12 success stories -...

2007

OBJECTIVE 2 Styria2000 - 200612 Success Stories

The earlier we use Europe‘s capacity for

innovation to create lasting growth and jobs,

the sooner we can guarantee a better future

for our citizens.

A good example of such an approach is the

successful implementation of the current

European Regional Development Funds

Programme for Styria. In particular, I would

like to emphasise the great innovative strength

of the economy in the region, as well as the

high levels of research and development activ-

ity for which Styria has become known both

In order to successfully meet these new challenges, Europe must respond quickly.

The world around us is changing rapidly and widely

nationally and internationally. In this context,

I would also like to acknowledge the perform-

ance of Styria in the fields of nanotechnology

and biotechnology. The performance of the

SME sector has also made a substantial con-

tribution to this region‘s reputation for inno-

vation. The illustrations in this calendar

demonstrate the lasting benefits of the imple-

mentation of individual measures.

Thus far, the region of Styria has been suc-

cessful in many ways. Nevertheless, a further

strengthening of the economy of Styria has to

P R E F A C E

be aimed at if the Lisbon goals are to be

achieved. I am convinced that the new

Structural Funds programmes will contribute

to a sustainable economic growth in Styria in

the period 2007 - 2013.

Finally, I wish you every success and I hope

you enjoy this calendar, which will accompany

you through the year 2007.

Danuta HübnerCommissioner for Regional Policy

The European Structural Funds support the regions in strengthening their innovative potential and competitiveness. The Land of Styria has been making use of these EU Structural Fund programmes since 1995 by successfully reinforcing regional strategies.

With the Objective 2 Programme Styria 2000 - 2006, numerous projects focussing on “Production and Services“, “Preparation for the Information Society“, “Integrated Regional Development, Tourism and Culture“ as well as “Employment and Human Resources“ could be promoted. For the implementation of these programmes, Styria has been allocated 224 m

In March 2000, the European Union set itself the ambitious goal of “making the Union the most competitive, most dynamic and knowledge-based economic area in the world“.

EU supports the innovative Region of Styria.

euros in EU funds. Until September 2006, 9,638 projects were thus co-funded, 99 new compa-nies founded, 4,130 new jobs created and 44,800 persons gained additional qualifica-tions. Moreover, innovation and research ac-tivities could be raised to 3.6 %, making Styria one of the most competitive locations within the EU.

On January 2007, the EU Structural Fund period 2007 - 2013 will begin. Styria‘s new pro-gramme is “Regional Competitiveness“. Its main thrust will be to strengthen innovation-based and knowledge-based business and to enhance the attractiveness of regions and locations. The Department of Economics of the Land of Styria

P R E F A C E

guarantees that the means will be used in line with its commitment of furthering Styria‘s competitiveness and dynamism as a business location.

This calendar presents 12 successful pro-jects which were supported with EU funds ear-marked for objective 2 programmes in the peri-od 2000 - 2006.

Dr. Christian BuchmannMinister of Economics and Innovation

Power plant Mandlbrücke - Hieflau

January 2007Mo Di Mi Do Fr Sa So

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The new power plant at Mandlbrücke was awarded the Styrian Prize for Environmental Protection.

E N E R G Y - E N V I R O N M E N T

In 2002, the power plant at Mandlbrücke

was damaged so severely by flood water from

the Erzbach brook that the facility, which had

supplied the community with electricity for

decades, could not be operated any longer.

However, this also provided the opportunity of

building a new state-of the-art power plant,

whose inauguration was celebrated in July

2004.

Thanks to EU subsidies, the project could be

implemented in line with the latest economic,

technical and ecological standards. By inte-

The new power plant at Mandlbrücke was awarded the Styrian Prize for Environmental Protection.

Power plant Mandlbrücke - Hieflau

Project data:Project volume: 4.9 m euros

Total subsidy: 1.317 m euros, with 525,354 euros contributed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

Project sponsor: Kathal Kleinkraftwerk GmbH & Co KG, 8750 Judenburg

Funding agency: Kommunalkredit Public Consulting www.kommunalkredit.at

Project goals: The power plant Mandlbrücke, which had been destroyed by a flood, was to be rebuilt and integrated into the ecological environ-ment by state-of the-art technology.

grating a fishway, for example, the continuity

of the Erzbach brook as well as its connection

with the River Enns could be re-established.

The plant has a nominal capacity of 8.8 mil-

lion kWh and is able to supply 2,300 house-

holds with clean electricity, thus reducing the

CO2 burden on the environment by 6,500 tons

annually.

The Land of Styria has awarded the

power plant on the Erzbach brook the

Styrian Environmental Prize in the category

“Achievements by Industry and Business“.

E N E R G Y - E N V I R O N M E N T

New microsensors for the automotive industry

February 2007Mo Di Mi Do Fr Sa So

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SensorDynamics AG develops new micro-sensor systems which combine a multi-tude of measuring tasks and are tailored to customers‘ needs.

V E N T U R E C A P I T A L

Microsensors are the technology of the

future. Miniature measuring systems are em-

ployed for recording pressure, temperature,

flow rates and inertia fluctuations. Examples

are microsensors which measure the rotation

rate of vehicles for electronic stabilisation

systems (ESP) or the air mass in the intake

manifold of the internal combustion engine,

thus optimising the fuel/air mixture.

Since the automotive industry demands

customised holistic solutions, SensorDynamics

AG responds by offering complete packages

SensorDynamics AG develops new microsensor systems which combine a multitude of measuring tasks and are tailord to customers‘ needs.

New microsensors for the automotive industry

Project data:Project volume: 20 m euros incl. leverages

Total subsidy: 1.25 m euros, with 312,500 euros contributed by ERDF

Project sponsor: SensorDynamics AG Entwicklungs- und Produktionsgesellschaft, 8403 Lebringwww.sensordynamics.cc

Funding agency: Steirische Wirtschaftsförderungs GmbH www.sfg.at

Project goals: Founded in 2002, SensorDynamics AG spe-cialises in microsensors for the automotive industry - a segment with high growth rates. The company distinguishes itself from competitors in particular by offering holistic solutions as well as multi-task sensors.

from development to supply chain manage-

ment.

In the implementation SensorDynamics AG

collaborates with partners such as the Institute

of Silicon Technology of the Fraunhofer-

Gesellschaft or the Universities of Ljubljana

and Pisa. The company, which employs 70

people, is developing and delivering novel

microsensor systems with several million euros

in contract value for numerous major automo-

tive customers.

V E N T U R E C A P I T A L

EnergyCabin

March 2007Mo Di Mi Do Fr Sa So

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A flexible energy centre: The environ-mentally friendly EnergyCabin heats and cools without fossil fuels.

E N V I R O N M E N T A L T E C H N O L O G Y

Ever increasing prices for fossil fuels keep

making the headlines. At the same time, many

companies use oil or gas to heat and cool

buildings. As resources are becoming more

and more scarce and considering the environ-

mental impact of fossil fuels, the call for simple

systems of energy supply using renewables is

a logical request.

One answer is the EnergyCabin. Available

in six sizes and prefabricated, the system is

able to heat or cool existing or new buildings

A flexible energy centre: The environmentally friendly EnergyCabin heats and cools without fossil fuels.

EnergyCabin


Total subsidy: 596,356 euros, with 99,063 euros contributed by ERDF

Project sponsor:EnergyCabin Produktions- und Vertriebs GmbH, 8200 Gleisdorf www.energycabin.com


Project goals:For the heating and cooling of different buildings, oil or gas are chiefly used as sour-ces of energy. These fossil fuels are subject to big fluctuations in price and harmful to the environment. The EnergyCabin replaces fossil fuels by renewables and reduces energy costs by up to 50 percent.

without any modifications immediately after

it has been delivered. It consists of a mobile

service cabin with fuel store, boiler room, solar

unit, buffer storage and control electronics.

The EnergyCabin does not only allow an easy

shift from fossil to renewable energy, but redu-

ces energy costs by up to 50 percent as well.


Motor development for general surgery

April 2007Mo Di Mi Do Fr Sa So

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Tiny motors have been common equip-ment in dental practices for quite some time. Ottronic now wants to transfer this technology to general surgery.

A U T O M A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y

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Since 1988, Ottronic Regeltechnik GmbH

has been dedicated to miniaturising technical

systems whose applications range from indus-

trial, household and hobby equipment to dental

and medical technology. Now, a miniature sys-

tem for general surgery is to be developed.

The project is divided into two stages. The

first objective is to optimise the magnetic cir-

cuit for a mini-motor to be tested as a pro-

totype by doctors. A motor is to be designed

which features a high torque at a given exter-

Tiny motors have been common equipment in dental practices for quite some time. Ottronic now wants to transfer this technology to general surgery.

Motor development for general surgery

Project data:Project volume: 27,320 euros

Total subsidy: 13,660 euros, with 1,366 Euro contributed by ERDF

Project sponsor: Ottronic Regeltechnik GmbH, 8740 Zeltweg www.ottronic.com


Project goals: Miniature motors have long since gained acceptance in medicine. Ottronic Regel-technik GmbH has acquired specialised know-how in dental medicine and wants to apply this technology to general surgery as well. This project pursues the goal of developing an optimal miniature motor for surgical interventions.

nal motor diameter and by choosing the appro-

priate material for the permanent magnet and

for a certain power density..

In a second stage, the prototype is to be

further improved. For the implementation of

the project, Ottronic has sought the co-opera-

tion of the specialists in miniature drive systems

from the Department for Electrical Drives and

Power Electronics of the University of Linz.

A U T O M A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y

NanoSurfaceEngineering

May 2007Mo Di Mi Do Fr Sa So

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Materials develop new properties thanks to ultra-fine surface coating pioneered by the University of Leoben

N A N O T E C H N O L O G Y

The University of Leoben is engaged in

the development of new processes to pro-

duce nano-structured layers on materials. They

reduce the wear and tear to which machine

materials or components are exposed and pro-

tect them against oxidation and corrosion. In

addition, components can be provided with

special properties.

Using NanoSurfaceEngineering, the growth

of the layers can be strictly regulated. By ul-

trafine interference down to nanometer level,

Materials develop new properties thanks to ultra-fine surface coating pioneered by the University of Leoben

NanoSurfaceEngineering



Project sponsor: Department Metallkunde und Werkstoffprüfung, Montanuniversität Leoben, 8700 Leoben www.unileoben.ac.at

Funding agency: Abteilung 3 - Wissenschaft und Forschungwww.verwaltung.steiermark.at

Project goals: By ultra-fine coating, materials are to be provided with entirely new properties ranging from higher resistance to wear and tear and to self-healing of the material.

hitherto unachievable properties or even com-

binations of properties can be produced. For

example, surfaces can be rendered almost as

hard as diamonds, or the layer is automatically

further hardened as the temperature rises - a

capability of self-adaptation, which enhances

material robustness under the influence of

heat. Self-lubrication and cleaning and even

self-healing of materials can be induced.

N A N O T E C H N O L O G Y

Environmentally friendly wine cooling

June 2007Mo Di Mi Do Fr Sa So

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Solar and bio-energy for the cooling of wine: Joanneum Research opts for the energy from sun and domestic wood chips


A wine-growing enterprise needs a cool

environment for almost all stages of its opera-

tions. In the course of this project, an environ-

mentally-friendly cooling system which meets

the refrigeration requirements of a winery was

to be developed. To operate the refrigeration

machine, heat from solar energy combined

with the heat generated by burning domestic

wood chips is used. The necessary heat of 70 to

80 °C can be obtained from solar collectors and

biomass combustion plants, as used for heating

rooms.

Solar and bio-energy for the cooling of wine: Joanneum Research opts for the energy from sun and domestic wood chips

Environmentally friendly wine cooling



Project sponsor: Joanneum Research Forschungs-gesellschaft mbH, 8010 Graz www.joanneum.at

Funding agency:Abteilung 3 - Wissenschaft und Forschung www.verwaltung.steiermark.at

Project goals: A new refrigeration machine, which is ope-rated with solar energy and heat from the combustion of wood chips, is to cool local wine cellars. The installation is environmen-tally friendly and, through the use of locally available resources, contributes to a sustainable development of the region.

A greater difficulty was the choice of the

coolant. Water had to be excluded as a candi-

date because of the required evaporation tem-

perature of below 5 °C. A mixture of lithium

bromide and water, as used in conventional

air conditioning systems, was not suited to

this application either. Ultimately, a mixture of

ammonia and water turned out to be a viable

solution, which has already proved its worth

in a new refrigeration machine run on a trial

basis from the harvest of grapes to their fer-

mentation.


Sensor-aided sorting technology

July 2007Mo Di Mi Do Fr Sa So

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REDWAVE sorts out recyclable material from waste products with the help of advanced sensor technology.


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Separation of waste is more than just a slo-

gan nowadays. Yet, the requirements to be met

by machines which sift the recyclable matter in

such a way that it can be re-used immediate-

ly are high. The new sorting system REDWAVE

uses transmitted and incident light camera sys-

tems as well as infrared spectroscopy to sepa-

rate recyclable materials from each other.

The material to be sifted, such as glass, paper

or plastic, is transported into the REDWAVE

via conveyor belt or chute. There it is scanned

REDWAVE sorts out recyclable material from waste products with the help of advanced sensor technology.

Sensor-aided sorting technology



Project sponsor: BT-Wolfgang Binder GmbH, 8200 Gleisdorf www.btw-binder.com

Funding agency:Österreichische Forschungsförderungs GmbH www.ffg.at

Project goals:A new waste sorting system should help and improve the separation of useful matter from waste products. REDWAVE uses camer-as and sensors which are able to make an exact distinction between materials which are useless or worth recycling. The latter is separated selectively.

and separated according to colour or mate-

rial quality, depending on how the machine

is programmed. For the separation process,

REDWAVE uses compressed-air nozzles with

fast-acting solenoid valves.

The newly developed machine has already

been successfully employed in the internation-

al market. It is now being further improved

and should ensure the success of BT-Wolfgang

Binder GmbH on a long-term basis.


Enlargement of Oecopark Hartberg

August 2007Mo Di Mi Do Fr Sa So

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Jobs, leisure time and ecology are combined in the environmentally friendly Oecopark in Hartberg.

E N V I R O N M E N T - E N E R G Y

„Oecopark Hartberg“ wants to be more than

an eco-business park. It offers space for an

event exhibition as well as a centre for applied

research. The idea is to amalgamate everything

to demonstrate how environment, economy,

science and leisure time can be combined suc-

cessfully. The first phase of construction had

already been completed. In this project, the

second phase was to be finalised.

Oecopark Hartberg now presents itself as

a multifunctional centre in eastern Styria. A

Jobs, leisure time and ecology are combined in the environmentally friendly Oecopark in Hartberg.

Enlargement of Oecopark Hartberg



Project sponsor: Ökoplan Umweltdienstleistungen GmbH, 8230 Hartberg www.oekopark.at


Project goals: Oekopark Hartberg comprises a business park with a focus on environment, an event exhibition and a research centre. The park is as attractive for entrepreneurs as it is for visitors.

branch office of Joanneum Research is situa-

ted in the new premises as are other specialised

enterprises. Energy is supplied by the environ-

mentally friendly energy centre which runs on

biomass, biogas and solar energy. Additional

office space has been created in the second

phase of construction, improving the value-

added pattern within the park and offering

new ways for marketing partners to present

themselves.

E N V I R O N M E N T - E N E R G Y

Motion tower Großhart

September 2007Mo Di Mi Do Fr Sa So

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A tower of 33 metres in height built according to Kneipp‘s principles offers a fantastic view of eastern Styria.

T O U R I S M

Fourteen municipalities in the middle part of

the Feistritztal valley have set themselves the

objective of turning the region into Austria‘s

Kneipp health centre. Guided by Kneipp‘s ideas

and interpreting them anew, a profound aware-

ness centring around Kneipp‘s philosophy is to

be developed, thus adding another attraction

to the wellness tourism in eastern Styria.

The most prominent element of “Kneipp-

Aktiv-Park Mittleres Feistritztal“ is the “motion

tower“ in Großhart. The region‘s new landmark

A tower of 33 metres in height built according to Kneipp‘s principles offers a fantastic view of eastern Styria.

Motion tower Großhart



Project sponsor: Gemeinde Großhart, 8272 Großhart www.grosshart.steiermark.at

Funding agency: Fachabteilung 12A - Tourismusförderung und Steirische Tourismus GmbH www.verwaltung.steiermark.atwww.steiermark.com

Project goals: Wellness tourism in the middle part of the Feistritztal valley is to be given new impul-ses by focussing on health as an attraction in a touristically less developed region in close proximity to the Styrian spas.

offers its visitors a wonderful panoramic view

from a lookout platform more than 30 metres

above the ground. The octagonal wooden

tower with its 179 steps has been constructed

in line with the principles preached by Father

Sebastian Kneipp. On each of the five floors,

one pillar of his health credo is presented: exer-

cise, herbs, water, nutrition and order.

T O U R I S M

Hunting museum at Schloss Stainz castle

October 2007Mo Di Mi Do Fr Sa So

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The Styrian museum Landesmuseum Joanneum presents the cultural history of hunting in the stately setting of Schloss Stainz.

C U L T U R E

The sizable collection of exhibits around

the theme “hunting“, which had been housed

at Eggenberg Palace for many years, has now

found a new home at Schloss Stainz, which is to

develop into a centre of excellence for hunting

and culture.

The Styrian hunting museum depicts hunt-

ing in its history and present form as well as

the Styrian hunting tradition in a multi-facet-

ted show. The collection contains innumerable

hunting object and documents, offers perma-

The Styrian museum Landesmuseum Joanneum presents the cultural history of hunting in the stately setting of Schloss Stainz.

Hunting museum at Schloss Stainz castle



Project sponsor: Landesmuseum Joanneum GmbH, 8510 Stainz www.museum-joanneum.at

Funding agency: Abteilung 9 - Kultur www.verwaltung.steiermark.at

Project goals:The hunting collection of Landesmuseum Joanneum is presented in a new and all-encompassing way at Schloss Stainz. The hunting museum also sees itself as a cross-border centre of information and training for interested visitors and aspiring hunters.

nent and temporary exhibitions, courses and

seminars as well as a special library with a large

variety of contemporary information media.

The hunting museum is not just an exhibi-

tion but suggest itself also as a retreat for

training aspiring hunters. Special attention

is paid to young people to introduce them to

hunting, to its interaction with agriculture

and forestry and to the proper treatment of

nature.

C U L T U R E

Delicacies from your neighbouring farmer

November 2007Mo Di Mi Do Fr Sa So

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Delightful specialities right from the farmer rather than the monotonous run-of-the-mill products offered by supermarket chains - this is what the initiative “Gutes vom Bauernhof“ - delicacies from you neighbouring far-mer - stands for.

R E G I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T

“Gutes vom Bauernhof“ means high-qua-

lity products, which are sold in co-operation

between dealers and direct-marketing farmers

and which supermarket and discount chains

are unable to offer.

This also means that the products travel

short distances only. Dealers can stock their

shelves with local and special products direct-

ly from the producer. The farmers profit from

new sales opportunities and new customers.

The co-operation between people and compa-

Delightful specialities right from the farmer rather than the monotonous run-of-the-mill products offered by supermarket chains - this is what the initiative “Gutes vom Bauernhof“ - delicacies from you neighbouring farmer - stands for.

Delicacies from your neighbouring farmer



Project sponsor: DBF Direkt vom Bauernhof, 8010 Graz www.gutes.at

Funding agency: Abteilung 16 - Landes- und Gemeindeentwicklung www.verwaltung.steiermark.at

Project goals: Direct-marketing farmers and locals dealers join to sell fresh, local high-quality products which come right from the farm. The benefit for the customer is an assortment of special and fresh goods.

nies in the same region, between undertakings

comparable in size, promises success shared by

all partners.

This has been made possible by a joint

appearance and the quality label “Gutes vom

Bauernhof“, which stands for freshness, quality,

individuality and an origin that can be traced

back. Goods bearing this label are already offer-

ed at 34 locations, with the interest in new

co-operations still growing.

R E G I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T

Qualification network passive house

December 2007Mo Di Mi Do Fr Sa So

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The qualification network passive house focuses on environment and quality in alternative building.

Q U A L I F I C A T I O N

31

Recognising the trend towards environmen-

tal and quality awareness, companies special-

ised in energy, low energy and new technolo-

gies in the building sector want to take advan-

tage of it. By joining the quality network, the

existing expertise in the companies concerning

the “passive house“ concept is to be further

enhanced.

However, the qualification programme does

not just follow current market trends but pre-

pares companies and their staff for future fore-

The qualification network passive house focuses on environment and quality in alternative building.

Qualification network passive house


Total subsidy: 28,271 euros, with 12,654 euros contributed by the European Social Fund (ESF)

Project sponsor: Weizer Energie-Innovations-Zentrum-GmbH, 8160 Weiz www.w-e-i-z.com


Project goals: By networking companies, their own exper-tise in the field of “passive house“ design is to be enhanced, and specialisation should enable them to gain a leading edge over competitors from other countries.

seeable developments as well. The training pro-

gramme should be holistic and tailored speci-

fically to the needs of small and medium-sized

enterprises. Particular emphasis is placed on

the fundamentals in passive house design, the

building envelope, mechanical services com-

ponents, windows and doors, glazing, comfort

and health and on comparing passive houses

with conventional building standards.

Q U A L I F I C A T I O N

Editor:Government of StyriaDepartment 14 - Economic Affairs and InnovationNikolaiplatz 3, A-8020 GrazE-Mail: [email protected]

Co-financed by the European UnionEuropean Fund for Regional Development (ERDF)European Social Fund (ESF)

Overall concept:pr mag. trumler, communicationsmanagement,[email protected]

Photographs:Foto Pachernegg, project partner

Print:Medienfabrik, November 2006

Imprint:

Co-financed by the European UnionEuropean Fund for Regional DevelopmentEuropean Social Fund

12 success stories -...

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