The event was guided by Prof. Dr. Werner Welzig, the president of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, who also gave the opening speech outlining the view of the academy on the purpose of the Institute and explaining the reasons for having founded it. The governor of Upper Austria, Dr. Josef Pühringer, presented the view of his government, which financially supports the institute for five years. Prof. Dr. Sigurd Höllinger, the head of the university section of the Federal Ministry for Science, represented the minister, Elisabeth Gehrer, and gave both her greetings and his view of the role of academy institutes compared to universities.


The president of the Konrad Zuse Zentrum Berlin, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Peter Deuflhard, gave an impressive scientific talk entitled "The mathematicians' smile": He outlined the role of mathematics in science and technology by the example of computer-assisted surgery, describing mathematical models and numerical simulation of the interaction between bones and muscles in corrective head surgery with the aim of enabling patients to smile again. The 3D-projections he showed (with support by the Ars Electronica Center) were particularly impressive.

Prof. Welzig interviewed Dr. Knut Consemüller, the head of the Austrian Council for Research and Technology, Prof. Dr. Peter Gruber, the editor of Johann Radon's scientific papers, Prof. Dr. Rudolf Ardelt, the rector of Johannes Kepler Universität, and Prof. Dr. Karl Sigmund, the vice president of the Austrian Science Fund, about their views of the institute.


The scientific concept and the structure of the institute were then outlined by institute director Prof. Dr. Heinz W. Engl and the area leaders Prof. Dr. Ulrich Langer, Prof. Dr. Gerhard Larcher, Prof. Dr. Walter Schachermayer and Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Bruno Buchberger.

The event was concluded by a speech of Dr. Brigitte Bukowics, the daughter of Johann Radon, about her father's life.