Villach, July 5, 2017 - It all started with a vision which the CTR then developed with the Support of the state of Carinthia, the town of Villach, the Federation of Austrian Industries and the Fraunhofer Institute: strengthening the innovative capacity of the Company and the Location through application-oriented research and development.

Today the CRT is one of Austria’s leading non-university research institutions in the field of intelligent sensor technology and system integration and is integrated within a wide range of regional, national and international projects.

Werner Scherf and Simon Grasser, executive board members of the CTR, said “We conduct research into issues which develop from industry requirements. Microelectronics and system integration are accorded a high level of significance”. The research center addresses applications in fields such as smart production, the Internet of Things, medical technology, Industry 4.0 and environmental and mobility solutions.

A reliable research Partner

Over 270 research partners from the fields of business and science now trust in the competence of the CTR. Some 50 projects are carried out each year. Projects range in length from a few weeks to long-term research partnerships.

The CTR has been represented in the COMET national programme of competence and excellence since the outset: having become Austria’s first competence center in 1998, the CTR is now a fixed feature of the COMET programme with the Austrian Smart Systems Integration Research Center (ASSIC) and strategic partners from the worlds of business and science.

The CTR offers a unique technological selling point in Austria by focusing its research on intelligent sensor systems and system integration. This competence also attracts interest in Europe and at an international level. The CTR plays an active role in numerous EU projects and research activities.

Success stories with international visibility

Over the years, a wide range of prototypes and solutions has been developed which can be transformed into new products and processes by industry partners. Of course, everyone is proud of the many success stories which have come out of the CRT.

For example, the world’s first miniature laser ignition system for engines, miniature MEMS-empowered spectrometers for fast and precise inline analyses, mobile particle sensor technology for waste gases, radio sensor systems suitable for high temperature environments and efficiency increases in the photovoltaics field thanks to the use of highly efficient control panels.

Linking industry & science

The CTR has been closely interlinked with industry, universities and universities of applied sciences from the outset. These cooperations have led to over 80 patents and more than 800 scientific publications. The CTR is also an appealing address for young scientists: some 130 scientific works such as degree and Master’s theses as well as dissertations have been compiled since it was founded.

Infrastructure for forward-thinking research

The research team have access to the very latest high-tech infrastructure at the site in Villach. The research clean rooms for microsystem technology, heterointegration and printed electronics form the core of this. With its ultra-modern measuring equipment in the fields of photonics, electronics, mechatronics and platforms for multi-physics simulations, the site offers the very best conditions for forward-thinking sensor and system developments.

At present, the CTR is conducting intensive research into new sensor technologies, printed electronics, smart integration and casing technologies and smart and miniature systems. The results will improve our everyday lives in the future – in the fields of cars, mobile phones, medical technology, household devices, production processes and environmental and energy technology.

Excellent research team

The essential success factor of the CRT is its interdisciplinary and excellent research team: with 15 employees from 4 nations at the outset, the team now comprises 75 researchers from a total of 14 nations. As a research center of international note, the CTR also makes a key contribution to attracting lots of Carinthians living abroad.

The CTR’s 20th anniversary was suitably celebrated at the CTR site at the High Tech Campus in Villach. As hosts of the event, CTR CEO Werner Scherf and CFO Simon Grasser welcomed numerous leading figures from local politics and industry and science such as Deputy State Governor of Carinthia and technology spokeswoman Gaby Schaunig, Mayor of Villach Günther Albel, Managing Director of the Carinthia Federation of Austrian Industries Claudia Mischensky, AVL-List Research Director Josef Affenzeller, Infineon CEO Sabine Herlitschka, Treibacher COO Alexander Bouvier and ACR Managing Director Johann Jäger.