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Mission and Vision As a section of biosciences (biotechnology) biocatalysis is a promising area in the field of technological developments that is marked by considerable investments in research and bears a great potential for economic growth. Since the early 80s of the past century Graz has strived to build up an internationally renowned scientific expertise on the basis of existing interdisciplinary contacts leading to a series of successes achieved in cooperation with industrial partners. The Research Centre for Applied Biocatalysis forms a unique platform of research for the most outstanding protagonists in the field of science and economy in Austria. The expertise concentrated in our centre makes us, also internationally, a pivot for applied research in the field of biocatalysis. We support the innovative power and compatibility of our partners by: a concentration of existing expertise, access to novel knowledge, an acceleration of the economic realisation. Environment The founding of the Centre proceeds on the following assumption: The establishment of the Centre will give rise to a focussing, concentration and multiplication of the competences of all partners which holds significant advantages for the partners with respect to their positions as research institutions or companies on the Austrian and international markets, improves the scientific and technological ranking of the R&D activities in the field of applied biocatalysis in an international comparison, creates an important long-term source for R&D potential for Austrian science and economy, can act as a motor of innovation in the field of applied biocatalysis within the Austrian technology network, may have multiple side effects on the labour market and in the field of company founding and -settlement, and makes Austria an attractive partner for international cooperations, especially within the EU. Biosciences are evolving as key areas of science and technology and are seen as important parts of future economic growth. Biocatalysis is part of this scientific domain, frequently crossing the interdisciplinary borderlines to physics as well as biology and medicine. The AB Centre is aiming at making these advanced methods available for economic exploitation by companies working in this field. It is a continuation of a well-established multidisciplinary network of experts based on the Christian Doppler Laboratory of Chiral Compounds, Enzymatic and Microbial Synthesis of the Austrian Industries AG (1989-1994) and the Special Research Programme (SFB) "Biocatalysis" of the Austrian Science Fund (1993-2003). With its centre of gravity in Graz, there will also be activities located in Vienna as well as involvement of international industrial partners. The AB Centre is designed to be developed into a contract RTD company and continued beyond the period subsidised by the K-plus programme. The centre will bring together the scientific strength in the field and important industrial partners situated in Upper Austria, Styria, other parts of Austria and abroad. Keywords: Biocatalytic synthesis; conversion of carbohydrates by enzyme technology; enzyme development and analytics Subject areas: Analytische Chemie; Biochemie; Biochemische Technologie; Biotechnologie; Chemische Technologie; Enzymtechnologie; Strukturchemie Co-operating partners: Austin Powders (Austria) BASF (Germany) BioCatalytics Europe (Austria), recently acquired by Codexis (U.S.A.) CIBA Life Sciences (Switzerland) DSM Fine Chemicals Linz (Austria) Eucodis (Austria) Henkel (Austria) Lactoprot (Austria) Lactosan (Austria) Sandoz (Austria) Vogelbusch (Austria) VTU Engineering (Austria) Institut für Analytische Chemie, Mikro- und Radiochemie, TU Graz (Austria) Institut für Biochemie, TU Graz (Austria) Institut für Biotechnologie und Bioprozesstechnik, TU Graz (Austria) Institut für Chemie, Uni Graz (Austria) Institut für Lebensmittelwissenschaften und- technologie, BOKU Wien (Austria) Institut für Molekulare Biotechnologie, TU Graz (Austria) Institut für Organische Chemie (Austria) Institut für Umweltbiotechnologie, TU Graz (Austria) Funded by: all partners (Austria and international) Province of Styria together with SFG (Austria) FFG (Austria) Short Description: Our work is focused on enzymes! Our researchers explore the methods developed in the sophisticated "biochemical laboratory" of living cells in order to use them for the industrial purposes like production of chemicals without harmful side-effects on the environment and on natural resources. Furthermore, the enzymes responsible for these processes (biocatalysts) are improved and adapted to new purposes.