1.7 billion euros

Record budget agreed for Tyrolean universities

The University of Innsbruck is delighted with the record budget.

(Bild: Johanna Birbaumer)

Good news for the University of Innsbruck and the Medical University of Innsbruck: they will receive a financial increase of 29 percent for 2025 to 2027! Never before has there been so much! 

Specifically, the University of Innsbruck will receive 1.06 billion euros and the Medical University of Innsbruck 632 million euros. This means an increase of 28 percent for the University of Innsbruck and an increase of 30.04 percent for the Medical University of Innsbruck. Taken together, the budget increases therefore amount to 28.75 percent - compared to the previous period, the Tyrolean universities are thus in line with the Austrian average.

"With a record budget of 1.7 billion euros, we are creating a solid basis for cutting-edge research and excellent teaching at the universities in Tyrol. The clear priorities in the areas of climate research, artificial intelligence and cancer research are particularly noteworthy," explains Science Minister Martin Polaschek. And LR Cornelia Hagele emphasizes: "The performance agreement will ensure that Tyrol continues to stand out as a science and research location and that people and companies in Tyrol benefit from this."

I am delighted that science communication and the dissemination of research results will also be given a high priority.

Wissenschaftsminister Martin Polaschek

Over the next three years, the two universities will focus primarily on excellence, research and teaching. The University of Innsbruck is doing this by continuing to promote the existing FWF-funded "Clusters of Excellence" and focusing on the further development of its research priorities. The university currently has eight research priorities, such as "Alpine Space", "Physics", "Scientific Computing", as well as the "Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck" and "Cultural Encounters - Cultural Conflicts".

Projects in the field of climate change
At the Medical University, on the other hand, research focuses on infectiology, cancer research, neurosciences and genome research. In addition, projects in the field of climate change are planned and inter-university and transdisciplinary cooperation in this area will be intensified. Specifically, the aim is to investigate which climate change-related topics such as heat, allergies, infectious diseases and extreme weather affect different target groups such as children and older people, as well as communities, and how information can be provided about them.

A topic with an explicit focus for the first time
Science communication and science engagement have always been among the core tasks of universities as part of the third mission. Following Minister Polaschek's launch of the "DNAustria" initiative, the topic is now an explicit focus of the 2025 to 2027 performance agreements for the first time. The aim is not only to provide students and teaching staff with the relevant skills in science communication, but also to make science and its importance for democratic cohesion tangible for the general public.

We are satisfied with the conclusion of the performance agreements.

Veronika Sexl, Rektorin der Universität Innsbruck

Expansion of cooperation with schools
The University of Innsbruck is establishing a communication focus in the area of climate communication, which will further improve the dialog with the population and convey factual knowledge to Austrian society in a targeted manner. The Medical University of Innsbruck is focusing on the expansion and further development of existing school partnerships in order to give pupils the opportunity to get interested in studying medicine and medical topics through targeted lectures, support with the VWA or specific information on the range of courses on offer.

Rectors are very satisfied
"We are satisfied with the conclusion of the performance agreements. Despite difficult budgetary times, we have succeeded in jointly finding a framework that allows our university to consolidate solidly, secures our areas of excellence and also leaves room for some important future projects in research and teaching," says Veronika Sexl, Rector of the University of Innsbruck, and adds: "In addition, the performance agreement recognizes and supports our already very diverse and successful projects in the field of science communication and gives us the opportunity to continue on the path we have taken in terms of fruitful dialogue with society."

Wolfgang Fleischhacker, Rector of the Medical University of Innsbruck, is equally pleased: "This significant budget increase enables us to start innovative projects over and above the cost-of-living adjustment and to implement those already underway with the necessary vigor. These undertakings support all core areas of our university, namely teaching, research and patient care. With regard to the latter, I would also like to point out that the Innsbruck University Hospitals will also benefit from considerable funding. As far as teaching is concerned, we can now tackle our long-planned goal of filling professorships specifically for the further development of teaching. In the area of research, we will be able to establish an Austrian focal point for an EU-wide project in human genetics."

16 billion euros for all universities in Austria
Incidentally, a total budget of 16 billion euros has been earmarked for all public universities in Austria over the next three years in accordance with the Universities Act, which is 3.7 billion euros more than was initially allocated for 2022 to 2024. However, not this entire sum, but only 14.3 billion euros will actually be distributed via the performance agreements that have now been concluded. The remaining 1.7 billion euros comprise special allocations - for example for new construction projects such as the House of Physics in Innsbruck or ongoing additional clinical expenditure (additional costs for medical teaching, science, research at hospitals).