VRVis Zentrum für Virtual Reality und Visualisierung Forschungs-GmbH, based in Vienna, is excited about the extension of funding coming from the COMET programme for 2025 to 2028. The research centre prevailed in a multi-stage international peer review process by FFG.
Gerd Hesina, CEO of VRVis: "We would like to thank FFG and the supporting Austrian provinces Vienna, Tyrol and Vorarlberg for their confidence in us. We continue to be part of the COMET network, which is a recognition of our research achievements to date, but also a mission for the future. This is a challenge we gladly accept."
Cutting-edge research combining visual computing, AI and simulation
In the upcoming COMET period, VRVis will work with 14 scientific partners and 27 corporate partners on data-driven solutions to strengthen Austria as a centre for innovation and business. The consortium includes national companies such as AVL List, RHI Magnesita, ÖBB Infrastruktur AG, Wiener Linien and Zumtobel Lighting as well as international companies such as Hamburg Wasser, AGFA HealthCare and Hilti Corporation. Amongst its scientific partners, VRVis will collaborate with internationally renowned research institutions and can rely on an established network.
Katja Bühler, Scientific Director of VRVis, outlines the key priorities for the next years:
"Data is one of the most important raw materials for decision-making today. It is the result of the ongoing digitalization process and the outcome of research and innovation. At the same time, data is driving these fields significantly forward. The complexity of data is constantly increasing and in many areas, it is more and more difficult to make sense of and utilize available data volumes without technical expertise. The aim of VRVis is to democratize the access to, handling and use of data for people with different levels of knowledge and skills through visual computing technologies. We want to enable and accelerate decision-making based on large, complex amounts of data through close and transparent collaboration between humans and machines. To achieve this, we will combine our visual computing expertise with artificial intelligence and simulation in order to provide supportive tools for tackling the pressing challenges of our time by using dynamic digital twins, for example - in the context of climate change, resilient industry and infrastructure, sustainable mobility or data-driven medical diagnostics and research."
COMET as a driver of innovation for business in Austria
The COMET excellence programme is regarded as example of best practice for the promotion of cutting-edge research internationally. The Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy (BMAW) and the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK) are funding COMET with around 40 million euros, with a further 20 million coming from the participating Austrian provinces. The research programme is managed by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency FFG.
Further information
Vienna, 4 July 2024