From Quantum Computing to Digital Image Processing: ICT Research and

Technology Transfer in Austria

Guenther KrumpakITBeurope

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:

• Siemens (PSE)• Philips• NXP• Infineon• Sony DADC• Epcos• Alcatel• General Electric

Austrians (selection):

• Telekom Austria

• Kapsch

• Frequentis

• AT&S

• AMS

• SEZ

• Datacon

• Plansee

• Skidata

• Datarius

• EV GroupSoftwarepark Hagenberg

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 CryptographyQuantum 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.infowww.research-it.atwww.innovationszentren-austria.at

Services:www.aba.gv.atwww.vba.atwww.brainpower.atwww.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 KrumpakITBeurope, a division of CEconsult GmbHFloetzersteig 177, A 1140 ViennaTel : +43 1 914 26 78Fax: +43 1 419 34 13Mobil +43 681 102 164 37g.krumpak@ceconsult.atwww.itbeurope.org