BRIDGIT Austria

BRIDGIT – Bridging the Gap between Research and Standardization

Standards as a bridge between innovations and the market

European standardization and research are closely linked, but not yet sufficiently integrated to exploit all synergies and to support optimally innovations for the European market.

CEN and CENELEC made a first step to improve the integration of standardization and innovation by introducing the Integrated Approach. The BRIDGIT project has taken this approach further.

Austrian Standardization Strategy as a basis

The Austrian Standardization Strategy laid down by the federal government states that "strengthening of competitiveness, disseminating the results of innovation and research" are important objectives.

Point 4.3 of the Standardization Strategy (in German only, PDF, 413 kB) defines the following objective: "Supporting the successful marketing and commercialization of adequately matured technologies of the future."

The following actions underpin this objective:

• 4.3.1 Stronger and earlier cooperation of research and standardization, e.g. by networking the activities of research institutions, enterprises and standardization organizations

• 4.3.2 Early and intensified involvement of enterprises and research institutions in innovative fields of technology

• 4.3.3 Promotion of the dissemination of innovations developed in Austria through complementary standardization

• 4.3.4 Support of enterprises in translating scientific-technical research findings into products ready for the market at the national and international level

STAIR working group as a starting point

CEN/CENELEC set up a "Working Group to address STAndardization, Innovation and Research (STAIR)". STAIR defined an approach integrating research/innovation and standardization.

This integrated approach pursues three key objectives:

• Raising awareness of the benefits of standardization in the research and innovation process

• Transferring research results and outcomes of innovation activities into standardization

• Fully exploiting the functions of standards for research and innovation activities in order to increase the competitiveness of the EU

To achieve these objectives, CEN/CENELEC set up the project "BRIDGIT – Bridging the Gap between Research and Standardization". For implementation in Austria, the project "BRIDGIT Austria" was developed from the BRIDGIT project on the commission of the Federal Ministry of Science. Research and Economy.

BRIDGIT Austria – objectives

The project "BRIDGIT Austria" is to

• promote the fast achievement of the objectives laid down in the EU strategies and the Austrian Standardization Strategy,

• make possible Austria's participation in foreign, European and international activities designed to integrate research/innovation and standardization (e.g. follow-up activities of the EU project BRIDGIT), and

• support the dissemination of innovation outcomes and research results in Austria and worldwide by intensified cooperation of research, innovation and standardization in Austria and thereby contribute to strengthening Austria's competitiveness.

BRIDGIT Austria – work packages

BRIDGIT Austria is structured in four work packages:

• Mapping of the participation of science and research in standardization (target vs. status quo)
  WP 1 is to draw up a plan of measures and resources required to achieve the target situation, a comparison of targets and status quo as well as an analysis of the subjects for which the involvement of scientists would be essential with a view to the objectives.
• Development of measures networking science and standardization
  WP 2 comprises the preparation, implementation and follow-up of awareness-raising activities, events with Austrian technological universities, other universities and universities of applied sciences as well as the development of a website for the target group.
• Education modules, development of a curriculum based on a European model
  WP 3 develops a modular curriculum that is to make it possible to teach the subject of standardization in compulsory secondary education, vocational schools and in tertiary education.
• Participation in foreign, European and international activities aiming at integrating research/innovation and standardization (e.g. project "BRIDGIT – Bridging the Gap between Research and Standardization")