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Developing the technologies, methods and tools of tomorrow

LINKING THE VIRTUAL ANDREAL WORLDS ��

MOBILITY

CONCERT-GOING IN SAFETY

FORESIGHT & POLICY DEVELOPMENT

THE BIGGER SCIENTIFIC PICTURE

SAFETY & SECURITY

CLOUDY OUTLOOK FOR CRITICALINFRASTRUCTURES

HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT

NATURAL EMPOWERMENT FOR PLANTS

TOMORROWTODAYTOMORROWTODAY

New SmartEST lab:

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SAVE THE DATE:

ALPBACHTECHNOLOGY FORUM 2013

22.-24.08.2013Congress Centrum Alpbach/Tirol

SAVE THE DATE:

ALPBACHERTECHNOLOGIEGESPRÄCHE 2013

22.-24.08.2013Congress Centrum Alpbach/Tirol

SAVE THE DATE:

ALPBACHERTECHNOLOGIEGESPRÄCHE 2013

22.-24.08.2013Congress Centrum Alpbach/Tirol

SAVE THE DATE:

ALPBACHERTECHNOLOGIEGESPRÄCHE 2013

22.-24.08.2013Congress Centrum Alpbach/Tirol

SAVE THE DATE:

ALPBACHERTECHNOLOGIEGESPRÄCHE 2013

22.-24.08.2013Congress Centrum Alpbach/Tirol

SAVE THE DATE:

ALPBACHERTECHNOLOGIEGESPRÄCHE 2013

22.-24.08.2013Congress Centrum Alpbach/Tirol

Details: www.alpbach-technologyforum.com, Information: claudia.klement@ait.ac.at

Future Innovation: Conditions – Experiences – Values

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➜ CONTENT/EDITORIAL 03

AIT REVIEW OF 2012

ALPBACH TECHNOLOGY FORUM: AN OVERVIEW

This year’s Alpbach Technology Forum held from 22 to 24 August again features numerous plenary sessions

and working groups to discuss topics of key importance to our future.

CLOUD COMPUTING FOR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURES

Cloud computing and its many applications have long foundtheir way into the lives of private users and many compa-

nies. AIT is working with an international consortium on theEU project SECCRIT to enable the secure usage of cloud

services for critical infrastructure IT.

LINKING THE VIRTUAL AND REAL WORLDSAt the end of April, the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology

opened its SmartEST Laboratory featuring the most moderninfrastructure for the performance of smart grid research in

Europe.

NATURAL EMPOWERMENT FOR PLANTSPlants are associated with diverse microbial communities

living in the root environment, the surface of plants as wellas in the plant interior. Many bacteria interacting with plants

have the capacity to naturally strengthen the plant’s resi-stance to disease or abiotic stress factors and support plant

growth. The expertise of AIT research staff in the field ofplant-microbe interactions is being used by companies from

a wide range of sectors.

SAFETY FOR CONCERT VISITORSAIT uses sophisticated modelling and simulation methods to

ensure greater safety for visitors attending large-scaleevents such as the Summer Night Concert held in the gar-

dens of Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna.

THE BIGGER SCIENTIFIC PICTUREThe International Foresight Academy is the first initiative

worldwide to bring together foresight activities around theglobe. This EU project coordinated by AIT examines, for

example, how foresight can be used to organize participativeprocesses in democracies.

AIT SENIOR SCIENTIST PHILINE WARNKE

INNOVATION CALENDAR

SCIENTIFIC PAPERS

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IMPRINT. The magazine Tomorrow Today is a media collaboration with the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology. Editorial responsibility rests with Austria Innovativ. Media owner and publisher_Bohmann Druck und Verlag GesmbH & Co. KG.,1110 Vienna, Leberstrasse 122, phone: +43 1 740 95-0. DVR: 0408689. Management_Gabriele Ambros, Gerhard Milletich. Publis-her_AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Tech Gate Vienna, Donau-City-Strasse 1, 1220 Vienna, phone: +43 (0) 50550-0. Publishingmanager_Patrick Lehnhart. Editors-in-chief_Michael Hlava, e-mail: michael.hlava@ait.ac.at, Christian Klobucsar, e-mail: klobuc-sar.zv@bohmann.at. Editors_Margit Noll, Daniel Pepl. Authors of this edition_Alfred Bankhamer, Angelika Prohammer, DorisGriesser. Project management_Daniel Pepl. Graphic design_Anita Frühwirth. Layout_Markus Frühwirth (REPROMEDIA). Print_Druckerei Odysseus, Haideäckerstrasse 1, A-2325 Himberg. Cover shot_AIT. Publication_4 times a year. All copyrights reserved,including Section 44 paras. 1 and 2 of the Austrian Copyright Act. ISSN 1994-5159 (print), ISSN 1994-5167 (online). Free subscrip-tion via e-mail_cmc@ait.ac.at.

EDITORIAL

Full order books and positive results forthe fifth year in succession have earnedus much praise – from the SupervisoryBoard and research partners as well asfrom our shareholders. In terms of per-formance, the AIT Austrian Institute ofTechnology is clearly on the right track,which was also confirmed by the figurespresented at the annual accounts press

conference at the beginning of June. The following pagesreveal the strategic adjustments that made it possible for usto achieve stable research revenues even in such difficulteconomic times. A steady increase in the number of researchcollaborations indicates that this positive trend is set to conti-nue throughout the year.

One of the most important strategic factors has been ourfocus on specialized research areas aligned with future-ori-ented global infrastructure topics. In these research fields,which are organized in five departments, we have set oursel-ves the goal of maintaining a consistent focus on systemsexpertise in order to provide our research and industry part-ners with the technology and innovation output they urgentlyneed to ensure the success of their businesses in the future.

This issue clearly shows that the research topics addressedby AIT are ones that are soon to impact all our lives in manyimportant ways. AIT scientists, for example, are working inthe new SmartEST Laboratory – a unique research facility inEurope – to develop innovative solutions aimed at facilitatingthe integration of alternative energy systems in so-called“smart grids” - interactive “intelligent” electricity networks.Colleagues in the Health & Environment Department areperforming research into special plant-microbe interactions,which can naturally strengthen the resistance of plants topests. Pests and viruses of a different kind are the focus ofwork being carried out by our research staff from the Safety& Security Department. They are currently working towardsmaking increasingly popular cloud computing applicationsaccessible for critical infrastructure programmes.

Contact details are given at the end of each article.Our Communications Team would be happy to hear fromyou and provide you with any further information you mayrequire.

Michael H. Hlava

Head of Corporate and Marketing Communications

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AIT HAs POsTed A PROFIT FOR THe YeAR OF2.5MILLIOneUROreporting positive earnings for the fifth successive year and reflecting excellent operating results for 2012. The large volume of orders and a growing share of revenue from co-financed projects show that Austria’s largest non-university research institute is in a strong position and that the adopted strategy is working well.

The President of the Supervisory Board, Hannes Androsch, was very pleased with these excellent results and cited a well-known saying among journalists at the AIT annual accounts press con-ference held in June at TechGate Vienna, which purports that “good news is no news”. Yet, these are indeed exciting times for AIT with final stage budget discussions with its shareholders as part

AITReVIeWOF2012:POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT AND FULL ORDER BOOKS /// Only a financially sound business can act as a strong partner. The AIT Austrian

Institute of Technology has operated at a profit for the fifth year in succession.

The new four-year budget will focus on supporting the planned internationaliza-

tion drive. ///

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our expertise in the smart grids sector are set to have an even stronger impact on AIT’s positive results. Our strong presence in the market has enabled us to increase contract volumes to around 134 million euro, which represents a 3.6 per cent increase for 2012 compared with the previous year.”Plimon continues: “The course we have em-barked on will now be further refined and opti-mized with adjustments made to the strategy pursued within the individual departments. The

focus will be on increasing internationalization, greater pooling of our expertise in ‘major sys-tems’ and the development of specialized ‘busi-ness cases’. The key point will, however, remain our systems expertise, which will help us position ourselves as a strategic partner within both the national and international research and innova-tion sectors in the long term.”

AITReAdYFORTHIRdROCKeTsTAGe“Metaphorically speaking, we’re about to ignite the third rocket stage,” says Wolfgang Knoll, sci-entific director at AIT. Within the individual de-partments, business units and of course at inter-departmental level, intensive work has been underway on updating the existing AIT strategy to ensure alignment with market conditions and other influencing factors.

POsITIVeResULTsALLROUndThe funding agreement between the Austrian Fe-deral Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Tech-nology and AIT includes definitions of both finan-cial and non-financial performance indicators, which serve to measure target attainment in spe-cific sub-fields. These scientific & performance indicators are regularly compared with non-fi-nancial performance. In 2012, for example, a total of 20 patent applications were filed (2011: 15), the number of publications grew in several areas and

of the performance agreements – including “fresh money” for the planned internationaliza-tion drive – about to take place. This expansion, recommended both by the Austrian Federal Mi-nistry of Transport, Innovation and Technology as well as by the Federation of Austrian Industries, was already taken into account in the adjusted re-search strategy for the period from 2014 to 2017, and is included in the proposal submitted to the Strategic Research Advisory Board and the Su-pervisory Board.

sTRATeGICeCOnOMICsUCCess“We have effectively met our funding goals (40 per cent basic funding, 60 per cent funding pro-grammes and contract research). We are cur-rently a mere one per cent away from our goal,” says Anton Plimon, Managing Director of AIT, clearly thrilled with the strategic economic suc-cess achieved in the last business year. The com-mercial director also anticipates positive results for Austria’s leading research institute for the current year 2013.

AITLeAdsTHeWAYWITHsYsTeMseXPeRTIse“We’re also very pleased that AIT considerably in-creased its revenues both from contract research and from co-funded research compared with the previous year. There has been a marked 20 per cent increase in revenue from projects co-fi-nanced by EU funding programmes and other funding schemes,” adds Hannes Androsch, Presi-dent of the AIT Supervisory Board, congratulating the AIT directors and their staff on this strong performance, achieved in what continue to be dif-ficult times for the world economy.Managing Director Anton Plimon: “Our focus on infrastructure topics, where of course our exten-sive systems expertise is of enormous benefit, is already showing positive effects on our annual results. Over the next few years, our work on se-curity-related projects such as FASTPASS and

AnTOnPLIMOn///AITManagingdirector

“The course we have em-barked on will now be further refined and opti-mized with adjustments made to the strategy pur-sued within the individual departments.”

HAnnesAndROsCH///PresidentoftheAITsupervisoryBoard

“We’re very pleased that AIT considerable increased its revenues both from contract research and from co-fun-ded research compared with the previous year.“

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there was also an increase in the number of PhD students (2012: 153 PhD students); a total of 18 doctoral theses (2011: 12) and 55 diploma and master’s theses (2011: 51) were completed. There was also very positive news in terms of staff tur-nover with an additional 20 research staff joining AIT in 2012.

neWsTRATeGICReseARCHAdVIsORYBOARdThe President of the Supervisory Board, Hannes Androsch: “Recommendations from the Strategic Research Advisory Board, which we first put in place about four years ago, are of course also an important factor in the successful development of AIT. In recent weeks the board has been reconsti-tuted and is staffed by leading international sci-entists and experts from the research and tech-nology sectors.”

sUCCessFULInTeRnATIOnALPROJeCTsDuring the reporting period 2012, AIT has formed several successful international partnerships. Collaborations have been established with a range of partners from MIT – Massachusetts Ins-titute of Technology in the USA to Singapore (NTU – Nanyang Technological University) as well as with numerous research partners in China. In Europe too, of course, AIT works with leading Re-search and Technology Organisations (RTOs). As Wolfgang Knoll explains, “We can already look back on a range of international successes such as the development of the Low-Carbon City Ac-tion Plan for Nanchang in China, a city with a po-pulation of five million. And there are also many P

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new projects in the pipeline. Planned projects, for example, include work on the development of concepts and solutions for an electricity supply system using a high share of photovoltaic energy in Chinese distribution networks or in the area of Intelligent Vision Systems (IVS) involving around 60 AIT experts.”A further research focus, which will also serve to raise AIT’s international profile, will be on micro-bial bio-effectors or bio-pesticides. AIT scientists aim to identify new mechanisms of action in mi-croorganisms to protect plants from phytopatho-gens. In the Urban project, AIT will pool its exten-sive expertise in the urban infrastructure sector and further extend its activities in this research area with the aim to make AIT the most important urban research hub in Austria and Europe.

“BRIGHTesTMInds”AsKeYsUCCessFACTORAs Wolfgang Knoll goes on to explain: “Now co-mes the all-important question as to whether we are in a position to recruit the brightest minds at international level in each of our specialized re-search areas. It’s a global playing field and we need to keep up with the game,” says the scienti-fic director, referring to the success of AIT’s in-ternational projects, which just five years ago would not have seemed feasible. ///

AIT–ATAGLAnCe

■■ ShareholderS:50,46percent: Republic of Austria (BMVIT – Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology) 49,54percent: Association for the Promotion of Research and Innovation (Federation of Austrian Industries)

■■ SuperviSory■Board:Hannes Androsch (President), Gerhard Riemer (Deputy Chairman), Maria Kubitschek (Deputy Chairwoman) Peter Egger, Ingolf Schädler, Peter Schwab, Edeltraud Stiftinger, Wolfgang Pell, Michael Millauer, Bernhard Schatz, Gerhard Mu-rauer, Klaus Pseiner (delegated by the staff council): Karl Farthofer, Rudolf Orthofer, Eva Wilhelm, Friederike Strebl, Gustavo Fernandez, Reinhard Schnitzer

■■ Strategic■reSearch■adviSory■Board■(SraB):Bertil Andersson (President of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore) Robert L. Clark (Dean of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Rochester, New York, USA)Kristina Johnson (CEO Enduring Energy, LLC, USA) Jürgen Mlynek (President of the Helmholtz Association, Germany) Helga Nowotny (President of the European Research Council ERC)

■■ Managing■directorS:Anton PlimonWolfgang Knoll

Chief Financial Officer (CFO): Alexander SvejkovskyHead of Corporate and Legal Services: Christian Meixner

■■ departMentS:Energy (Head: Brigitte Bach)Mobility (interim Head: Christian Chimani) Safety & Security (Head: Helmut Leopold)Health & Environment (Head: Michaela Fritz)Foresight & Policy Development (Head: Josef Fröhlich)

■■ SuBSidiarieS:Nuclear Engineering Seibersdorf (NES)Seibersdorf LaboratoriesLKR Leichtmetallkompetenzzentrum Ranshofen

WOLFGAnGKnOLL///AITManagingdirector

“We can look back on a range of successful interna-tional projects, for example in China. And there are also many new projects in the pipeline.”

Further details:Michael H. Hlava, Head of Corporate and Mar-keting Communica-tions, Tel.: +43 505 50-4014, e-mail: michael.hlava@ait.ac.at, Web: www.ait.ac.atP

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08 ➜EVENTPREVIEW

THETOPICSOFTHEPLENARYSESSIONS:

FUTUREINNOVATION–INTERNATIONALPERSPECTIVESIn the future the Internet and its multi-ple applications will increasingly per-vade all aspects of our lives and provide the basis for numerous innovations and new business models. This means that new forms of entrepreneurship will be in competition with traditional busines-ses. Chair: Rainer Nowak (Chefredakteur, Die Presse, Wien)

GRAPHENE–AGREATHOPEOFFUTURETECHNOLOGIESA wafer-thin layer of pure carbon proves to be extremely strong. Graphene, the “magic stuff”, promises superlatives in many fields and was designated a European “flagship” project. What applications can we expect? Chair:Helga Nowotny (Präsidentin, Euro-pean Research Council, Brüssel)

FUTUREINNOVATION:CONDITIONS – EXPERIENCES - VALUES /// The Alpbach Technology Forum, which is organized by the AIT Austrian Institute of

Technology in collaboration with the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation ORF/Ö1, is

regarded as the most important meeting point for Austria’s research, technology and

innovation community. From 22 to 24 August the spotlight will be on the most urgent

future-oriented topics. The event opens with a plenary session where top representa-

tives from the relevant government ministries, the Federation of Austrian Industries

and the European Research Council will discuss Austria’s path to becoming an inno-

vation leader. ///

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OPENDIALOGUE–SMARTMOBILITYFORSMARTCITIESAn open dialogue and discussion forum based on a competition of ideas and projects that will take place for the first time at the Alpbach Technology Forum. At the core of this interactive evening pro-gramme will be technological and social innova-tions. Cooperationpartner:AustriaTech in Zusammen-arbeit mit APA Science

CYBERCRIMEUNDCYBERSECURITYThe fight against cybercrime will become a key question of the digital information society. How can more effective methods of prevention and in-ternational cooperation limit the damage? Chair: Alexander Klimburg (Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter, Österreichisches Institut für interna-tionale Politik, Wien)

THEWONDERFULWORLDOFQUANTUMMECHANICSMost people are unaware of how much our daily lives depend on quantum mechanics. In a very entertaining way, using a lot of examples from the world of science fiction, this almost „mathema-tics-free“ lecture will introduce participants to the principles of a science that determines our world. Chair:Joachim Treusch (Präsident, Jacobs Univer-sity Bremen)

THETOPICSOFTHEWORKINGGROUPS:

WG1:THEVALUECHAINSOFTHEFUTUREAt the core of this working group will be delibera-tions concerning a sustainable value chain, strengthening Europe’s competitiveness and ex-tending it globally. But what will the value chain look like in the future? What are the decisive challenges and opportunities? How to optimize it from the enterprises’ point of view? How to use the innovation system for this? How to consider trends, e.g. digital integration, networks and fle-xible structures? We will discuss these questions with players from the economic scene as well as young high potentials.

FROMRESEARCHTOECONOMICSUCCESSKnowledge as a production factor is becoming more and more important in the global race for resources, raising the pressure to enhance the commercial exploitation of current research re-sults. How will the role of top-level research change in the future innovation system? Introduction and Chair:Helga Nowotny (Präsi-dentin, European Research Council, Brüssel)

OURPLACEINTHEUNIVERSEThe question if extraterrestrial life exists is as old as humankind itself. New technologies that are being applied in astrophysics can answer some of these questions today. Human spaceflight will also play an important role in explaining various phenomena. IntroductionandChair: Jürgen Mlynek (Präsident, Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft Deutscher Forschungszentren e.V., Bonn)

I-LEARNING–THEFUTUREOFLEARNINGINTHEDIGITALWORLDThe latest research on how children’s brains think enable us to design more effective learning processes. How can we usefully connect them with interactive digital media? Chair:Joachim Treusch (Präsident, Jacobs Univer-sity Bremen)

CHALLENGESFORBIOMEDICALRESEARCHBiomedical research is a key requirement for re-cognizing inner molecular structures and their mutual interactions. However, each new insight enhances the complexity of the causes and thus also the chances of healing processes. In this plenary session we will discuss which new thera-peutic procedures may give us hope. Chair:Wolfgang Knoll (Geschäftsführer, AIT Aus-trian Institute of Technology GmbH, Wien)

PLANNINGINNOVATION:ATTHECROSSROADSThe basic factors of success for innovations have been explored in various disciplines for quite some time. But how can this complex knowledge be implemented sustainably in the planning of new technologies? Chair:Joachim Treusch (Präsident, Jacobs Univer-sity Bremen)

EVENTPREVIEW 09

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WG2:TODEVELOPTHEFUTURE–TOMORROW’SINNOVATIONASEXEMPLIFIEDBYINTERNATIO-NALLEADINGENTERPRISESIn Austria, leading enterprises account for three quarters of all R&D funding of the private sector and therefore bring a majority of innovative pro-ducts and services to market. Especially in the sector of tomorrow’s great challenges, solutions – from an idea to market introduction – underlie enormous tensions caused by shortening product cycles and rapidly growing markets in Asia. The working group will discuss the “futures” that lea-ding enterprises envisage as well as the strate-gies they apply to be successful at their locations.

WG3:SMARTCITY–PATHWAYSTOFUTUREUR-BANMOBILITYThe rapid growth of urban population centres is one of the big global challenges of our era. At the same time, cities themselves have the necessary potential of knowledge, creativity and innovative strength to develop sustainable solutions and ini-tiate transformation processes. Of special impor-tance will be ideas, concepts and models regar-ding future mobility – a key topic for creating the complex organisms of tomorrow’s smart cities, guaranteeing people’s individual quality of life as well as the quality of business locations in an in-ternationally competitive environment.

WG4:“FRONTRUNNER”,ANEWAPPROACHINRTIPOLICYAustria’s RTI landscape has grown markedly du-ring the past ten years, with every indicator

showing quantitative and qualitative progress. The big leap ahead has been achieved. The Fede-ral Government’s goal for the future (RTI Strat-egy) foresees distinct growth rates until 2020, culminating in a leap to the group of European in-novation leaders. Will “more of the same” in terms of supporting and funding instruments be an adequate approach? Which specific measures will help top research enterprises to hold their own in international competition?

WG5:THEPOTENTIALOFTHEALPS:FOCUSONSUSTAINABLEUSEOFRESOURCESDealing efficiently with scarce resources is more and more becoming a key factor for economic de-velopment and the quality of life. Because of their natural conditions the Alps are eminently suited for scientific investigation and practice of innova-tive resource use. In the working group we will discuss how mountain research makes a vital contribution to the sustainable use of resources; in addition, the potential use for industry and so-ciety will be demonstrated using timber as an ex-ample. The working group will provide recom-mendations on how multilateral cooperation can contribute to a profitable development of the Alps.

WG6:THEPOTENTIALOFICTTOOLSINOPENINNOVATIONPROCESSESThe innovative strength of enterprises is the mo-tor for economic growth and social prosperity. The efficient generation and implementation of innovations are decisive factors for success. Enterprises are increasingly involving external knowledge and external resources in open inno-vation processes using ICT tools, which make these processes possible in the first place. This working group will discuss the potential of these tools by using theoretical and practical examples of innovation management beyond company boundaries.

WG7:WEBATTACK!THEFIGHTAGAINSTHA-CKERSANDDATALOSSHigh-tech affects all aspects of contemporary life and enables us to work quickly and collabora-tively. For this reason, cyberspace has become vital infrastructure, yet one which is also vulne-rable to attack. Which economic areas are affec-ted by cybercrime? What are its effects on value creation, and how does it impact trust in compa- P

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WG11:IPM–CONDITIONSFORPROSPERITYANDSUCCESSThe protection of intellectual property, i.e. gran-ting a monopoly for a limited time to the claimant, is not an end in itself but the foundation of and motivation for any innovative activity in a market economy. This working group will particularly pay attention to the challenges and opportunities of effective intellectual property management as a basis for business success and economic benefit such as growth, employment and prosperity in European and global contexts.

WG12:SECURITYRESEARCH:FUTUREFORASE-CURESOCIETYSecurity research is a new field that has caused many socio-political controversies and criticism of non-functioning markets at a European level. How can Austria, led by the Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology, take over the role of a successful innovation leader in this area? The answer can be found in the concept of KIRAS with its unique and innovative integration of all relevant stakeholders. The working group will deal with the challenges for the research to-pic “security” within the limits of society, techno-logy and market.

SPECIALEVENT:RTIINTERNATIONALIZATIONINAUSTRIA–STRATEGICRECOMMENDATIONSThe Austrian Federal Government adopted the RTI strategy “Becoming an Innovation Leader” in 2011 with a view to join the group of innovation leaders in Europe. The RTI Task Force has estab-lished the working group “Internationalization and RTI Foreign Policy” to develop strategic re-commendations for the internationalization of Austrian RTI beyond the EU. At the Special Event the strategic recommendations will be presented to the public for the first time and will be up for open discussion. ///

nies? Security requires coordinated action from business, politics and society. Is “cyber-security” a purely technological matter? Or are awareness-raising, employee training or even an exit from the web appropriate preventive measures?

WG8:INDUSTRY4.0–IMPACTONTHEFUTUREOFWORKINGLIVESThe fourth industrial revolution initiated by the In-ternet of Things offers a competitive advantage through increased efficiency of the manufactu-ring industry. However, it also creates economic, social and organizational challenges. Changing demands in the world of work, shorter business cycles, greater product individualization and shif-ting factors of global influence are all playing a role in this context. Accordingly, the working group will provide answers to questions such as: What is industry 4.0? How will the world of work develop? What does this mean for people, compa-nies and regions?

WG9:GREENTECH:VISIONSANDBUSINESSOFECO-MOBILITYConsistent research and development will trans-form “green” visions into innovative business mo-dels. Mobility is of special importance in the field of green tech research. The further development of mobility to eco-mobility – a viable, low-emis-sion and affordable way of mobility combined with renewable sources of energy – will therefore be an essential challenge for society. Representati-ves of industry, research and the public sector will discuss eco-mobility with regard to techno-logy, resources and infrastructure, as well as economic and legal aspects.

WG10:IDENTITY2.0:DIGITALHUMANWhile the theoretical possibility of parallel worlds is still being intensely discussed on a quantum-mechanical level, it has long become reality on a virtual level. This is due to our IT society that is transferring not only communications but increa-singly also social life to the web. But it is by no means just “social networks” that determine eve-ryday life in a digital world. Like everything in life, this has advantages and disadvantages. Who de-termines the rules in our digital parallel world? What opportunities does the on-going digitization of knowledge offer? And above all, how will tech-nological innovations enable us to explore these digital worlds more deeply?

Further details:Michael H. Hlava, Head of Corporate and Mar-keting Communica-tions, Tel.: +43 505 50-4014, e-mail: michael.hlava@ait.ac.at, Web: www.ait.ac.atP

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EVENTPREVIEW 11

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12 ➜Safety&Security

frOMHyPetOeVeryDaySerVice.Applications based on cloud computing have very quickly at-tracted millions of users with countless e-mail, online storage and platform solutions. The cloud computing age brings many advantages, such as easy, global access to the internet, simplifying the exchange of data and facilitating cooperation and the possibility to dynamically add or remove computer resources. Moreover, the servers run by cloud providers allow the provision of uniform and up-to-date protection against cyber threats.

CLOUD COMPUTING FOR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURES/// Cloud computing and its many applications have long found their way into the

lives of private users and many companies. AIT is working with an international

consortium on the EU project SECCRIT to enable the secure usage of cloud ser-

vices for critical infrastructure IT. ///

● inanutSHell

Cloud computing has already become an established factor in many fields and offers huge advantages in terms of scalability, cost and access. The greatest disadvantage is often seen in security concerns. Many organizational, legal and technical questions need to be answered before cloud services can be used for critical infrastructures. AIT is working on cloud computing technologies for use in sensitive environments as part of the EU’s SECCRIT project. The aim is to develop security guidelines, cloud assurance strategies, risk management approaches and technological components, to combine legal and technical as-pects and technical certification for cloud applications in order to give opera-tors of critical infrastructure a clear decision-making basis for the potential use of cloud computing.

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questions are currently unanswered. For ex-ample, there is still a lack of standards and certi-fications for critical infrastructures which custo-mers need to rely on in future risk assessments. This subject fits perfectly into the research pro-gramme of infrastructure and security specialist AIT. Together with partners, AIT developed two case studies in order to identify and analyse the potential challenges. This includes both technical and legal questions concerning data security, data protection and risk management.Project partner Mirasys, for example, is respon-sible for surveillance technologies and image processing for critical infrastructures including airports or military installations. Video surveil-lance (CCTV) in particular demands enormous computing capacity when an alarm or incident triggers a subsequent image database search. In an ideal world this only happens once or twice a year. Therefore it would be particularly effective to use the storage space and computing time of-fered by a cloud provider, rather than maintaining large private server farms. But this often highly sensitive data cannot be simply uploaded to a conventional public cloud. This is equally the case for the second partner, the city of Valencia, which runs its own traffic control system. “Here again we are dealing with the subject of scalability and cost savings,” explains Thomas Bleier, head of the ICT Security research group at AIT.

uSecaSe:PrOBleMSunDerGrOunDThe CCTV case study describing the fictitious Ne-bula Central Station, a large European under-ground station including 45 shops, bars and res-taurants, quickly highlights the challenges. After an act of vandalism the underground operator is faced with 100,000 euro of damages and is forced to close the station for two days. No suspects could be identified. After repairs have been car-ried out there are renewed incidences of vanda-lism and so a new video surveillance system is

But above all, renting cloud services avoids the need for expensive local server farms which po-tentially run below capacity, yet quickly reach their limit with computing-intensive analyses. The cloud also eliminates the need for inconveni-ent operating processes such as maintenance, servicing and updates.

trulySecure?Admittedly, outsourcing data and server capaci-ties also has disadvantages, particularly in the area of security. How well protected are the ser-vers run by cloud providers, how secure the con-nection, how reliable the availability or how trust-worthy the business partner? Questions abound.This is particularly the case for critical infra-structures. When it comes to implementing cloud applications, organizations including the Cloud Security Alliance, ENISA or BITKOM provide only some of the answers for organizations and ser-vice providers. “Cloud computing for critical inf-rastructures still lacks ideas for effective solu-tions, ideal design, implementation and security aspects,” explains Markus Tauber from the ICT Security research group at the AIT Safety & Se-curity Department.Together with international partners, AIT has es-tablished the EU project SECCRIT (SEcure Cloud computing for CRitical infrastructure IT) in order to allow the secure usage of cloud services for critical infrastructure IT. Experience gained du-ring the national KIRAS safety and security re-search programme run by Austria’s Federal Mi-nistry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT) was extremely helpful in this regard. The three year project coordinated by AIT was laun-ched in January 2013 and receives 4.8 million euro of funding. Project partners include ETRA I+D (Spain), Fraunhofer IESE (Germany), the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany), NEC Europe Ltd. (UK), Lancaster University (UK), Mirasys Ltd (Finland), the Hellenic Telecommuni-cations Organization (Greece), the municipality of Valencia (Spain) and amaris Technologies GmbH (Austria).

OPenQueStiOnSaBOutcertificatiOnanDStanDarDS“Our aim is to analyse and assess cloud compu-ting technologies with regard to security risk in sensitive environments,” explains SECCRIT pro-ject head Tauber. This is a field in which many

MarkuStauBer///engineer,Safety&SecurityDepartment

“Our aim is to analyse cloud computing technologies with regard to security risk in sensitive environments. This is a field in which many ques-tions are currently unanswe-red.”

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14 Safety&Security

installed and run by a security company. The se-curity company, in turn, transfers the data and computing capacity to a cloud service provider as the software should automatically detect specific situations – which occur at unpredictable times and patterns and hence benefit from the dynamic computational resource allocation available in a cloud. But one night severe acts of vandalism oc-cur and the system fails and does not raise an automatic alarm. The underground operator holds the service providers responsible, which blame each other. Now the question is who must pay in such a case, how did this situation arise and which technical information is available to identify the source of the problem? Another example is that of a well-known, inebria-ted politician who vomits in the underground sta-tion. The next day video surveillance images of the incident appear in a tabloid newspaper. The politician sues the underground operator which in turn sues the security system operators, which in turn blame each other.

neWcHallenGeSfOrtHeclOuDThe underground examples give a good demonst-ration of the challenges faced by a cloud compu-ting project in a critical environment. The key subjects are reliability (Why was there no footage of the vandalism being perpetrated?), a data-cen-tred security concept (Did the error occur in the camera system or in the cloud system? Why weren’t there any log files?), anomaly detection (How could video images leak to the press? Was it insiders or hackers?) and cyber accountability (Why aren’t there any log files on the illegal ac-cess to data?)Accordingly, the key focus of examination for these scenarios are secure data communication, encoding and secure storage, authentication and authorization, preventing the loss of data and the traceability of events. P

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learninGtOunDerStanDtHeclOuD“We are trying to view cloud computing from a wide variety of angles in this project,” explains Bleier. SECCRIT aims to clearly define legal gui-delines, to precisely understand the risks invol-ved in cloud computing and how the cloud works, to develop policy-based methods for specifying and implementing security requirements in cloud applications, to give best practice examples of secure cloud services and to demonstrate SEC-CRIT on the basis of two real-world cases. This should enable users to clearly evaluate risks in the future and to make the systems themselves more secure. As the underground example shows, many legal aspects need to be clarified. Additional areas of research include subjects such as high assurance. “This considers how certain security guarantees can be achieved at a technical level,” says Bleier. A visionary question is the shift from the current stance of system se-curity to a data-centred security approach. “In the cloud the focus is on the data itself, while the systems are dynamic,” explains the AIT security specialist. This requires the development of com-pletely new security mechanisms. Another sub-ject under examination is cyber resilience, which deals with cyber attacks and secure operations in the cloud. And finally there is the question of ac-countability. Monitoring should make it possible to check whether the cloud provider really lives up to its promises.

tHOMaSBleier///Seniorengineer,Safety&SecurityDepartment

“A key research topic is cy-ber resilience, which deals with cyber attacks and se-cure operations in the cloud.”

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riSkManaGeMentaStHekeytaSkIn contrast to conventional cloud applications, customers operating critical infrastructures must also have access to the cloud infrastruc-ture via defined interfaces. “This is the only way to be able to specify and verify the additional se-curity requirements,” explains project head Markus Tauber. AIT itself is focusing its re-search efforts on the subjects of assurance and risk management. What are the additional risks posed by cloud computing, and what technical solutions are required? The goal is to develop not only a catalogue of answers to these questi-ons but also solutions for the certification of cloud providers tailored to the special require-ments of critical infrastructures. A User and Ad-visory Board has been established for this pur-pose and will consider valuable input from as many sides as possible. ///

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Further details:Safety & Security Department, Michael Mürling, Tel.: +43 505 50-4126, e-mail:michael. muerling@ait.ac.at, Web: www.ait.ac.at/ ict-security

reSearcHSerViceS

Security concepts for the networks of the future must be able to protect infrastructures and business proces-ses across borders and administrative domains invol-ving different stakeholders in compliance with appli-cable legislation and individual security policies.

The AIT Safety & Security Department therefore develops:

■ Generic security architectures and services for the retrieval, integration and assessment of information (e.g. sensor data) combining complex heterogeneous information sources to obtain new insights for politics and society.

■ Next generation security solutions that address the vulnerabilities and threats emerging in the future In-ternet in order to protect the end-users, their interac-tions and transactions, their privacy, their devices, con-tent and data against any malicious behaviour. ///

PetriBäckStröM, HEAD OF THE SECURITY PRO-DUCT LINE AT MIRASYS LTD. IN FINLAND, ON CLOUD-BASED SERVICES IN CRITICAL INFRA-STRUCTURES.

Mr Bäckström, together with AIT and other partners, your com-pany is developing a new form of cloud computing as part of the

SECCRIT project, because this technology is currently not secure enough for critical infrastructures. What are the key security con-cerns?In the industries in which our company is active, video surveillance net-works typically are closed-circuit, i.e. isolated, systems. However, this has gradually changed, especially with the transfer of responsibility from security organizations to IT and operating companies which are striving to generate added value by means of new applications and services. However, this can’t be successfully achieved until the risks and threats to sensitive information have been sufficiently considered.

What advantages could the cloud offer to video surveillance, especially in your business sector?Cloud-based services, or hosted/managed platform solutions, are sprea-ding rapidly. They are increasingly regarded not only as additional sto-rage space but as integrated approaches, involving critical surveillance solutions and providing various stakeholders with access to relevant in-formation. In video surveillance, the demand for computing capacity and storage can vary significantly. In simple terms this means significantly greater IT requirements, for example due to additional video analyses. As the need for computing capacity can fluctuate substantially, the flexibility of cloud computing offers significant advantages over isolated systems, both for conventional video surveillance and for advanced video analysis.

What are the major challenges posed by this project?When it comes to the application of cloud-based services the major challenges still remain data security and connectivity. Where data secu-rity is of major importance, any risk must be excluded as far as possible before sensitive data such as video footage can be uploaded to the cloud. Additionally, everyone is free to design their own software solution such that it can be adapted according to requirements with as little human in-tervention as possible, and ideally with none.

How well are Mirasys and AIT working together?SECCRIT is the first project in which we have worked together on a vari-ety of levels. The start of the project has certainly been a success.

What is your general view of AIT as an innovator?I regard AIT a global leader in terms of innovation, with an excellent track record of successes and valuable results in a wide variety of fields, such as security and reliability in computing and in intelligent vision sys-tems. ///

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16 ➜EnErgy

rEnEwablEformsofEnErgypose an increa-sing challenge for the electricity supply net-works across the globe with increasing numbers of distributed generators such as photovoltaic systems, wind parks or biomass plants feeding power into the grid. The existing infrastructure therefore needs to be upgraded to accommodate these changes. Scientists all over the world are working intensively on developing intelligent system solutions for networks in which power

LINKING THE VIRTUAL AND REAL WORLDS

● InanutshEll

The Smart Electricity Systems and Technologies Laboratory – a large project with total costs of around eight million euro – opened on 24 April, securing AIT’s position as a leading research institute in the smart grids sector both at national and international level. The laboratory is unique in Europe in that it al-lows several components of an electricity network – including for example photovoltaic systems, electric storage units as well as charging stations for electric cars – to be simulated simultaneously. The AIT SmartEST Laboratory thus offers network operators as well as component manufacturers an indis-pensable research and testing infrastructure as they move towards the power supply system of the future.

/// At the end of April, the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology opened its Smar-

tEST Laboratory featuring the most modern infrastructure for the performance

of smart grid research in Europe. The facility, with a floor space of some 400 m²,

offers a unique range of simulation tools that can be used to create and test vir-

tual models of cutting-edge energy networks of the future, saving all stakehol-

ders considerable amounts of time and money. ///

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EnErgy 17

“It is our main aim to ensure energy infrastruc-ture is able to meet future challenges and to strengthen the ability of Austria’s industry to compete in the future-oriented smart grids mar-ket,” explains Brigitte Bach, Head of AIT Energy Department, convinced that the SmartEST Labo-ratory will make a key contribution towards achieving this goal.

bEnEfItsformanufaCturErsanDnEtworKoPEratorsThe new laboratory established by the AIT Aust-rian Institute of Technology enables component manufacturers (e.g. inverter manufacturers) as well as network operators to analyse the interac-tions between power plants and the different grid levels and to ensure their products and concepts are fit for the future. “The comprehensive remo-delling of the energy system poses new challen-ges for network operators. Here in Salzburg we are adopting a proactive approach to this deve-

lopment and want to be involved in shaping and supporting it. Our main concerns are the integra-tion of renewable forms of energy and meeting the challenge of managing electricity require-ments without any loss of convenience for our customers,” says Michael Strebl, Managing Di-rector at Salzburg Netz GmbH.“The SmartEST Laboratory is a state-of-the-art facility. As a long-term partner of AIT we are ple-ased to have the opportunity of working on the further development of our smart grids solutions in this new research facility. Over the coming de-cades, the introduction of smart grids as well as the interaction of electricity networks with smart buildings acting as energy generators, energy storage facilities and consumers will pose the greatest challenges both to the energy sector and building operators alike. For several years now, Siemens has been focusing on this future-orien-ted area and is working on the development of the

and information flow in both directions due to the permanent interaction between generators, networks and consumers. Austria is widely re-cognized as a pioneer in this research area ha-ving already launched intensive research efforts in the smart grids sector more than ten years ago. The AIT Austrian Institute of Technology in particular has established itself as the largest non-university research facility in the field of smart grids at European level. Evidence of this is seen, for example, in the leading role it plays in the association of top European laboratories for distributed energy resources equipment and systems (DER-Lab), as well as its international equivalent the Smart Grid International Re-search Facility Network (SIRFN) established by the International Energy Agency. The AIT Energy Department has now taken an important step towards further strengthening its leading posi-tion in Europe. The new SmartEST Laboratory (Smart Electricity Systems and Technologies) provides scientists at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology in Vienna with research infra-structure that is unique within Europe, enabling them to test the various renewable energy com-ponents in real time and under realistic grid conditions.

rEal-tImEsImulatIonsofComPlEXIntEraCtIonsThe new laboratory allows testing the complex interactions between future generators and con-sumers. A wide range of scenarios can be simu-lated in real-time in specific grid sections. Seve-ral components can be included simultaneously, for example a photovoltaic facility, an electricity storage unit and a charging station for electric vehicles, which will be a common constellation in the future. The state-of-the-art infrastructure enables the performance of entirely new tests previously not available anywhere else in the world.

brIgIttEbaCh///headofaItEnergyDepartment

“It is our main aim to ensure energy infrastructure is able to meet future challenges and to strengthen the ability of Austria’s industry to com-pete in the future-oriented smart grids market.”

mIChaElstrEbl///managingDirectorsalzburgnetzgmbh

“Our main concerns are the integration of renewable forms of energy and meeting the challenge of managing electricity requirements wit-hout any loss of convenience for our customers.”

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appropriate strategy for the smart grids of the fu-ture in close cooperation with energy providers,” explains Wolfgang Hesoun, CEO of Siemens Aus-tria (Siemens AG Österreich).

strongIntErnatIonalIntErEstThe new and rapidly evolving renewable energy sector requires excellent research infrastructure in order to tackle the complex energy questions

that go beyond market development. The AIT Austrian Institute of Technology is among the top European players in the sector and the laboratory’s opening was attended by many high profile guests, among them András Siegler from the DG Research & Innovation of the European Commission.

The use of innovative technologies is the key to achieving a turnaround in the energy sector. In-novation is thus seen as a central solution ap-proach in efforts aimed at attaining national and global climate goals. Increasing energy efficiency is one of the stated research goals of the Austrian Climate and Energy Fund.“The support for the SmartEST Laboratory from the Austrian Climate and Energy Fund is a prime example of effective and efficient use of public funds. By supporting this project we are creating a win-win situation benefiting both research and user industries,” says Theresia Vogel, Managing Director of the Climate and Energy Fund.

thEbEnEfItsfor…

gridoperators ● Increase in expertise in active distribution networks, e.g. power quality, sta-bility, safety aspects, etc.

● Development, implementation and testing of innovative control and systems concepts and deployment of novel devices for active network operation

● Evaluation of concepts for virtual power plants and microgrids: coordinated feed-in of distributed generators

● Emulation of future network structures for assessing the impact of additio-nal distributed power generators or loads in different grid sections

Componentmanufacturers ● Optimization of components and grid connection through development sup-port and validation of new concepts and prototypes

● Testing of component prototypes under realistic conditions – behaviour in the event of grid failures, high connection densities, dynamic loading and va-riable environmental conditions (temperature and humidity)

● Testing of compliance with national and international grid codes and stan-dards based on the extensive accreditations held by AIT

Publicinstitutionsandregulationauthorities ● Impact assessment of technical framework conditions for increasing the proportion of distributed energy resources in the grid

● Technical support in the development of standards and grid codes ● Decision-making support in the development of funding instruments ///

wolfganghEsoun///CEosiemensaustria

“Siemens has long been fo-cusing on the innovative area of smart grids and is working on the development of appropriate future strate-gies in close cooperation with energy providers.”

thErEsIaVogEl///managingDirectorCli-mateandEnergyfund

“The support for the Smar-tEST Laboratory from the Austrian Climate and Energy Fund is a prime example of effective and efficient use of public funds.”

Some 150 guests from Austria and abroad attended the celebration marking the official opening of the SmartEST Laboratory on 24 April – a unique research faci-lity in Europe enabling the simulation of smart grids.

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EnErgy 19

smartEstlaboratory:faCtsanDfIgurEsWork on a concept for the laboratory began as early as 2007. Development and construction of the laboratory was co-funded by the Austrian Cli-mate and Energy Fund together with funds provi-ded by the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology itself (four million euro each). With the SmartEST Laboratory, the AIT Energy Department positions itself as a unique smart grids research hub for industry at European level and offers excellent career opportunities for highly qualified scien-tists from around the world. ///

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Further details:Energy Department,Michaela Jungbauer,Tel.: +43 505 50-6688, e-mail:michaela.jung-bauer@ait.ac.at, Web: www.ait.ac.at/energy

rEsEarChsErVICEs

The SmartEST Laboratory offers state-of-the-art infra-structure and qualified experts for smart grid research and development. It allows distributed generation com-ponents and their interactions with the grid infrastruc-ture to be tested under realistic conditions in a safe la-boratory environment. The infrastructure includes configurable laboratory grids, grid simulators, PV si-mulators, equipment for power hardware-in-the-loop simulations and an environmental chamber for tests under extreme temperature and humidity conditions. These advanced testing and simulation facilities can be combined to provide completely new testing capabili-ties going far beyond the standard. The SmartEST La-boratory is open to grid operators and manufacturers, making an important contribution to the development and optimization of new products and control strate-gies for distributed generation.

■ Testing of components and systems with simulated grids and primary energy sources (e.g. PV inverters)

■ Electrical, functional and performance tests accor-ding to grid codes

■ Simultaneous testing of power and communication interfaces of components

■ Performance and lifetime testing under controlled environmental conditions

■ Simulation and testing of single components as well as complete generation systems and plants

■ Power hardware-in-the-loop (P-HIL) experiments by means of real time simulation and multi-domain co-si-mulation (rapid modelling and prototyping of systems and components of distributed generation)

■ Simulation of smart grid scenarios ///

ZoranmIlEtIC, SENIOR ELECTRICAL DESIGN ENGI-NEER AT SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC SOLAR, CANADA.

Increasing urbanization and ra-pidly growing megacities lead to an urgent need for innovative concepts in the energy sector. Is your company working on the development of such energy so-lutions and if yes which ones?The rapid increase in the demand for energy, outdated energy transmission and distribution inf-rastructure, expensive upgrading of electricity networks combined with high penetration capacity in energy production, for example from solar and wind energy, all result in a strong demand for in-novative and intelligent energy solutions. Our company, Schnei-der Electric Solar, has a strong research focus in the area of in-

novative energy solutions, which aim to serve corporate and industrial grid-connected markets as well as micro-grids and markets previously not connected to the grid.

What are the challenges involved in this kind of research work?We face a number of challenges in this sector, but one of the biggest challenges we face is definitely creating a so-called “high fidelity” test environment for design testing/prototype testing and certification of our smart energy system developments – in particular for high performance solutions. The AIT SmartEST Laboratory provides precisely the environ-ment we need.

Indeed - the AIT SmartEST Laboratory is a unique research facility in Europe offering the opportunity to simulate a whole range of develop-ment modules of smart grids. Are you planning to use the facility?Yes, we are. Our next generation of high performance inverters is due to be tested and certified in the new AIT laboratory.

What do you see as the main benefits offered by simulations in ad-vance?Well, the benefits go above and beyond merely being able to simulate dif-ferent energy sources and network conditions. The main advantage is that it allows insights into the behaviour of the system and its individual components. This means we can be very confident that our smart energy systems will behave under real-life operating conditions as they have in the laboratory.

Do you think it will be possible for all existing electricity networks to be transferred into smart grids? Well, it’s not really all that long ago that Nikola Tesla, a Serbian student at Graz University of Technology, first dreamt about alternating current energy supply systems. At the time his dream sounded like mere fantasy. Today such systems are commonplace. Of course, it’s difficult to predict what will happen in the future but we can be virtually certain that smart grids will supplement conventional networks and exist in parallel to them. I believe there’ll be energetic interaction between these grids and that conventional networks will not be able to offer stable performance without smart grids. ///

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20 ➜HealtH&environment

StaBlePartnerSHiPS strengthen resilience to stress and physical challenges. This is a fact that holds true not just for human beings, but – as re-search has proved over recent years – also for plants. Their strength to thrive even in difficult conditions, to deal with stress caused by drought or defend themselves against certain diseases, is in fact directly related to their relationship with the microorganisms in their immediate environ-ment. In the root zone, for example, there are thousands of bacterial species with which the plant lives in intense and beneficial symbiosis.

NATURAL EMPOWERMENT FOR PLANTS/// Plants are associated with diverse microbial communities living in the root envi-

ronment, the surface of plants as well as in the plant interior. Many bacteria interac-

ting with plants have the capacity to naturally strengthen the plant’s resistance to di-

sease or abiotic stress factors and support plant growth. The expertise of AIT

research staff in the field of plant-microbe interactions is being used by companies

from a wide range of sectors. ///

● aufdenPunktgeBracHt

To be able to feed the world’s fast growing population, we will have to produce twice as much food within the next three decades as we do today. With increa-singly less space available for agriculture due to drought and urbanization, there is an urgent need for new solutions to the problem. Away from unpopular genetic engineering there are high expectations placed on the very productive interaction between plants and bacteria. Should it be possible for scientists to unlock the secrets of the mechanisms behind this interaction, it will be possi-ble to support agricultural production and plant cultivation without the use of toxic pesticides or inorganic fertilizers and beneficial microorganisms may make plants more resistant to stress such as drought. Scientists at AIT recog-nized the major potential of this scientific field several years ago and have me-anwhile produced significant research findings.

Using microorganisms to increase the resilience of

plants has enormous economic potential.

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HealtH&environment 21

cers,” says Günther Reichenberger, Business De-veloper at the AIT Health & Environment Depart-ment. “But our customers also include smaller companies for whom we develop customized so-lutions.” A major challenge for plants and there-fore also for those involved in their production is, for example, the increasing abiotic stress caused by the effects of climate change such as drought, heat, frost, saline soils or nutrient deficiencies. If the stressed plants are provided with the right microbial partners they can stay healthy and grow well even under adverse conditions. Endo-phytes can also have a positive influence on pho-tosynthesis. If these microorganisms were intro-duced into the turf to keep it stay green and lush for longer, this could be important, for example, for golf course operators.

findingtHerigHtPartnerThe scientific peek through the keyhole into the relationships between plants and their endophy-tes often involves close cooperation between re-searchers and interested companies. “Compa-nies are also experimenting with microorganisms but they often reach their limits when it comes to putting their results into practice”, says Günther Reichenberger. “At the end of the day, these are living organisms in complex systems and their handling is anything but trivial.”Even for scientists, transferring microorganisms into the plant or the seed or applying them on leaves is a challenge in itself. “Like every living organism, microorganisms have their own ecolo-gical niche where they are able to live,” says the AIT Business Developer, explaining the “settling challenges”.

makingtHerigHtmoveSEndophytic bacteria are adapted to endophytic li-ving and are therefore able to thrive in plants. Yet they first have to be transferred there in an unda-maged state. This is one of the sticking points in

Some of these bacteria even enter the plant and thrive as beneficial plant colonizers. Around a thousand of these so-called endophytes live in every single gram of a plant.Compared with the soil microflora, endophytes cooperate even more closely with the plant and boost its growth and resilience. It therefore ma-kes sense to analyse these supportive communi-ties and use the knowledge gained in the develop-ment of green alternatives to chemical fertilizers and pesticides.Scientists at AIT in Tulln are using molecular bio-logical methods to reveal the secrets of beneficial plant-microbe interactions. “This allows us to de-code the DNA of entire bacterial communities and filter out the most appropriate bacterial strains for use in specific applications,” explains Angela Sessitsch, Head of Business Unit Bioresources and pioneer in this new scientific field in Austria.Together with colleagues from her research group, the molecular biologist has been able to prove that the activity of plant genes is influenced by the exchange of signals between bacteria and the plant. Although not all the mechanisms be-hind this highly complex interaction have as yet been clarified in detail, results gained so far are already being used in a wide range of applica-tions.

maJoreconomicPotentialThe use of microorganisms to support growth and resilience in plants or as a biological alterna-tive to chemical pesticides is not only exciting in a scientific way but also harbours major economic potential, which is of course constantly growing in line with the current paradigm shift towards in-creasing sustainability in agricultural production. Interest from companies both in Austria and ab-road in the findings and developments provided by the research group is accordingly high – po-tential users range from seed companies or ferti-lizer and pesticide manufacturers through to re-gional vegetable growers, flower growers, tree nurseries, forestry companies or landscape gar-deners.In Tulln AIT also offers a special service for sports ground operators – they can send turf samples to the research staff and have the grass tested for pathogen infestation. Scientists are also in close contact with the global players in the agricultural sector. “We are in consultations with several of the world’s leading seed produ-

angelaSeSSitScH///HeadofBusinessunitBioresources,Health&environmentdepartment

“Molecular biological methods allow us to decode the DNA of entire bacterial communities and filter out the most appro-priate bacterial strains for use in specific applications.”

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endophyte research. As a pioneer in this rela-tively new scientific field, AIT has already develo-ped workable solutions. “We have submitted a patent application for a method which enables endophytes to be directly incorporated in the seed,” says Günther Reichenberger. The main ad-vantage of this method: “The endophytes cannot be washed away and are not in competition with other bacteria during germination.”AIT also uses the classic method of match-ma-king between hosts and guests, i.e. the endo-phytes are applied on the seed and are then transferred into the plant during germination. Another method is leaf application in which plants are sprayed with bacteria. The bacteria then stimulate flowering, which can cause the plant to produce more fruits. This method can be used to stimulate leaf growth or early flowe-ring. AIT is currently working on several re-

search projects to develop more efficient me-thods for introducing bacteria into their respective plant hosts. Results are being tested for practicability in cooperation with industrial partners.

uSingBacteriainSteadofcHemicalSTo ensure the availability of suitable bacteria to meet a range of different requirements, AIT re-searchers have built up a collection, which cur-rently includes 1,500 endophyte strains isolated from different plants, some of which have already been functionally characterized. “Some of these strains have already been used for specific appli-cations in association with the plant,” says Angela Sessitsch. The genomes from the most interes-ting of these have also been sequenced. “This collection is our treasure trove!”, says Günther Reichenberger. “It is a valuable library and we’re gradually deciphering the scripts it contains. Gai-ning more knowledge enables us to work in a highly solution-oriented way.”

reSearcHServiceS

Beneficial cooperation between plants and microorganisms: Microorga-nisms play a key role in plant growth and resistance.

The Health & Environment Department examines the molecular mecha-nisms of beneficial plant-microbe interactions using gene-based analysis methods. This knowledge provides a sound basis for the promotion of plant growth, efficient pest control and the remediation of contaminated soils with the help of plants. AIT has collected around 1,500 bacterial strains with potentially useful properties. AIT experts assist customers in selecting appropriate bacterial strains for application in plant production and soil remediation and support on-site applications through monitoring and optimization.

Tapping the genetic potential of plant-associated microorganisms: AIT develops molecular biological methods to efficiently select suitable mi-croorganisms for use in agriculture, soil remediation or industry (e.g. new antibiotics and enzymes). This includes the development of high-throughput screening methods for testing large numbers of strains and the identification of efficient microorganisms using genomic methods. Genomic and metagenomic methods can also be used to detect new pro-perties, enzymes or metabolites. AIT experts also develop appropriate markers for microorganism tracking and provides methods for detec-ting different plant pathogens in order to enable more targeted pest control. ///

DNA analysis has meanwhile become established as a useful and effective tool in golf course management.

güntHerreicHenBerger///Health&environmentdepartment

“Companies are also experi-menting with microorga-nisms but they often reach their limits when it comes to putting their results into practice”

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HealtH&environment 23

Demand for this specialized know-how is already clearly high and is set to grow. “Ten years ago, the idea of using bacteria on a grand scale instead of chemicals in pest control would have been quite inconceivable,” says Günther Rei-chenberger. “Meanwhile, times have changed. Li-censing of chemical plant protection agents and pesticides is increasingly difficult and some pro-ducts have been taken off the market. Last but not least of course, consumers are increasingly environmentally and health aware.” Furthermore, it is already apparent that the use of microorga-nisms in this area is not only effective but also cheaper. ///P

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Further details:Health & Environment Department, Zlata Kovacevic,Tel.: +43 505 50-4406, e-mail: zlata.kovace-vic@ait.ac.at, Web: www.ait.ac.at/health_environment

To ensure the availability of suitable bacteria, AIT researchers have built up a collection, which currently includes 1,500 endophyte strains isola-ted from different plants.

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24 ➜Mobility

StoRMy SKiES HUNG oVER ViENNA on 30 May, the day of the annual Summer Night Concert per-formed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in the palace gardens at Schönbrunn. Yet the 15,000 visitors attending the event braved the wind and the rain determined to make the most of the eve-ning and enjoy listening to the music celebrating the work of composers Wagner and Verdi in this most impressive Baroque setting. Over the past few years, the Summer Night Con-cert has become a major attraction and has

SAFETY FOR CONCERT VISITORS /// AIT uses sophisticated modelling and simulation methods to ensure greater sa-

fety for visitors attending large-scale events such as the Summer Night Concert

held in the gardens of Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna. ///

● iNANUtSHEll

Year after year, the Summer Night Concert performed by the Vienna Philhar-monic attracts many thousands of music fans to the gardens of Schönbrunn Palace. Organizers of such large-scale events must ensure visitor safety at all times – even in case of sudden weather changes or other unforeseen events. The AIT Mobility Department uses scientifically proven methods in the simula-tion, prediction and management of crowd flows in order to evaluate various possible scenarios and provide event organizers with decision making support in the development of tailored security concepts. The know-how provided by the AIT experts in the field of crowd dynamics has proven its worth not only in this year’s Summer Night Concert but also at other events such as the Danube Island Festival and the 2008 European Football Championships.

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Mobility 25

the right model for the particular case in ques-tion. “We do not focus on any single model. Over the years we have developed a flexible framework involving a range of different models suitable for different sets of circumstances,” says Seer.This broad-ranging portfolio enables the AIT ex-perts in crowd dynamics to provide a tailored re-sponse to customer requirements. In order to analyse boarding and alighting behaviour on train platforms, for example, a microscopic model is

required to simulate precisely how individuals move to avoid colliding with each other or with objects that may be in their way. In a case such as the event in Schönbrunn, however, where the aim is to predict the time required for the evacuation of large numbers of people a so-called mesosco-pic model is needed. “Here the movements of all the people attending the event are modelled as an aggregated flow with lower spatial resolution. In the virtual world, crowd dynamics is rather like the flow patterns seen in liquids or gases,” exp-lains the AIT expert. Based on their many years of experience in the field of crowd simulation, the experts at the AIT Mobility Department are clearly ahead of the game in terms of know-how with regard to reaching an optimal balance bet-ween accuracy and computing time.

ViRtUAlCRoWDDyNAMiCSOnce the scenarios had been defined and the ap-propriate simulation model selected, the AIT team reconstructed a plan of the palace gardens on the computer. “Based on the experience gai-ned over the past few years, visitor numbers are assumed to be a total of around 50,000”, says Seer. “At the beginning of the simulation all of the concert visitors leave their seats or standing places and move towards the exits at about the same time, as it would also be the case in the event of an emergency evacuation. We can track these crowd movements on the computer, i.e. we

grown into a large-scale European event, placing high demands on both musicians and organizers alike. When the weather’s fine, tens of thousands of visitors head for the extensive grounds of the palace, which means that organizers are faced with considerable challenges in terms of safety.One of the key questions when it comes to develo-ping a safety concept is how crowd flows are dis-tributed across the site and how long it would take to clear the event area in case of an evacuation due to an approaching storm or other unforeseen events. In order to meet the high safety require-ments, the authorities and the event organizers agreed to test their security concept beforehand in detail using simulations. They chose to work with crowd dynamics experts from the AIT Mobility De-partment, which has gained a strong reputation in Austria as one of the leading players in the field of crowd analysis. Over the past few years, the solu-tions for crowd simulation, prediction and control developed in numerous AIT research and custo-mer projects have proven to be of great value for example at the Danube Island Festival as well as the 2008 European Football Championships.

WHAtWoUlDHAPPENiF...“Simulations allow us to examine dynamic pro-cesses in complex systems and therefore they are increasingly being used in the planning of large-scale events,” says Stefan Seer, Scientist at the AIT Mobility Department. “Among other things, simulations enable us to determine crowd density, the build-up of bottlenecks and safety le-vels in case of evacuation for a range of different scenarios.” In cooperation with industry partner Wagner Sicherheit GmbH, the AIT experts in crowd dynamics went on a site visit in order to get acquainted with the location.Various different evacuation scenarios were jointly defined for detailed computer analysis. The main focus was to address two key questions: How long does it take to evacuate the event area depending on the number of available exits? What levels of congestion are predicted to build up along the in-dividual emergency exit routes and at the exits? “We use computer-generated ‘What would hap-pen if’ scenarios to provide timely and efficient answers to these questions,” explains Seer.

tHERiGHtCHoiCEA key issue and the biggest challenge when it co-mes to simulating crowd behaviour is to choose

StEFANSEER///Scientist,MobilityDepartment

“Simulations allow us to exa-mine dynamic processes in complex systems and there-fore they are increasingly being used in the planning of large-scale events.”

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can monitor what happens along paths, at the exits, where paths cross and at bottlenecks.”Normally, concert visitors leave the site via the main entrance through the palace and via the two side entrances at Meidling Gate and Hietzing Gate. For the safety concept, however, it was also important to know what happens if the main ent-rance is blocked since visitors might shelter from a storm in the entrance area hindering those who are following to leave the event area via this exit. The simulation clearly indicates where increased crowd densities may lead to potentially dange-rous situations and how the various scenarios can affect evacuation times. Working in close co-operation with the company Wagner Sicherheit, the AIT team developed relevant measures and recommendations based on the behaviour of the virtual flow of visitors. As Seer adds, “Using si-mulation, for example, we were able to identify the locations at which crowd flow can best be controlled and where experienced crowd control

RESEARCHSERViCES

People are the key factor to ensure safe organization of large-scale events and user-friendly design of public infrastructures such as airports or rail-way stations.

The Mobility Department uses its longstanding expertise in crowd dyna-mics for the simulation, prediction and control of pedestrian flows. The ex-perts develop sophisticated analysis tools to determine, for example, the density, frequency or main trajectories of pedestrian flows in high-traffic areas. These analyses are used to simulate different scenarios efficiently and cost-effectively, thus laying the foundations for efficient planning and optimization of structural and organizational measures.

Special focus is placed on the empirical acquisition and analysis of real-world data on pedestrian movement which can serve as input for simula-tion models. The Department also develops simulation models tailored to customer-specific applications and carries out simulations to support inf-rastructure operators and event organizers in decision-making. This inclu-des, for example, simulating the effects of structural changes and opera-tive processes on pedestrian flows. ///

26 Mobility

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Mobility 27

situations in a timely and reliable manner. The system developed by AIT is due to go on trial as part of the research project EN MASSE at this year’s Danube Island Festival.

CRoWDCoNtRoliNMASStRANSitIn another crowd analysis application, AIT experts developed a system for controlling passenger flow in the underground station “Stadion” in co-operation with Wiener Linien (Vienna’s public transport company). Here, automatically com-piled passenger counting data is used to ensure the number of passengers allowed onto the un-derground station’s platforms is permanently matched with the available capacity of incoming trains. The system called RAVE, which was first used at the Euro 2008, has since been success-fully implemented at numerous large-scale events held at the Happel Stadium to manage the large numbers of passengers attending them. Due to the extension of the U2 underground line to “Seestadt Aspern” in the autumn, the intelli-gent control system is currently being extended and refined. “All of these applications show that numerical simulation, prediction and control of crowd dynamics constitute an important contri-bution towards ensuring highest levels of safety for visitors before, during and after large-scale events,” says Seer in conclusion. ///

staff equipped with mobile radios and megapho-nes should be in position to monitor the situation and intervene as necessary.”

SiMUlAtioN,PREDiCtioNANDCoNtRolCombining these simulations with real time mea-surements enables security issues to be revie-wed not only at the planning stage but during the actual event itself. “We can draw on a range of different sources when it comes to real-time crowd data,” explains Stefan Seer. “The spectrum of available technologies ranges from infrared sensors, stereo cameras, light barriers and laser scanners through to GPS, RFID or wireless com-munication.” This data can be used as input for computer simulations to provide a clear overview of the situation in real-time and to generate short-term forecasts on the spatial distribution of visitors in the grounds.This decision support system enables organizers and emergency services staff to assess critical P

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Further details:Mobility Department, Christina Pikl,Tel.: +43 505 50-6322, e-mail:christina.pikl@ait.ac.at, Web: www. ait.ac.at/mobility

The simulations generated by the AIT experts ensure

the safety of concert specta-tors – even when there’s a

sudden downpour.

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28 ➜Foresight&PolicyDeveloPment

hoWcAnAsocietybest prepare itself for com-plex and uncertain future developments? Young scientists will be focusing on this difficult topic this autumn at Schloss Laxenburg, south of Vi-enna. The first IFA Summer School is being held here at the International Institute for Applied Sys-tem Analysis (IIASA) from 9 to 13 September, and will intensively examine how new foresight me-

THE BIGGER SCIENTIFIC PICTURE/// The International Foresight Academy is the first initiative worldwide to bring

together foresight activities around the globe. This EU project, coordinated by

AIT, not only uses international exchange programmes and seminars to broaden

perspectives, but at the same time examines how foresight can be used to orga-

nize participative processes in democracies, for example to solve major societal

challenges more efficiently. ///

● inAnutshell

The EU’s three-year International Foresight Academy (IFA) project, coordinated by AIT, is the first EU project to bring together foresight activities from around the world, in order to expand horizons and offer new networking opportunities. Partners from a wide range of European and non-European countries are ta-king part. The project focuses on examining the extent to which foresight can serve as an instrument to promote democratic participative processes in diffe-rent democracies. The IFA also offers an exchange programme for scientists, summer and winter schools for young researchers, and academic seminars.

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Foresight&PolicyDeveloPment 29

feeding a rapidly growing world population or aging societies in many countries. It is the inter-national aspect which provides us with an exter-nal perspective of our own society.

DemocrAticPArticiPAtioninQuestionsABouttheFutureHowever, foresight not only outlines scenarios covering possible future developments to support decision-makers in political and economic is-sues. It can also serve as an instrument to in-volve the public more actively in political decis-ion-making, simultaneously enabling politics to react faster and in a more informed manner to societal challenges. Shaping the future is a cen-tral starting point in foresight processes. This in-volves not only adapting to new framework condi-tions but also providing options for social design. The IFA gives scientists from the partner institu-tions the opportunity to study foresight activities

in other countries for a period of between one to maximum twelve months, enabling them to build networks of important contacts for future inter-national cooperation. Susanne Giesecke, for ex-ample, has already spent three months visiting Brazil. Petra Schaper-Rinkel, Senior Scientist in the AIT Foresight & Policy Development Depart-ment, was able to spend two and a half months gaining experience in Argentina. „Participation is often interpreted in diverging ways,“ explains Schaper-Rinkel. „In Argentina it primarily means the participation of experts,“ she adds. A novel fo-resight approach currently initiated in Argentina is the introduction of processes in which, for the first time, research priorities are discussed by all the stakeholders from research and develop-ment. At the same time, scientists in Argentina, who have already experienced many disruptive events such as economic crises, are amazed that processes extending to 2030 or 2050 are dis-cussed in Europe as a matter of course. Until the

thods and civic participation can be effectively used to master the grand challenges of the 21st century. The foresight studies conducted at the Summer School take into account factors such as re-source scarcity, population growth, cultural diffe-rences, power struggles and other aspects using practical examples. The Summer School is just one of the many activities being run as part of the IFA, which pays special attention to the exchange and networking of scientists. The three-year EU project which is being coordinated by AIT and in-volves partners from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Russia and South Korea, as well as Germany, Finland, Latvia, Austria, Romania and Switzer-land, is the first to bring together foresight activi-ties from around the world on the subject of par-ticipation. Foresight not only highlights trends and possible scenarios which help support decis-ion-makers in politics, research and science, but also creates structures and networks. The key focus of the IFA is the question of to what extent foresight can be used as an instrument for pro-moting democratic participation in different de-mocracies. The three-year exchange project is being financed under the Marie Curie programme as part of the EU’s 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development and was launched in May 2012.

Foresight2.0The Summer School will teach new methods for foresight, often referred to as Foresight 2.0. Gre-ater attention will be paid especially to cultural and awareness-raising factors as well as to the varied roles and functions of the relevant partici-pants. „The goal is to convey the new approaches to foresight, particularly to younger scientists,“ explains Susanne Giesecke, Senior Scientist in the Foresight & Policy Development Department at AIT and coordinator of the IFA project. IFA partner Foresight Canada, which enjoys an excel-lent reputation in this field, was responsible for putting together the Summer School curriculum. Itself still a young scientific discipline, foresight has significantly developed its methods over the past years. Until recently foresight tended to be used to examine primarily topics of research and technology policy. A much broader basis is requi-red in order to draw up scenarios for complex so-cial, political and technological developments, such as the possible impacts of climate warming,

PetrAschAPer-rinkel///seniorscientist,Fore-sight&PolicyDevelop-mentDepartment

„Participation is often in-terpreted in diverging ways in different countries.“

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30 Foresight&PolicyDeveloPment

early 1950s Argentina was one of the richest countries in the world. Framework conditions such as corruption and economic peculiarities, for example the large discrepancy between the official and black-market peso exchange rates in Argentina, are important factors when conside-ring foresight processes in a global context.

DiFFerentconcePtsoFPArticiPAtion„In many non-European countries the idea that citizens can play a role in the structured ex-change of opinions is relatively alien,“ explains Giesecke. In Brazil, for example, everything is or-ganized in a very hierarchical and top-down man-ner. Compared to Europe, other priorities often

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take precedence.„Our concept of fo-resight also invol-ves the chance to organize partici-pative processes in particular,“ says Giesecke. In any event, a very broad international dia-logue is required to achieve me-dium-term solu-tions to complex societal problems and should involve as many affected groups as possi-ble. This is the only way we can solve the major societal challen-ges at internatio-nal level and we must also pay suf-ficient considera-tion to the very dif-

ferent cultural backgrounds. „Here in Europe too, we often fail to look beyond national borders,“ the AIT foresight expert believes. Foresight has certainly become established as an important instrument in reaching decisions in po-litics and business in Europe, although it tends to be limited to questions of research and techno-logy policy. „Much broader foresight methods are necessary to master the so-called ‘grand chal-lenges’ which will impact upcoming generations in particular,“ says Giesecke.

netWorksForForesightThis is the reason that IFA offers several oppor-tunities for networking. For example, a Summer School will be run in Brazil in 2014, in addition to the one in Laxenburg. Academic seminars are also being organized to focus the broad range of subject areas covered by the IFA at a scientific le-vel and to compare and discuss the topic from the various perspectives of the countries involved. The first seminar will be held in Zurich on the subject of Participatory Foresight for Smarter Futures – From Design to Impact, from 16 to 19 September.

susAnnegiesecke///seniorscientist,Fore-sight&PolicyDevelop-mentDepartment

“A very broad international dialogue is required to achieve medium-term solu-tions to complex societal problems.”

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Foresight&PolicyDeveloPment 31

DemocrAticDeveloPmentIFA aims to bring together experiences in fore-sight activities from contrasting cultural and poli-tical contexts around the globe. „Established ex-change projects will examine the extent to which foresight can be used as an instrument to pro-mote democratic participation in a wide variety of democratic countries,“ says Giesecke. For this purpose projects are being run in countries such as Switzerland or Canada with a long democratic tradition, countries such as Austria and Germany which became democratic after World War II, and countries such as Chile, Argentina, Russia, Latvia and Romania which, after being dictatorships, have gone through totally different cultural deve-lopments in the last 20 years. The exchange programme is also intended to support cooperative projects and publications. AIT, for example, will carry out foresight projects for organizations in Brazil. Researchers from Brazil and Argentina will soon visit AIT for a couple of months. Tangible results from IFA acti-vities will include several joint publications on the subject of the project, which will be presented and discussed during the academic seminars. One goal of the IFA will certainly be achieved: there will be greater appreciation of the differen-ces and similarities of foresight. ///

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Further details:Foresight & Policy Development Depart-ment, Beatrice Rath,Tel.: +43 505 50-4508, e-mail: beatrice.rath@ait.ac.at, Web: www.ait.ac.at/f_pd

reseArchservices

systemicresearch,technology&innovationPolicyResearch, technology and innovation (RTI) policy plays a central role in the development of innovation sys-tems, and thus in strengthening the economic perfor-mance and the ability to tackle societal challenges. This requires designing, analysing and evaluating ef-ficient and coordinated organizational structures, governance processes and policy instruments. Fore-sight is a key tool in this context ///

günterclAr, DIRECTOR OF REGIONAL FUTURE STRA-TEGIES AND INNOVATION AT THE STEINBEIS-EUROPA-ZENTRUM IN STUTTGART, ON PARTICIPATIVE METHODS

AND INTERNATIONAL EX-CHANGE IN THE FIELD OF FORESIGHT.

How important are participative methods such as foresight for in-ternational future strategies?In today‘s global economy promi-sing future strategies for regions, technological sectors, clusters or companies need to be developed from an international standpoint, and their international dimensi-ons must be precisely defined. Focused input about relevant in-ternational developments, corre-lations and interactions is indis-pensable in achieving this goal. A participative foresight process

should succeed, amongst others, in its participants not simply consu-ming such information in a passive manner. They should be able to ac-tively expand their horizons in order to better classify and evaluate their specific knowledge. With the solid basis this provides they can recognize opportunities which are more likely to succeed over the long-term and implement promising, consensually developed and widely supported ac-tion lines.

How important is the international exchange of experiences when it co-mes to foresight?The interactions between international developments in technology and society, and their impact on the local problems being decided upon at the end of a foresight process, are becoming increasingly complex. It is a constant challenge to adequately select and optimally integrate this in-put into the process. Therefore it is essential to develop an international network and enable the independent exchange of ideas about methods and content, independently of concrete projects.

In which fields have you worked together with experts from Foresight & Policy Development? Depending upon the general foresight focus (e.g. region/nation; broad economic sector; technology; cluster), we involve foresight experts who have specialized knowledge or can demonstrate experience in these areas, particularly at the beginning of the foresight process. Policy deve-lopment experts initially take more of an observational role, becoming more actively involved in the second half of a project. Projects we are managing include, for example, regions in Europe and South America; KBBE (Knowledge-Based Bio-Economy); biotechnology, ICT, nanotech-nology; and the leading-edge cluster MicroTEC Südwest.A prominent feature of our work at the Steinbeis-Europa-Zentrum is that we also provide support beyond this important cooperation, in the Stra-tegic Policy Intelligence Cycle (foresight, impact assessment, road map-ping, and policy development). Using the Steinbeis network or the Euro-pean Enterprise Network, we can work towards achieving customized links between strategic decisions and their operational implementation with respect to the intended innovations. Here too, to come back to your initial question, participative approaches are the most promising. ///

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32 ➜CAREERPROFILES

Philine Warnke – why did you become a scien-tist? Well, I was always fascinated by finding out about things and looking at them from different angles – and that’s why I suppose I ended up be-coming a scientist.

You worked on research projects for the Euro-pean Commission (European Commission’s Joint Research Centre) in Spain for three years and you also worked for several years (most re-cently as Deputy Head of the Competence Cen-tre for Innovation and Technology Management) at the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and In-novation Research. To what extent can you draw on your experience in your work at AIT?

My current field of work in the Foresight & Po-licy Development Department allows me to draw on all of my previous experience. Much of our work is carried out at EU level. It helps me a great deal that I’ve had the opportunity of see-ing things from an EU Commission perspective – from the inside out as it were. At the Fraunho-fer ISI I gained valuable expertise in the deve-lopment and implementation of foresight me-thods, i.e. developing models for use in examining future scenarios. This know-how is proving very useful in work on projects for our clients in politics and industry.

What was it that influenced your decision to make the move from Fraunhofer to AIT? The focus of our business area at AIT on syste-mic RTI policy in this form is unique in Europe and corresponds perfectly with my own re-search interests. Of course, the group here at AIT also has an excellent international reputa-tion, is very well networked and works at the fo-refront in many areas of research that are of particular interest to me. And on top of all that Vienna is a wonderful city and I really enjoy li-ving here.

How important is international experience for scientists, particularly in the foresight area? Are innovation researchers on the move more than scientists in other fields – are they science nomads as it were? Or can they be tempted to stay by exciting projects? As foresight research is such a narrow field, there aren’t really all that many opportunities for most futures researchers to collaborate with colleagues and develop their careers in their own countries. That’s why the foresight community is so internationally-focused. Many of my colleagues have already worked in diffe-

CAREERS AT AIT/// Tomorrow Today talked to Philine Warnke, Senior Scientist at the AIT Fore-

sight & Policy Development Department, about the high level of international

mobility among foresight scientists. ///

PhilineWarnke, Senior Scientist im AIT

Foresight & Policy Deve-lopment Department

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CAREERLEvEL“SEnIORSCIEntISt”

The primary challenge for Senior Scientists is to identify relevant scientific deve-lopments in their fields and include them in their strategic planning. Their tasks also include the design and planning of strategic research projects, both in the an-nual plan and the medium term strategy of the business unit. Senior Scientists are responsible for supervising undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as assisting younger employees with their publications. AIT supports Senior Scien-tists in advancing both their scientific qualifications (e.g. postdoctoral teaching qualifications) and complementary business qualifications. AIT promotes research visits abroad at international partner universities and research institutes. Senior Scientists with exceptional leadership qualities also qualify for positions in ma-nagement such as Head of Business Unit.

vORAuSSEtzungEn

● PhDorequivalentqualificationandseveralyears’experienceinascientificposition

● Publicationsinhighlyrespectedjournals● Internationalrecognitionasanexpertinscientificsubjectareas● Mobility● Wellnetworked,bothwithintheresearchcommunityandwithclients● Leadershipskillsfortheprofessionalmanagementofresearchprojectsandprojectportfolios.

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CAREERPROFILES 33

Your main mission is to look to the future. How, for example, do you see the shifting of the lines between humans and machines? Is this so-mething we should be worried about or looking forward to?There’s no straightforward answer to that. What’s for sure is that the lines are continuing to shift and that’s something that needs to be addressed by society so we can actively shape this process. In particular, there is a need for broad-based dialogue on the different assess-ment methods, as indeed is already the case in various foresight processes.

In your PhD thesis you focused on computer-aided simulation and analysis of phases of tech-nology development. Are you able to apply the hypotheses you developed with regard to com-puter simulation in your current research work?In my thesis I examined how technology deve-lopment is changing with the use of modelling and simulation and what impact that in turn has on our relationship with technology. It’s a topic that remains highly relevant and the work I did in this area has indeed since been useful in a number of foresight projects. In our projects on the future of research we have, for example, identified increased use of simulation-based methods as being an important driver of change in research practices. ///

rent countries. I myself consider having experi-ence abroad to be very important in our field, By working alongside colleagues from other coun-tries we learn to question the things we take for granted and that is in fact to a large extent what foresight processes are all about. We also often collaborate on cross-border processes so it helps to have an understanding of the dynamics involved in working in such mixed groups. Gene-rally speaking, I think it’s true that international experience is more and more important in the research sector. Yet of course, futurologists are also happy to stay put if they have the opportu-nity of working on exciting projects.

What would you say are the key benefits for sci-entists working at AIT? What are the differences between AIT and Fraunhofer for example?AIT receives more basic funding than Fraunho-fer and is therefore able to work in an even more science-oriented way. Another benefit is that the AIT departments are located closer to-gether, making it easier for them to collaborate more closely than the 60 different Fraunhofer institutes, which are spread all over Germany. For scientists working in foresight, where the focus is on the interaction between technologi-cal and societal change, it’s particularly impor-tant to be able to communicate with technical experts on site or close by.

What are you working on at the moment?Right now we’re working on a very exciting fo-resight project for the German Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF). We’re iden-tifying signs of societal change relevant to re-search and innovation. That is something rather new in that until quite recently foresight processes in this field largely focused on tech-nology, while its impact on society was only considered later on. To support the current German high-tech strategy, however, which aims to address these societal challenges, we have developed a new “needs-based” foresight methodology. We would like to develop this ap-proach further and also link it with more stron-gly participative processes. I am also continu-ing with work aimed at further combining qualitative and quantitative methods in fore-sight research and as we have several model-ling experts in our group we’re well placed to make good progress.Fo

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Further details:Elvira Welzig, strategi-sche Personalentwick-lung, Tel.: +43 505 50-4008, e-mail: elvira.welzig@ait.ac.at, Web: www.ait.ac.at

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INNOVATION CALENDAR10 JULY: H&E SEMINAR SERIES

The Health & Environment seminar series presents talks by and dis-cussions with leading international scientists across the AIT researchfields. On 10 July, Brian Cunningham from the University of Illinois atUrbana-Champaign, USA, will talk about nanostructures in biology.Venue: Vienna Information: www.ait.ac.at/health_environment

15 – 19 JULY: 14TH INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF SCIENTOMETRICS

& INFORMETRICS (ISSI) CONFERENCE

The 14th ISSI Conference organized by the University of Vienna and AITdeals with current theories of informetrics and scientometrics andtheir applications.Venue: Vienna Information: www.issi2013.org

22 – 24 AUGUST: ALPBACH TECHNOLOGY FORUM

The Alpbach Technology Forum is Austria’s central meeting point fortechnology and research. It is organized and hosted by AIT in coopera-tion with ORF/Ö1. The full programme and further information can bedownloaded from www.alpbach- technologyforum.com. Venue: TyrolInfos: www.alpbach.org

24 – 30 AUGUST: CIGRE HIGH VOLTAGE CONFERENCE

CIGRE (Conseil International des Grands Réseaux Electriques / Inter-national Council on Large Electric Systems) unites world experts in theplanning, design, operation, servicing, development and construction ofdevices and systems for power plants and electrical energy transmis-sion and distribution networks. Venue: ParisInformation: www.cigre.org

09 – 13 SEPTEMBER: IFA INTERNATIONAL FORESIGHT ACADEMY

SUMMER SCHOOL

A Summer School will be held as part of the International ForesightAcademy, a three-year EU project coordinated by AIT. The event aims toinvestigate how new foresight methods and civic participation can beused to meet the grand challenges of the 21st century. Venue: LaxenburgInformation: http://ifa.cgee.org.br

16 – 19 SEPTEMBER: IFA INTERNATIONAL FORESIGHT ACADEMY

ACADEMIC SEMINAR

The first Academic Seminar of the International Foresight Academydeals with the topic "Participatory Foresight for Smarter Futures –From Design to Impact". It aims to focus the broad topic of the Interna-tional Foresight Academy at the scientific level and discuss it from theperspectives of different countries. Venue: Zurich Information: http://ifa.cgee.org.br

21 – 26 SEPTEMBER: WORLD CONGRESS OF NEUROLOGY

The World Congress of Neurology, the world’s largest neurology event,will this year be held in Vienna. The congress is organized by the Austri-an Society of Neurology (ÖGN) together with the European Federationof Neurological Societies (EFNS).Venue: Vienna Congress CentreInformation: www2.kenes.com/wcn/pages/home.aspx

24 – 26 SEPTEMBER: AAL FORUM

The annual conference of the Ambient Assisted Living Joint Program-me (AAL JP) this year takes place in Norrköping, Sweden. The confe-rence will present the latest technological developments designed tosupport older people in everyday life.Venue: Norrköping Information: www.aalforum.eu

24 – 27 SEPTEMBER: SAFECOMP

SAFECOMP is an annual event covering experiences and trends in theareas of computer safety and reliability of computer systems. It provi-des ample opportunity to exchange insights and experience on emer-ging methods and practical application across the disciplines. SAFE-COMP focuses on safety-critical computer applications and is a plat-form for knowledge and technology transfer between academia, indu-stry and research institutions. Venue: ToulouseInformation: www.safecomp.org

29 SEPTEMBER – 01 OCTOBER: MODELS 2013

Models 2013 is the premier venue for the exchange of innovative ideasand experiences of model-based approaches in the development ofcomplex systems. Since 1998, the congress has provided a broad forumfor reporting scientific progress as well as experiences stemming frompractical application of model-based methods. Venue: MiamiInformation: www.modelsconference.org

17 OCTOBER: AUSTRIAN INNOVATION FORUM

This year’s annual forum for innovation and new growth will be held atthe AIT Austrian Institute of Technology. The top-class programme un-der the motto “BUSINESS DESIGN THINKING” features internationalkeynote presentations and is addressed to anyone intending to drive in-novation: managing directors and entrepreneurs, innovation managers,heads of R&D departments, marketing and business development ex-perts, researchers and scientists.Venue: Vienna Information: www.austrian-innovation-forum.at

18 OCTOBER: TECHNOLUTION 2013

Technolution 2013 aims to raise the interest of young people, parentsand teachers in the topic of “women in engineering” and to develop anawareness that involvement of women in science and engineering is amatter of course. This year’s creative competition will look back into hi-story: after all, women in engineering are not a phenomenon of our ti-me but have always been an essential driving force behind technical andsocial progress. Venue: Vienna Information: www.technolution.info

22– 24 OCTOBER: UCAAT– USER CONFERENCE ON ADVANCED AUTO-

MATED TESTING

UCAAT offers an ideal opportunity for test designers, automation engi-neers as well as quality and project managers from across the globe toexchange experiences and learn about the latest findings and progressin the industrial use of automated testing.Venue: Paris Information: http://ucaat.etsi.org

34 ➜ EVENTS

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AIT TOP JOURNAL PAPERS

➜ SCIENTIFIC PAPER 35

M. Suda, C. Pacher, M. Peev, M. Dusek, F. Hipp: „QUANTUM INTERFERENCE OF PHOTONS

IN SIMPLE NETWORKS“

Quantum Information Processing May 2013,Volume 12, Issue 5, pp 1915-1945.

Quantum networks consist of optical compo-nents connected to circuitry via, for example,optical fiber or waveguides. The ‘on-chip’ so-lution is key to the development of futurequantum computers. This article publishedin the US academic journal Quantum Infor-mation Processing under the title "Quantum

interference of photons in simple networks" describes various typesof quantum networks and how photons act as information carriers inthese.

M. Feldmann, M.-C. Asselin, J. Liu, S. Wang, A. McMahon, J. Anton-Rodriguez, M. Walker, M. Symms, G. Brown, R. Hinz, J. Matthews, M. Bauer, O. Langer, M. Thom, T. Jones, C. Vollmar, J.-S. Duncan, S. M. Sisodiya, M. J. Koepp:„P-GLYCOPROTEIN FUNCTION AND EXPRESSION IN TEMPORAL LO-

BE EPILEPSY: A CASE-CONTROL STUDY“

In press_Lancet Neurology (2013) IF 2011 23.462

Approximately a third ofall patients with epilepsydo not respond to drugtherapy with antiepilep-tics. The only remainingtreatment option for the-se patients is often thesurgical removal of epi-leptic brain tissue. Thepharmacoresistancemay be caused by anoverexpression of themultidrug transporter P-glycoprotein (Pgp) in the

blood-brain barrier. This transporter pumps antiepileptic drugs (AEDs)from the brain back into the blood and prevents medication from rea-ching their targets in the brain. Although a series of animal studies ha-ve delivered convincing evidence for the transporter hypothesis, the re-levance of the transporter hypothesis in human patients with epilepsy isstill disputed. In the course of the Euripides EU project, which involved13 European partners including the AIT Austrian Institute of Technolo-gy, a new positron emission tomography (PET) protocol was developedfor non-invasive measurement of Pgp activity in the blood-brain barrier.This study, recently published in the leading journal The Lancet Neuro-logy, provided the first in vivo proof of the applicability of the transporterhypothesis in at least a proportion of pharmacoresistant epilepsy pa-tients. Furthermore, the new PET protocol appears to be ideally suitedto selecting those epilepsy patients in future clinical studies whosepharmacoresistance is due to increased expression of transporters andwho can be treated with a transporter inhibitor such as tariquidar.

K. M. Weber, H. Rohracher:„A SYSTEMS APPROACH TO TRANSITION DYNAMICS: TOWARDS

NEW RATIONALES FOR LEGITIMIZING GOAL-ORIENTED POLICY

STRATEGIES

Research Policy, 2012, 41, 6, 1037–1047

Why should the state intervene in research, technology developmentand innovation? This question has occupied economists and politicalscientists for decades. With an emphasis on addressing major chal-lenges of society as the motivation for publicly funded research, thequestion of the focus and contribution of research and innovation infuture has been steadily moving to the forefront of political debate inrecent years. However, there has been no systematic rationale thatlegitimizes the state taking an active role in directing research agen-das, often in close cooperation with the stakeholders concerned. Thisarticle, published in 2012, develops a wide range of failure argumentsand introduces a new category referred to as transformative systemfailure arguments in addition to the traditional market failure argu-ments and structural system failure arguments. It provides a fully de-veloped set of basic lines of argument that can be used to justify andlegitimize political intervention, a tool that can be used in particularfor the increasingly required impact assessment of programs and in-itiatives.

T. Strasser, F. Andren, F. Lehfuss, M. Stifter, P. Palensky:„ONLINE RECONFIGURABLE CONTROL SOFTWARE FOR IEDS

IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics,*Early Access - IEEEXplore*(2013), S. 1 - 10.

Energy systems of the future must be able to meet a steadily growingdemand for electricity while at the same time reducing greenhousegas emissions. Meeting such disparate needs requires the integrationof renewable energy resources on a large scale. However, today'senergy management and automation systems do not adequately sup-

port the future requirement of functionaladaptation of the algorithms during ope-ration. The main aim of this article istherefore to define a standardized con-cept for a reconfigurable software archi-tecture that can be used in intelligentelectronic devices to control distributedand renewable energy sources. ///

/// The latest research findings of AIT scientists recently published in respected

international high-impact journals. ///

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If your company is looking for cutting edge innovations, then AIT Austrian Institute of Technology is your partner of choice. Because in our institute the most acute minds in Europe are working today on tomorrow’s tools and technologies, laying the ground for the solutions the future demands.

Learn more about the future by visiting www.ait.ac.at

THE BEST WAY TOPREDICTTHEFUTUREIS TOSHAPE IT.

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