Lower Austria's technology drive began in 2000 and resulted in the creation and implementation of an own Technopol Program. The program aims to actively develop locations with R&D facilities, high-tech operations, and existing educational facilities as places of "technology-oriented business" and to link these places with companies in order to activate the creation of added value for the Lower Austrian economy. The Technopol Program commenced in April 2004 with a planned life-span of four plus three years. The determining factor of the program is the Technopol concept paired with the management of the three technology-oriented locations.

What are Technopols?
There are several definitions for "technopol" in an international context. The following four factors have been used in defining Lower Austrian technopols:

• a critical mass of R&D facilities
  
• immediate spatial vicinity to university institutions
  
• demand for R&D competence by sector-specific companies
  
• sufficient space for company settlement in the immediate vicinity of competence bearers.
  

Technopol locations in Lower Austria

Three locations were identified which fulfilled the requirements for Lower Austrian technopols: Wiener Neustadt, Krems and Tulln. Here, the linking of education, research and business has been implemented in a pioneering fashion. Top-level international research is already being carried out at the three technopol locations in Lower Austria:

• Technopol Wiener Neustadt: modern industrial technologies (materials, tribology (friction, wear, lubrication), medical technology, sensor technology and actuators, and surfaces).
  
• Technopol Krems: biotechnology and regenerative medicine
  
• Technopol Tulln: agrobiotechnology and environmental biotechnology;

Another technology site in Wieselburg (Technopol in development) is in the development phase, focusing on agricultural technology in terms of mechanical engineering, bioenergy, renewable raw materials, process engineering (furnace) and food technology.

Lower Austria has entrusted the management of the Technopol Program to ecoplus.

The on-site Technopol manager supports and connects the areas of R&D, academic education and continuing education, and the high-tech industry. The wide-ranging network available to the Technopol manager in the sector of financial assistance and funding translates into a wealth of advantages for those facilities located at the Technopols.