Highly innovative and always worth a visit

Austria has proven fertile ground for life sciences companies, with a dynamic start-up scene and new incubators. In early November, the international biotech community will gather for BIO-Europe in Vienna.

Austria is among the most dynamic life sciences hubs in Europe. According to the Life Science Report Austria 2024, the sector has reached new record levels: more than 1,170 companies, around 73,400 employees, and total revenues of almost €40 billion. Austria’s dedicated biotech companies recently invested around €480 million in research and development (R&D). Particularly striking is the research intensity: Biotech R&D expenditure has grown one and a half times faster than the OECD average. 

Vienna will soon gain a new incubator with Abundance GateAbundance Gate (), which supports start-ups with a university background in biotechnology, health, and food and agricultural technologies. Abundance is already operating a 1,200 m² life sciences laboratory where start-ups can conduct research and grow. In 2024 alone, eight companies benefited from the network, and more than 70 projects are in the pipeline. The planned Abundance Campus will mark the next stage of expansion, with 18,000 m² of lab space, a comprehensive advisory offering, and a €50 million deep-tech venture capital fund. Demand is already strong: 80% of the space has been pre-let. 

Beyond Vienna, Tyrol has also developed into a centre for life sciences, buoyed by a dynamic start-up scene. The MedLifeLab innovation centre at the Medical University of Innsbruck and the new incubator Health Hub TyrolHealth Hub Tyrol () provide crucial support in turning research into commercial applications. Two Innsbruck-based companies, KinCon biolabs and Cyprumed, have benefited. KinCon biolabs has developed a technology to measure the effects of active substances directly in living cells, allowing the potential of a drug to be assessed at an early stage. Cyprumed offers technology platforms that enable oral delivery of drugs that previously had to be injected. Merck Sharp & Dohme recently paid up to US$493 million for a non-exclusive licence for this technology. 

Where the biotech scene meets in autumn

Austria also raises its international profile by hosting major life sciences events. From 3 to 5 November 2025, Vienna will once again welcome BIO-EuropeBIO-Europe (), the largest biotech partnering conference in Europe. This flagship event will bring together over 5,500 professionals from more than 60 countries, offering networking opportunities, partnering programmes, and valuable insights into the biotech sector. More than 30,000 one-to-one meetings connect leaders from science, start-ups and fast-growing biotech firms with pharmaceutical companies and forward-looking investors. ABA will of course be there. 

Formats such as the AITHYRA Symposium on AI and life sciencesAITHYRA Symposium on AI and life sciences (), held in mid-September, further strengthen networking and collaboration. The event drew great interest and highlighted the connection between artificial intelligence and the life sciences. Read more about the institute here: How AITHYRA connects AI and life sciences in Vienna.How AITHYRA connects AI and life sciences in Vienna. ()

And autumn in Austria still has more to offer the life sciences sector: the Austrian Life Sciences Day in Linz, the Biotech Summit AustriaBiotech Summit Austria () in Graz, and the aws Best of Biotechaws Best of Biotech () competition for international collaboration. These events demonstrate that Austria is not only an attractive research hub but also a meeting point for experts, investors and companies from all over the world.

Read more about the life sciences sector herehere ().