About ACR
We are a research network. Our institutes are committed to research and development for companies, especially for the benefit of SMEs.
ACR – Austrian Cooperative Research is a network of private research institutes offering applied R&D for companies. Our demand-oriented services are tailored to meet the needs of SMEs, in order to support their innovation efforts, to provide the necessary know-how and to strengthen their competitiveness.
In addition to R&D, ACR-institutes offer testing, inspection and certification as well as technology and knowledge transfer. They perform more than two-thirds of their services for SMEs. This is the reason why ACR has become the research and technology network with the highest benefit for SMEs in Austria.
Our Goals
We support SMEs in their innovation and digitization efforts and help to reduce obstacles and barriers in access to research and development services. This way we help to anchor the idea of innovation in SMEs.
With our demand-oriented offer, we strengthen the competitiveness of Austrian SMEs and thus also the entire business location by making scientific knowledge usable for the industry.
We improve Austria’s innovation position through an intensive exchange of technology and knowledge with SMEs as well as the active support of start-ups in the implementation of new ideas.
Our Mission
We encourage and support companies that are at the beginning of their innovation activities with low-threshold offers and help to remove obstacles in the innovation cycle. We are committed to improving the framework conditions for research and development, especially for SMEs, and to strengthening low-threshold funding programs.
Our Vision
We are the first point of contact for innovative companies to transfer their ideas into marketable products or services. Our institutes are sparring partners, industry experts and research professionals who reliably accompany small and medium-sized companies through their innovation process.
Our Strength
Our institutes are research and innovation partners who know the needs of companies, especially SMEs, the research landscape and funding opportunities. They are regionally anchored and have excellent connections in science and business, nationally and internationally.
Research areas
We bundle our research, development and innovation expertise in strategically aligned, interdisciplinary research areas.
The portfolio of ACR institutes in the field of sustainable building comprises development and advancement of innovative building concepts and building materials, energy efficiency, building ecology, technical optimisation and development, safety, fire prevention, utilisation quality, and cost efficiency.
This ACR focus attends to research and development of solar thermal energy, photovoltaics and energy storage and their integration into innovative building concepts, biogenic energy sources, as well as the development and advancement of biofuels.
The ACR focus deals with the economic, legal, political and social factors and framework conditions for companies, especially SMEs, the observation of trends and the preparation of industry, market and structural analyzes.
This ACR focus attends to deal with innovative material concepts, new material compounds and develop new methods for material characterization, process control and process optimization in the processing of wood, metals and plastics.
In order to support SMEs in their digital transformation, the ACR institutes are pushing the development of digitization tools for an optimal range of services for SMEs and show the potential of digitization technologies.
In this area, the ACR institutes deal with the entire food chain - from raw materials and processing to packaging, transport, storage and distribution. The focus is always on food quality and safety.