Interdisciplinary cooperation between different research institutions, as well as the blend of science and entrepreneurial thinking, were at the heart of Ekaterina Zaharieva’s visit to the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW). The EU Commissioner for Start-ups, Research and Innovation visited the newly established AITHYRA Institute for AI in Biomedicine, founded one year ago, as part of her trip to Vienna. She toured the new laboratories under development, including the Robotics Lab, which evaluates samples around the clock and uses AI to conduct new experiments.

The rapid progress in biomedical research was one of the topics discussed in a meeting with OeAW President Heinz Faßmann, Minister of Science Eva-Maria Holzleitner, Institute Director Georg Winter, Managing Director Anita Ender, and the first group leaders at AITHYRA. Representatives of other research institutions at the Vienna BioCenter also took part in the discussion: University of Vienna Vice Rector Manuela Baccarini, Medical University of Vienna Vice Rector Michaela Fritz, and IMP Director Jan-Michael Peters.

Following her visit, Zaharieva expressed her admiration for the work being done at AITHYRA and the BioCenter: “What you have built here in Vienna is a model for other EU member states. AITHYRA shows what happens when AI, life sciences, and an entrepreneurial mindset come together from the very beginning.”

President Faßmann added: “We were able to demonstrate that world-class research is being conducted in Vienna. The BioCenter, where the OeAW plays a key role through its institutes, is a prime example of the successes that can be achieved through cooperation between research institutions as well as with start-ups and industry.”