The focus on AI in the performance agreements resulted in a bundle of projects and activities with a focus on AI, some individual measures, some inter-university. The goal was to support the uptake of AI in academia and expanding AI-Literacy/skills and advancing AI research. Measure are for e.g. the establishment/ expansion of HPC infrastructure, the creation of (further) training opportunities on AI for teachers, researchers and students, new AI degree programs or more AI professorships.
Name in original language
Setzen eines KI-Schwerpunkts in den Leistungsvereinbarungen 2025-2027 mit den öffentlichen Universitäten
Initiative overview
The overall goal of having a focus on AI in the performance agreements is to increase excellence in research and teaching, to increase efficiency and effectiveness at universities through the use and utilization of AI technologies, to ensure trustworthiness and accessibility as well as security and resilience in connection with AI. In response to these requirements, the universities and the ministry agreed on a wide range of measures in the performance agreements 2025-2027. Here are some examples.Many Universities will implement new AI strategies or update existing strategies on digitalization, to develop a holistic institutional approach to the new challenges and opportunities that AI technologies bring.A key goal of the ministry is to increase the digitization and AI competencies of students, researchers and teachers to enable the safe and effective use of new, innovative technologies for learning, teaching and research. Therefore, many Universities agreed to offer new extension curricula or micro credentials courses on AI or to revise and adapt existing curricula for students, as well as to offer further training opportunities for teachers. The University Linz for e.g. plans to implement a Competence Centre for university didactics and AI-sensitive university teaching.At the same time, the cross-university project "Academics AI" was also anchored in all performance agreements (see separate measure), as was a cross-university project on further enhancing cyber security in all universities.A focus was also placed on Infrastructure (HPC) in order to further strengthen Austria as a research location in the area of AI and to enable excellent (interdisciplinary) research with and around the topic. To increase visibility and impact the University of Vienna and the Technical University of Vienna agreed to pool their resources by co-founding the Vienna Centre for AI.
Name of responsible organisation (in English)
Ministry for Education, Science and Research
