ACR – Austrian Cooperative Research is a network of private, non-profit research institutes that conduct research and development for companies. Their demand-oriented services are specifically aimed at SMEs to support their innovation and digitization efforts, provide them with the necessary know-how and strengthen their competitiveness This is also the ACR’s USP, which thus performs a threefold bridge function: from science to industry, from leading companies to SMEs and from the international to the Austrian innovation system. ACR’s research areas include sustainable building, environmental technology and renewable energy, food quality and safety, products, processes and materials, innovation and competitiveness, and digitization. In addition to research, development and innovation services, ACR institutes also offer testing, inspection, certification as well as technology and knowledge transfer.
Around 800 employees in the ACR network serve around 10,000 customers per year. Three quarters of their services are provided by the ACR institutes for small and medium-sized enterprises. That way, ACR makes a vital contribution to the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises and, in general, to the strengthening of Austria as a business location.