This year’s topic "Synergies between Education, Research and Innovation" is discussed in Europe in many political, academic and industrial fora. Education, research and innovation are forming the “Knowledge Triangle” and the challenge is to turn a buzz-word into reality. The Vienna Conference provided an excellent opportunity for addressing this topic from different perspectives and on the bases of the experiences of different universities.

Discussions at the 2011 Conference addressed issues such as:

• Integrating education, research and innovation at universities of technology and making the knowledge triangle a reality
• Safeguarding the research orientation of universities of technology
• How to utilize research for enriching education and stimulating student learning
• From teacher centered engineering education towards approaches facilitating learning by integrating research activities
• How to link research and education with innovation through close cooperation and interaction with industry
• First experiences from EIT Knowledge and Innovation Centers (KICs)
• Lessons learned from integrating students in research cooperation with industry
• Utilizing technology transfer centers, incubators, science and technology parks for education and training
• Other aspects as defined by speakers and participants.

General background of the conference:

Following a joint initiative of the rectors of Vienna University of Technology and RWTH Aachen University, this conference has been started in 1980 with the aim to establishing a forum for top representatives of leading engineering universities in Europe for

• discussing topics of major common concern that are not discussed in other fora,
• identifying differences and commonalities of existing solutions to problems of common interest,
• developing new ideas and - if appropriate - preparing recommendations on specific topics, and
• forming a “think tank” for the future development of the universities of technology in Europe.

As an informal grouping the conference has no formal international or European organizational structure. Since 1981, the Conference is coordinated by Prof. Manfred Horvat from Vienna University of Technology.