“Research Matters” as we move into a digital future
A trio will be at the helm of the Research Studios Austria (RSA FG) in the future: After more than two successful decades, Prof. Dr. Peter A. Bruck is handing over the management. Michael Tockner MSc, Dr. Thomas Prinz and Dr. Markus Tauber will follow in his footsteps.
Prof. Dr. Peter A. Bruck founded the RSA FG in 2002 with the aim of creating a flexible, agile organisation that brings research and development in the field of digital technologies closer to the speed of industry’s innovation cycles. Since then, the nationally and internationally active research company has been bringing innovations from universities to the market in the fields of digital intelligence. Six distributed studios in Salzburg, Vienna and Linz research and develop digital technologies, and implement application-oriented research projects with universities and business partners.
After two successful decades, Prof. Bruck hands over the management and – together with Univ.-Prof. Dr. Christian Helmenstein as owner representative – becomes a member of the strategy council of the Cognion Research Network. Christian Helmenstein and Peter Bruck are pleased with the advantageous development and the strengthening of the management by the three-member top team for pioneering innovation transfer, digital intelligence and outstanding project management.
“The new management combines many years of management experience from within the RSA FG with external expertise and sets additional international digitalisation priorities for our academic partner institutions, the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg and the University Mozarteum Salzburg,” Christian Helmenstein notes. “We care about the innovative advancement of our research association in partnership with the universities, as well as new impulses for excellence while maintaining the certified top quality in research management,” Helmenstein continues.
The new management of RSA FG: Markus Tauber, Michael Tockner und Thomas Prinz.
The new trio leading the Research Studios Austria
Proven expertise in the field of applied data science comes with Dr. Thomas Prinz from the Research Studio iSPACE Smart Settlement Systems in Salzburg. He will be Chief Scientific Officer with a focus on application research and innovation transfer. “The University of Salzburg with the Department of Geoinformatics and the Research Studios iSPACE have created the European Excellence Research Cluster for Geographic Information Systems in Salzburg. I want to push the transfer of knowledge into relevant application areas such as sustainable settlement or mobility systems and help further develop Salzburg as a science location,” says Prinz about his new challenge.
Dr. Markus Tauber brings international expertise in the areas of IT security, Industry 4.0, and artificial intelligence as Chief Scientific Officer with a focus on digital intelligence and core technologies. Tauber already established an international reputation with his research at the renowned University of St. Andrews on topics such as cloud storage systems. He also conducted research on “Cloud Security” at the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) and held a UAS professorship at FH Burgenland focusing on “Cloud, IoT and Industry 4.0”. “I see the RSA FG as a clear best practice in applied digitalisation research. In many areas, Austria is only at the beginning of the transformation – this applies to areas such as smart farming as well as data-driven production or new ways of cultural mediation and production. This is where the RSA FG and its university partners will make a determined contribution,” says Tauber.
Mag. Michael Tockner, MSc, will take over the business side as Commercial Director. Since 2013, he has shaped the RSA FG’s Project Management Office into an AQ Austria-certified best practice in research management: “In addition to scientific excellence and research creativity, competence in efficient research management and sustainable quality management are key factors for successful applied research. I look forward to working with my two colleagues to continuously improve the RSA FG’s transfer of innovation from universities in Salzburg and throughout Austria, thus securing the location and enhancing the quality of life in Austria,” notes Tockner.
“With our new management trio, the RSA FG is well-placed to drive a positive impact of digital innovation in Austria and internationally: ‘Research Matters’ as the claim of the RSA FG expresses this succinctly. The implementation and shaping of this claim is in the best possible hands with the new management,” says Peter Bruck, the previous managing director, with conviction.