Prokurist Wolfgang Polt
Wolfgang Polt was born in 1959 and grew up in an industrial district of Vienna during a period of economic growth and rapid technological progress. A typical "boomer" - which had a lasting impact on him. In 1978, the year the Joanneum Research Society was founded, he began studying economics at the University of Vienna. Even during his studies, questions of economic growth, technological change and the policies that could be used to promote both were at the centre of his interests. He made this interest the core of his professional career, which led him via the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the Austrian Research Centre Seibersdorf and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris to JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft in 1999, where he has been a member ever since. He initially took over the management of the Vienna office of the then Institute of Technology and Regional Research.
The Institute experienced continuous growth through a strong expansion of international project cooperation and successful participation in the European Union's Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation. It became one of the top addresses for Austrian research and policy advice and evaluations in research, technology and innovation policy, as evidenced by its involvement in the first relevant strategy documents in Austria, its long-standing entrustment with the coordination of the Austrian Research and Technology Report and its contribution to the establishment of the "Research and Technology Policy Evaluation (fteval)" platform. He was also appointed authorised signatory during this time.
Im Jahr 2010 – nach einer grundlegenden Organisationsreform unserer Forschungsgesellschaft – wurde er zum Gründungsdirektor des neuen Instituts POLICIES bestellt, eine Funktion die er bis heute ausübt. In diese Zeit fallen die sehr erfolgreichen Gründungen einer Forschungsgruppe in Klagenfurt, die heute zu den wichtigsten regionalökonomischen Forschungs- und Beratungskapazitäten in Kärnten zählt, die Zusammenführung von Grazer und Wiener Forschungsgruppen mit internationaler Sichtbarkeit und einer sehr guten Marktposition unter anderem auch in Deutschland und auch eine stabile und vielfältige Kooperationsschiene mit österreichischen Unternehmen aus Industrie und jüngst auch Landwirtschaft. Kooperationen zwischen Wissenschaft und Wirtschaft waren nicht nur eines der zentralen Forschungsgebiete von Wolfgang Polt, sondern Kooperation wurde auch zwischen den Forschungsgruppen des Instituts und zwischen POLICIES und den anderen JR-Instituten großgeschrieben.
Living innovative south-east region
The fulfilment of the management function of POLICIES with its three locations in Graz, Vienna and Klagenfurt and its residence in Burgenland (the third owner of JOANNEUM RESEARCH) can certainly be seen as "living the innovative South-East region".
In his functions as "Ethics Officer" and "Scientific Ombudsman", Wolfgang Polt has also been involved in the development of ethics guidelines at JOANNEUM RESEARCH and helped to shape them, as well as making a significant contribution to the discussions on "Responsible Research and Innovation" in Austria (including as a representative of JOANNEUM RESEARCH in the Austrian Agency for Research Integrity).
Mission-orientated policy to solve major challenges
In recent years, he has been particularly interested in the question of whether - and if so, how - major societal challenges such as dealing with climate change, military and civilian threats or the race for technological competitiveness can be tackled in a targeted manner with the help of research and innovation policy. In recent years, he has carried out significant theoretical and practical work on these issues of "mission-oriented" policy for managing the ecological and digital transformation within the EU, the OECD and Austria and has supported the Austrian ministries for science, climate and national defence, among others, in developing these policies.
In recent years, Wolfgang Polt has repeatedly contributed to and described the history of innovations and research institutions in his capacity as co-editor of the book series "Innovation Patterns in Austrian Economic History" - including those of JOANNEUM RESEARCH. It is to be hoped - and expected - that this interest in the long-term development trends of innovation systems will not leave him even in his scientific retirement.
Selected publications by Wolfgang Polt:
J Edler, M Matt, W Polt, KM Weber (Ed.) (2024): Transformative Mission-Oriented Innovation Policies: Revisiting the Role of STI in Society. Cheltenham
Polt, W., Weber KM (2024): The rediscovery of mission-orientation in Research and Innovation policy: a clarification and an outlook. In Cantner U. / Fornahl, D. The New Role of the State. Heidelberg
Kleinberger, K.; Polt, W.: (2024): Organisatorische Entwicklung und Organisationsmuster außeruniversitärer Forschung am Beispiel der JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft. In: Pichler, R., Heinze, T. (Ed.) (2024): Organisationsformen der Erkenntnisgewinnung. Organisatorische Gestaltung und Wissensproduktion in außeruniversitären Forschungseinrichtungen. Heidelberg: Springer.
Polt, W., Ploder, M., Breitfuss-Loidl, M., Daimer, S., Jackwerth, T. Zielinski, A. (2021) Politikstile und Politikinstrumente in der F&I-Politik. Studien zum deutschen Innovationssystem | Nr. 7-2021 Herausgeberin: Expertenkommission Forschung und Innovation (EFI)
Kuittinen, H., Polt, W., Weber, K.M. (2018): Mission Europe? A revival of mission-oriented policy in the European Union: In: RFTE – Council for Research and Technology Development (Ed.): RE:THINKING EUROPE. Positions on Shaping an Idea. Vienna, September 2018, pp. 191-207
Unger M., Polt W. (2017): The Knowledge Triangle between Research, Education and Innovation – A Conceptual Discussion, Journal Foresight and STI Governance, Volume 11, No. 2, 2017 pp 10-26
Unger M. Polt W et al. (2017): Technologischer Fortschritt und Ungleichheit: eine empirische Analyse der Entwicklung in Österreich 2008 – 2014, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft Band 43 Nr. 3, 2017, Seiten 405-437
Meissner D., Polt W., Vonortas N.S. (2017): Towards a broad understanding of innovation and its importance for innovation policy, The Journal of Technology Transfer, Vol. 42, Issue 5, 2017, pp. 1184-1211
GASSLER, H., POLT, W., RAMMER, C. (2008): Priority Setting in Technology Policy – Historical Developments and Recent Trends. In: Nauwelaers, C. Wintjes, R. (Eds.) Innovation Policy in Europe, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, pp. 203-224
Weitere Infos: Michael Ploder is the new Director of POLICIES
