Georg Kopetz, CEO, co-founder, and Member of the Executive Board at TTTech, is one of the members of the new Council for Research, Science, Innovation and Technology Development (FWIT Council). This was announced by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research in a press release on November 27, 2023.
The FWIT Council is an independent legal institution under public law that will advise the Austrian Federal Government on matters of research, technology and innovation policy. The interdisciplinary council is made up of highly regarded experts from different corners of the Austrian science and technology landscape. It will be chaired by Thomas Henzinger, former president of the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA). He was appointed by Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer in consultation with Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler.
Georg Kopetz's appointment to the FWIT council by the proposal of the Federal Minister of Labour and Economy, Prof. Martin Kocher, is a testament to his expertise and visionary leadership in both the domestic and international high-tech sectors. Since the company’s foundation two and a half decades ago, he has been instrumental in driving TTTech's success from a spin-off of TU Vienna to a key innovation player in the global market. As a member of the FWIT council, Georg will contribute his valuable insights and knowledge to shape policies and strategies that promote digital transformation and technological advancements in Austria.
“It will be my great honor to serve the Austrian government and people in my new role as FWIT council member,” Georg
Kopetz said in an official statement. “With its location in the heart of Europe, I believe that Austria can be an international innovation leader and a center of excellence in science and technology paving the way for a more digital, connected, and sustainable, world. The appointment of this strong, diverse team of experts from science, research, technology and industry shows Austria’s commitment to pursue a path of progress and transformation involving many diverse disciplines.”
In addition to Georg Kopetz, the council members include computer scientist Johanna Pirker (Graz University of Technology), the historian Barbara Stelzl-Marx (University of Graz), the science researcher and former president of the European Research Council (ERC) Helga Nowotny, Dietrich Haubenberger, a neurologist working in the USA and president of the association Austrian Scientists and Scholars in North America (ASciNA), Evotec CEO Werner Lanthaler, physicist Monika Ritsch-Marte (Medical University of Innsbruck), Managing Director of Austrian Cooperative Research (ACR) Sonja Sheikh, Swedish innovation expert Sylvia Schwaag Serger, former Managing Director of the Climate and Energy Fund Theresia Vogel and social scientist Jörg Flecker (University of Vienna).
