RESEARCH AND INNOVATION MANAGEMENT GMBH

Their core work

Research and Innovation Management GmbH is an Austrian consultancy specializing in regional innovation governance and smart specialisation strategies. They advise regional authorities on how to design, implement, and monitor research and innovation policies that connect science with territorial development needs. Their practical focus is on building self-sustaining innovation ecosystems at the regional level, with particular emphasis on responsible research and innovation (RRI) frameworks and co-creation methods that involve societal actors in policy design.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their earliest project (ONLINE-S3, 2016) focused on digital tools for smart specialisation policy advice — a relatively technical, platform-oriented engagement. From 2019 onward, their work shifted decisively toward responsible research and innovation ecosystems, integrating societal engagement, co-creation, and territorial governance into their portfolio. The trajectory shows a move from policy tooling toward deeper governance consulting that connects innovation with societal needs at the regional level.

They are moving from technical policy advisory toward governance innovation that embeds societal responsibility into regional R&I ecosystems — a growing priority under Horizon Europe's impact requirements.

How they like to work

They exclusively participate as consortium partners rather than leading projects, suggesting they contribute specialized governance and policy expertise within larger teams. With 33 unique partners across 12 countries from just 3 projects, they operate in broad European consortia (averaging 11+ partners per project). This indicates they are comfortable in large, multi-country teams and likely serve as the regional innovation policy specialist within diverse partnerships.

Despite being a small SME with only 3 projects, they have built connections with 33 distinct partners across 12 European countries, indicating broad geographic exposure through large consortia focused on regional policy topics.

What sets them apart

They sit at a specific intersection: a private SME that specializes in public innovation governance — bridging the gap between academic RRI frameworks and practical regional policy implementation. Their Austrian base in a smaller city (Neumarkt an der Ybbs) rather than Vienna suggests genuine roots in regional development, not just theoretical expertise. For consortium builders, they offer hands-on smart specialisation and RRI governance knowledge from a practitioner's perspective, not a university lab.

Highlights from their portfolio

• RRI2SCALE
  Their largest funded project (EUR 171,400) applying responsible innovation frameworks to intelligent cities and transport at regional scale — their most ambitious scope.
• SeeRRI
  Directly combines their two core strengths — smart specialisation and RRI ecosystems — into a single project focused on self-sustaining research ecosystems in Europe.