SUMMARIES OF THE BREAKOUT SESSIONS
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Matthias Beck, Henrietta Egerth, Sylvia Knapp, Michael Kocher, Karl Stöger, Erich Tauber // Chair Florian Frauscher // Organisation: Austrian Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs (BMDW)
Martin Brandl, Franz Dinhobl, Andreas Farnleitner, Martin Kainz, Regina Sommer // Chair: Claus Zeppelzauer // Introduction: Jochen Danninger // Organisation: ecoplus. The Business Agency of Lower Austria
Led by Florian Frauscher from the Ministry of Digital and Economic Affairs, experts discussed the potential of the crisis as a driver of innovation, among other things. Michael Kocher, CEO of Novartis Austria and Global President B2B Sandoz, called for appropriate framework conditions for sustainable exploitation of the full R&D potential in Austria. Security of supply, reliability and trust should not be neglected in favor of economic goals. When asked about the background to the sale of Themis Bioscience GmbH to Merck & Co., Erich Tauber explained that the transfer of academic research to an industrial partner had already been part of the business plan when the company was founded and that he was proud of the acquisition of his company by MSD. FFG Managing Director Henrietta Egerth stressed that progress in highly developed economies could increasingly be achieved through qualitative factors such as R&D, competition and work organization. Research could be a solution approach and an economic engine. Regarding legal limits for research, Prof. Karl Stöger, University of Graz, explained that Art 17 StGG is very liberal and against this background § 9 Reproductive Medicine Act is questionable because the latter contains a ban directed against research. With "Ethics Dumping", researchers would be forced to move to other countries for sensitive research projects. Prof. Matthias Beck, moral theologian at the University of Vienna, stated that research should serve people and not the economy. Fair distribution of goods – e.g. corona vaccine – is crucial. Sylvia Knapp, Professor of Infection Biology at MedUni Vienna, pointed out the excessive immune response of about 10 percent of those affected by corona as well as the variability of disease patterns. More funding for excellence and basic research as well as more cooperation is needed.
In this session, the panel in cooperation with ecoplus illuminated the fundamental topic of water, the origin of life, in a variety of ways. Jochen Danninger, Lower Austrian Technology Provincial Councillor: "Water as an ecosystem and habitat, as an energy supplier, economic factor as well as the health aspects". With the water cluster Lunz, a large "natural laboratory", three universities are doing basic research on the ecosystem water, which is unique in Europe. Thus Martin Kainz investigates the connections between biodiversity and nutrient supply in waters. In particular, this involves pollutants that disturb the natural balance and influence the brain development of fish due to a lack of lipids. Andreas Farnleitner, Head of the Department of Water Quality and Health at the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, talked about the current state of research in microbiology and the tracking of pathogens. Regina Sommer, Head of the Department of Water Hygiene at the Medical University of Vienna, spoke about UV disinfection of water, an area in which Austria is a global leader. Martin Brandl from the Center for Water and Environmental Sensors at the Danube University Krems presented the newly developed "Smart Sensors", which are important for a high-quality drinking water supply thanks to the monitoring of many parameters. The water supplier EVN uses these modern technologies. "Climate change and urbanization present us with new challenges here," said Managing Director Franz Dinhobl. Austria does have sufficient water, but it is not distributed equally. Here a compensation must take place by the public supply.
Photos: ORF/Hans Leitner
// LIFE SCIENCES – POTENTIALS AND LIMITATIONS
REVIEW #Efatec 2020
// WATER, THE ORIGIN OF LIFE
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