180 new beginner places for UAS Technikum Wien

The UAS expansion 2023/24 brings 350 new admission places for Austria’s UASs. UAS Technikum Wien will be awarded more than half of these places – a result of the focus on STEM degree programs that are in high demand, which the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research placed in the call for proposals. Minister Martin Polaschek also chose the FH Technikum Wien as the venue to provide information about the distribution of places at a press conference on July 12.

Rector Sylvia Geyer expressed her readiness for additional students: “Together with our excellent staff we are well prepared for the implementation of the expansion project with September 2023. Our planning and the sufficient number of applicant admissions in excellent quality allow us to do so. In an increasingly complex world, we need specialists who can solve and deal with the challenges of the future. With our exciting and modern curricula, we are ideally equipped to train the experts of tomorrow.”

Managing Director Florian Eckkrammer pointed out how important the move is for the economy: “We are delighted to have so many new federally funded study places at a time when there is a shortage of skilled workers. For years, UAS Technikum Wien has had a very high number of qualified applications that cannot be granted a study place due to a lack of funding. In times of shortage of skilled workers, this waste of STEM-interested talent is of course particularly painful. At the same time, the demand for our alumni is enormous. Companies contact us and are desperately looking for students and graduates. Expanding the UAS sector strengthens Austria as a business location and is essential for maintaining international competitiveness.”

“This is definitely a right measure at the right time,” said Christian Friesl, Division Director for Education and Society at the Federation of Austrian Industries, during the press conference. “After all, the additional 350 UAS places are an important and urgently needed initiative to alleviate the shortage of skilled workers in the STEM sector. For us, the current MINT focus is absolutely right: Because: natural sciences and technology are a key topic, of course for us as an industry, but also for Austria as a whole. For example, 3 out of 4 companies have been experiencing staffing problems in STEM for years, which are becoming more acute, especially in light of demographic developments. Every 3rd vacancy advertised at the AMS is already a STEM position. We would therefore like to see consistent implementation of the UAS development and financing plan in the future as well. The implementation of the bmbwf’s STEM Action Plan plays a central role in ensuring +20% more STEM graduates in Austria by 2030.”

350 new beginner places for the universities of applied sciences in Austria mean in the full expansion – when three bachelor and two master classes have each taken up the additional number of students – 986 additional UAS study places from 2025/26 in Austria, 496 of them at UAS Technikum Wien.