The Christian Doppler Research Association promotes the cooperation between science and business. Specifically, this takes place in specially established research units with fixed terms, in which application-orientated basic research is pursued. Under the direction of highly qualified scientists, research groups work in close contact with the commercial partners on innovative responses to business-related research issues.
In order to establish a CD Laboratory two prerequisites must be met: on the one hand, the specific need of a company for knowledge and know-how from the application-orientated basic research and, on the other, the willingness of scientists to open themselves up to this commercial need in the long term.
If both prerequisites are met, the partners can jointly develop a research program lasting several years that must do justice to a high scientific claim. Scientists can submit their applications to set up a CD Laboratory at any time to the CDG-Secretariat of the Christian Doppler Research Association.
The Christian Doppler Research Association has been an important and successful feature on the Austrian research landscape for many years. For the Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy, the funding models of the CDG are amongst the most important instruments for funding research at the interface of science and business.