COMET: Highlights in Research

In COMET, companies and research institutions work closely together to develop solutions to the major challenges of our time—ranging from energy and the circular economy to microelectronics, materials, manufacturing, and artificial intelligence, as well as life sciences and quantum technology.

Manuela Maier +43 316 7093 311

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The COMET program (Competence Centers for Excellent Technologies) supports application-oriented cutting-edge research into the key technologies of tomorrow.

What makes COMET so special?

Strategically relevant: Research in areas of high importance for Austria as a hub for business and innovation
Science & Industry united: joint selection of topics, medium- to long-term planning, and ongoing evaluation
Direct knowledge and technology transfer: Research leads directly to marketable products, processes, and services.
Strong impetus for innovation: New ideas, prototypes, and business models emerge from interdisciplinary teams.
Joint funding: The program is jointly funded by the federal government, the participating provinces, and corporate and academic partners.

Official COMET website of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG)

To the FFG's COMET page

COMET by the Numbers and in Styria

COMET has played a central and pivotal role in the non-university research and innovation landscape for years, particularly in Styria.

Since 2008 …

the COMET budget has totaled nearly 1.8 billion euros
has the SFG committed 192 million euros in Styrian COMET funding
have corporate partners contributed 852 million euros

Meanwhile …

over 1,000 employees work directly in Styrian COMET centers (as of January 1, 2026)
including corporate and academic partners, over 4,500 people (of whom around 2,500 are in Styria) are involved in COMET research (as of 2025)
approximately 1,200 publications, 200 theses, and 70 dissertations are completed annually (as of 2025)

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Fact Sheet: 5th Call for COMET Modules Fact Sheet: 11th Call for COMET Projects

COMET Modules, Projects, and Centers at a Glance

The goal of the COMET module A3Red is to develop an interoperable, modular research platform for the AI-assisted accelerated design of high-performance alloys with a radically reduced content of critical raw materials.

ACIB is a leading international research center in the field of industrial biotechnology. The center develops new, environmentally friendly, and economically and technically advanced processes for the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries.

The goal of the project is to bring the evaluation of vehicle safety systems closer to real-world traffic conditions. The combination of physical tests and simulations (“hybrid evaluation”) will enable the development of more robust safety systems.

AutoForst focuses on addressing the challenges of automation in the forestry industry. This includes advancements in image processing, AI-powered analytics, sensor and automotive technologies, as well as the control of drones, cranes, and trucks. The forestry environment poses unique challenges in this regard.

This COMET Center conducts research into innovative battery technologies for electric vehicles. The goal is to make batteries more efficient and sustainable. The focus is clearly on safe operation in order to achieve the longest possible service life, both within the vehicle and through subsequent uses.

The COMET BattLab module combines methods from multiphysics materials simulation with the fundamentals of polymer science to lay the groundwork for the high-performance battery systems of the future.

BEST 4.0 develops sustainable and circular biorefinery processes and technologies for the production of green gases, green liquid fuels, and green products to support the transition to a climate-neutral and fossil-carbon-free economy.

bio-ART focuses on the development of high-performance, environmentally friendly, multifunctional, and recyclable epoxy resin systems based on renewable raw materials, which make significant technological contributions to a bio-based plastics industry and sustainable development.

This module uses immersive analytics powered by virtual reality and augmented reality to interactively analyze industrial applications regardless of location.

The COMET project ECHODA aims to develop innovative concepts for household appliances that require both cooling and heating, with the goal of taking their energy efficiency and sustainability to a new level. The cooling-heat pump cycle has been identified as the key system in this context.

The goal of the project is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of freeze lining, including the complex interplay of multiphase flow, heat transfer, microstructure, and crystal growth. A CFD model is being developed, experimentally validated, and used for the quantitative simulation of industrial processes.

FuLIBatteR stands for "Future Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling for the Recovery of Critical Raw Materials" and focuses on the end of the battery life cycle. The module tests processing methods to recover critical raw materials.

The COMET Green Zinc project draws on many years of experience in research and development in the field of zinc recycling to define and model potential solutions for carbon neutrality and zero waste, and to test them from the laboratory to the pilot scale.

The goal of the HyCentA research program is to advance the sustainable hydrogen society by several steps.

The COMET project Hylley is researching hydrogen engines as a climate-neutral and sustainable power source for heavy-duty commercial vehicles and construction machinery.

IACAI focuses on algorithms and computers, human-computer interaction, as well as social and ethical considerations regarding future, agent-centered AI.

The COMET K2 Center IC-MPPE aims to consistently integrate theoretical foundations, the latest validated computational methods, and key technologies to support materials-based innovation.

The KNOW CENTER is a leading European center for innovation and cutting-edge research in trustworthy AI and data science.

K1-MET is one of the leading international centers of excellence in ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, based in Upper Austria with Styrian involvement.

K2DM’s overarching strategic goal is to address one of the greatest challenges in the development of today’s transportation systems: the necessary large-scale shift of physical testing and validation processes to a virtual environment.

The COMET LEC FFF module will provide the scientific basis for innovative development methods and tools to advance the use of ammonia in engines.

LEC GmbH is one of the world’s leading research institutions specializing in large-scale engine technologies and develops innovative solutions for sustainable energy and transportation systems. Through its research, the center has been making a significant contribution to global decarbonization for over 20 years.

Micro- and nanoplastic particles (MNP) have been found in recent years in all parts of the world and in various organisms. The health effects of this MNP exposure have been almost entirely unexplored to date. microONE was designed to close this significant knowledge gap.

The goal of the COMET project N!CA is to reduce the workload of nursing staff through optimized care processes and reduced documentation requirements, and to empower them to make evidence-based decisions by providing new tools.

The COMET Center PCCL has become Austria’s leading center for collaborative research in the fields of plastics engineering and polymer science. A key focus of the research is the strong emphasis on the performance and functionality of polymer products in practical applications.

The goal of the COMET module PlasmArc4Green is to develop numerical modeling and experimental monitoring tools for the accurate prediction of plasma-based metal manufacturing processes.

Pro²Future designs cognitive systems that possess human-like abilities—such as perception, understanding, interpretation, memory, learning, and reasoning—and are capable of acting in a cognitively driven manner; these systems are integrated into both products and production systems.

The COMET project ProMetHeus aims to develop innovative alloys, design highly efficient production processes, establish entirely new reuse and recycling concepts, and generally ensure reductions in scrap and downtime in production.

The RCPE is the world's leading research center in the field of pharmaceutical process and product development. Its goal is to develop state-of-the-art manufacturing methods for medications.

Repairtecture focuses on innovative simulation approaches, materials, design, and joining concepts aimed at creating a circular economy for polymer-based products and composite materials that retain their function, properties, and appeal over an extended lifespan.

The COMET module Twin4Pharma – Digital and Green (Twin) Transformation of Pharmaceutical Product and Process Development will create a digital platform that goes far beyond the current state of data processing and analysis in the pharmaceutical industry.

Additive manufacturing (AM) has emerged as a key technology that enables the production of complex structures and customized designs, while contributing to efficiency and sustainability. We3D² focuses on wire-based additive manufacturing (w-DED).

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