Intellectual Capital Report 2006 Imprint
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Intellectual Capital Report 2006 Imprint Published by: President of the Austrian Academy of Sciences A - 1010 Wien, Dr. Ignaz Seipel-Platz 2 Tel +43 1 51581-0 www.oeaw.ac.at Edited by: Presidential Offi ce of the Austrian Academy of Sciences Data evaluation: Information Management of the Austrian Academy of Sciences Graphic design: T I M G R A F I K D E S I G N · www.advertise.at All rights reserved | Copyright © 2007 by Austrian Academy of Sciences >> Table of Contents 1 Preface Page 2 7.1.1 Human potential Page 76 7.1.2 Structural potential Page 78 2 Mission Statement: Tasks and 7.1.3 Networking potential Page 79 Objectives of the Academy Page 3 7.2 Activities and accomplishments in career building Page 80 3 Intellectual Capital Reporting 7.3 Impact of career building Page 81 at the Academy Page 4 8 Service Facilities of the 4 The Academy’s Financial Potential Page 6 Academy Page 85 4.1 Overall budget Page 6 8.1 Central administration Page 85 4.2 Selected expenses Page 7 8.1.1 Value-creation potential of the central administration Page 85 5 The Academy’s Learned Society Page 9 8.1.2 Services of the central administration Page 87 5.1 Value-creation potential of 8.1.3 Impact of the central administration Page 87 the learned society Page 9 8.2 Library and archive Page 90 5.1.1 Human potential Page 9 8.2.1 Value-creation potential of the 5.1.2 Structural potential Page 12 library and archive Page 90 5.1.3 Networking potential Page 13 8.2.2 Services of the library and archive Page 91 5.2 Activities and accomplishments 8.2.3 Impact of the library and archive Page 93 of the learned society Page 17 8.3 The Austrian Academy of Sciences Press Page 94 5.3 Impact of the learned society Page 21 8.3.1 Value-creation potential of the Austrian Academy of Sciences Press Page 94 6 The Academy as Research 8.3.2 Services of the Austrian Performing Organisation Page 24 Academy of Sciences Press Page 96 8.3.3 Impact of the Austrian Academy 6.1 Value-creation potential of the research of Sciences Press Page 98 performing organisation Page 24 6.1.1 Human potential Page 24 9 Future Prospects Page 99 6.1.2. Structural potential Page 28 6.1.3 Networking potential Page 32 9.1 Strategies of the Academy as a research 6.2 Activities and accomplishments of the performing organisation Page 99 research performing organisation Page 36 9.2 Reform efforts at the Academy Page 100 6.3 Research activities in fields of 9.3 Hall of Science Page 102 research and centres Page 49 6.3.1 Fields of research in the MN cluster Page 49 10 Annex Page 104 6.3.2 Centres of the HS cluster Page 60 6.4 Impact of the research performing organisation Page 72 10.1 Overview: Full members of the Academy Page 104 10.2 Overview: Research units of the Academy Page 106 7 The Academy as Career Builder Page 76 10.3 Overview: Service facilities of the Academy Page 109 10.4 Overview: Facts and Figures, Graphs Page 109 7.1 Value-creation potential of career building Page 76 10.5 List of abbreviations used Page 112 Page 1 >> 1 Preface Vienna, September 2007 The Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften (Austrian Academy of Sciences or the Academy) has positioned itself as a site and a platform for high-performance, basic research in Austria. The Academy was founded in 1847, in 1921 it was granted the special protection and patronage of the Federal Republic of Austria and in 1947 it expanded from Vienna to all federal states. Today, the Academy’s mission is to promote the sciences and the humanities – in its role as a learned society, as a research performing organisation and as a career builder. In the performance of its tasks, the Academy generates a broad gamut of knowledge through the interaction of these three pillars. Ever increasing competition for the best brains, infrastructure, research accomplishments and funding has made it necessary to render proper account of any services provided and communicate intellectual capital both internally and externally. Reporting on knowledge in general and the sciences and the humanities in particular is a challenging endeavour. Quite a number of science politicians and many researchers doubt whether it is possible at all to measure and to adequately compare the quality of research. This is partly due to the fact that cutting- edge research is characterised by originality and creativity, i.e. by features that are impossible to standardise and that need to be embedded in one of the numerous different research cultures. Albeit the above, at least some objectifiable factors and criteria can be found in the individual disciplines and beyond, which appear useful to record and to communicate to interested parties both inside and out of the Academy – not least due to the added value generated through a status-quo analysis and critical self-assessment during the reform process the Academy is currently undergoing. Intellectual capital reports facilitate a process of reflection on tasks, they support value creation potential and are apt to further the performance of an organisation, creating transparency throughout the reporting period. The Academy seeks to actively keep abreast with and pave the way for new developments inter- nally as well as in science and society. Indicators are indispensable for the process of intellectual capital reporting, but must be neither overrated nor regarded as the sole and central feature. Many performance features can simply not be quantified. But quantifiable features are imperative when it comes to assessing the acceptance and sustained effect of research output. It is decisive for intellectual capital reporting to focus attention on the Academy’s objectives, to acknowledge diversity and to assure and improve quality in the common discourse. In awareness of this, the Academy has been developing, implementing and continuously improving its intellectual capital reporting on its own initiative since 2004. The Academy’s 2006 performance report has been prepared in the form of an intellectual capital report and marks yet another milestone along the way. In the near future, it will be essential to integrate intellectual capital reporting with other evaluation components to form a quality assurance system that caters to the needs of the sciences and the humani- ties while focusing on strategic objectives. Many thanks to all members and colleagues, to the staff in the Academy’s research units and the service facilities for their support in collecting, analysing, and interpre- ting the data included in this intellectual capital report. • Peter Schuster President of the Austrian Academy of Sciences Page 2 >> 2 Mission Statement: Tasks and Objectives of the Academy To meet its statutory mission of promoting the sciences and the humanities in every respect, and in the awareness of its social, cultural and economic responsibility, the Academy pro- motes and conducts basic research. Renowned researchers from Austria and abroad have formed a comprehensive knowledge pool covering a wide array of disciplines for the sake of progress in science and research as a whole. In all its activities, the Academy is closely networked at national, EU, and internati- onal level with university and non-university partners. As a learned society, the Academy contributes decisively to assuring the high competi- tiveness of basic research in Austria, advising decision-makers in politics, business, and society on science-related issues while informing the interested public about major scientific discoveries. The Academy’s members support this process by making their broad range of expertise available for the Academy’s activities. The Academy gives new impetus by taking up new, forward-looking research areas. Scien- tific quality, innovation potential and sustainability are the main criteria for the Academy’s research profile. As centres of excellence, the Academy’s research units must stand the test of international competition in the form of periodic evaluations. The Academy offers fellowships to talented young researchers in promotion programmes that are committed exclusively to the standards of the international scientific community, thus giving highly qualified junior researchers an opportunity to develop scientific expertise. In granting awards, the Academy commends outstanding scientific achievements. • Page 3 >> 3 Intellectual Capital Reporting at the Academy As a report focusing on intangible assets, the intellectual capital report (ICR) has developed into an internationally accepted controlling and communications tool for knowledge-based companies in general and for scientifi c organisations in particular. As such, it creates the conditions necessary for analysing existing potential against the objectives of the overall organisation and reporting achie- vements and impacts that are diffi cult to quantify in monetary terms. The Academy’s commitment to intellectual capital reporting is to be understood as part of a com- prehensive quality assurance process that addresses the needs of the sciences and the humanities by building a bridge to strategic and operative controlling. Management can resort to the report to gain an overview of current developments and make swift and well-founded decisions. Over and beyond this, intellectual capital reporting decidedly serves the purpose of internal and exter- nal communication. Based on the intellectual capital report, Academy members, fi nancers, sponsors, cooperation partners, and the general public are able to appreciate what the Academy stands for and what its scientifi c and social contributions are. The aggregated form of reporting facilitates mutual understanding and strengthens the Academy’s anchoring in science and society. The Academy’s Intellectual Capital Reporting is based on the model developed by Schneider/Koch*: * Schneider, Ursula STRATEGIC INPUT OUTPUT IMPACT ON (2004): Wissensbilanzen an ENVIRONMENT Forschungsinstitutionen.