. The fund also offers young researchers interesting programmes. The FFF has also been commissioned to manage the ITF (Innovation and Technology Fund). Projects involving technology transfer and technology diffusion are mainly supported through this fund.

Budget:
190 m.

Activities:
FFF is currently involved in the following programmes:

• General programme
  
• Relay programme "Science Industry"
  Basic scientific research in Austria is supported by the Austrian Science Foundation. In collaboration with the Austrian Science Foundation FFF has developed a programme in which companies are involved in projects as "observers" right from the basic research stage. As in a relay race, the projects are taken over by companies as they approach the marketing stage, when they are supported by FFF.

• Young researchers programme
  This programme sets out to support the involvement of young researchers in joint projects with companies. The objective is increased co-operation between science and industry.

• Timber research programme
  Timber is an important economic factor in Austria. However, the industry is still strongly oriented towards raw materials. Here FFF's programme aims to encourage research and development projects and joint ventures in a sector where there is still inadequate research in order to achieve greater value-added in Austria.

• Domestic water research programme
  This important environment programme is carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, the aim being to encourage better management of water resources.

• Technology transfer programme
  In its role as manager of the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF), the FFF also implements a technology transfer programme in Austria. The objectives of this programme are commensurate with the EU's action line 3 (innovation).

• Food & Nutrition
  FFF launched this special programme in 1998 with the intention to promote research and development projects in the field of food and nurtrition as well as in the surrounding technological areas.

  The objective of the programm is to improve the technological level and to enhance the competitiveness of these enterprises.
  
  

FFF finances also EUREKA, COST and other international projects and supports Austrian companies preparing proposals for EU-research programmes.

Staff:
34

Contact:
Herbert Wotke. www.fff.co.at
FFF, Kärntnerstrasse 21-23, A-1010 Vienna Austria
tel. +43 1 512 45 84/43, fax +43 1 512 45 84/41
E-mail: