The Austrian Institute for SME Research is an independent non-university research institute in the field of economics and social sciences. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are a core area of our research activities.
The Austrian Institute for SME Research was founded in 1954 and is an independent non-university research institute in the field of economics and social sciences. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) constitute a core research area. The Institute is a private, non-profit association, which provides analyses and data on recent and future topics to facilitate economic policy making and business decisions. The research results of the Austrian Institute for SME Research address policy makers, advocacy groups, advisory bodies, and other research institutions at regional, national and international levels, as well as company managers and the interested public in general. The findings should contribute to a positive development of the Austrian and European economy and society.
The Institute has a team of highly qualified staff members and can build on 70 years of experience and continuity. Many years of expertise, objectivity, interdisciplinarity, a variety of methods, compliance with scientific standards, cooperation with national and international research institutions and integration in central (inter-)national research networks are key quality features of the Austrian Institute for SME Research and ensure that the research results of the Institute draw upon the state of the art in all fields of study. The Institute’s fields of Expertise include: entrepreneurship and innovation, economic sectors and industries, regional analyses, labour market and skills, evaluations and impact analyses as well as balance sheet ratios and benchmarking.
Public Value and Societal Impact
The Institute’s mission is to contribute to the public good. Through scientifically robust analysis, it supports evidence-informed policymaking in economic, innovation, labour market, and social domains. The support of students and early-career researchers is an integral component of this mission, strengthening long-term scientific excellence, institutional sustainability, and societal impact.
Scientific Excellence and Independence
The Austrian Institute for SME Research is committed to the highest standards of scientific integrity. Its work is grounded in objectivity, methodological pluralism, and rigorous adherence to established scientific standards. Institutional independence from vested interests is a fundamental precondition for credible and impartial research.
Interdisciplinarity and International Engagement
Interdisciplinary collaboration, active knowledge exchange within the Institute, and close cooperation with national and international research partners and universities are core quality drivers. Engagement in leading research networks ensures that the Institute’s work is consistently aligned with the international state of the art.
Practice Orientation and Policy Relevance
The Institute’s research is firmly practice-oriented and based on robust, carefully conducted analyses. Results are communicated in a clear and user-focused manner. Policy recommendations are evidence-based, targeted, and operationally relevant.
Responsibility, Equal Opportunities, and Human Capital Development
The Institute relies on a highly qualified team and fosters a culture of openness, equal opportunity, and individual responsibility. Continuous professional development is a strategic priority. Institutional mechanisms, including the Works Council and the Equal Opportunity Officer, ensure that staff interests and equality principles are firmly embedded in human resource policies.
Univ. Prof. Dr. Birgit Feldbauer-Durstmüller (Chair)
Univ. Prof. Dr. Isabella Hatak
Univ. Prof. Dr. Martin Hiebl
Univ. Prof. Dr. Norbert Kailer
Dr. Ksenia Keplinger
Prof. Univ. Doz. Dr. Christine Mitter (Deputy Chair)
Prof. Dr. Roald Steiner
The Austrian Institute for SME Research regards the support of early-career researchers as an integral part of its educational responsibility and as an investment in the quality of applied economic research.
At the Austrian Institute for SME Research , students are given the opportunity to work at the Institute alongside their studies – as active contributors to ongoing research projects. This practical involvement fosters methodological skills, deepens their technical understanding of various topics in applied economic research, and also makes a concrete contribution to the quality of their academic work. For particularly committed graduates, the institute offers a pathway into an academic career within an institutional environment that combines specialist depth, thematic diversity and close collaboration with experienced researchers. As experience and expertise grow, clear career progression opportunities open up at the Institute – ranging from independent project management and development, through taking on thematic areas of focus, to senior roles in research and institutional management.
The Austrian Institute for SME Research offers its staff a broad range of topics – from sector and economic analyses, through innovation and transformation studies, to the research fields of entrepreneurship and the labour market – and thus a fertile environment for professional and personal development. The institute’s application-oriented approach and close collaboration with economic policy institutions, funding agencies and universities equip staff for demanding roles in academia, public administration and economic policy consultancy alike.
The Institute’s staff are actively involved in teaching at universities and universities of applied sciences, bringing their expertise from applied research directly into academic education. They supervise final-year dissertations and support students in their academic engagement with issues relevant to the economy and business. Close cooperation with local universities as well as national and international research institutes creates a vibrant academic network from which early-career researchers benefit directly.
The Institute also provides targeted support to students and their dissertations through its proprietary databases (e.g. economic and financial data), analyses and subject-specific expertise. Senior researchers at the Institute offer guidance to students as they carry out their independent research, for example in the fields of economic statistics and practical economic policy.
Professor Herbert Neubauer (president)
Sabine Siegl (deputy chair)
Alfred Feldbauer
Kurt J. Miesenböck
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