Public spending on research, development and demonstration projects in the energy sector totalled 401.1 million euros in 2024. This figure exceeded the previous Austrian record in 2023 by 90.3 million euros (a 29.1% increase).

The "Energy end uses" sector ranks first, with expenditure of 151.5 million euros. The "Renewable energy sources" sector ranks second in 2025, as it did the previous year. However, at 45.4 million euros, it recorded a significant decline of one third. In third place, with 43.2 million euros, are the so-called "Cross-cutting technologies and research", which, in addition to projects covering a broad range of topics, also include the analysis, modelling and – for the first time – digitalisation (7.2 million euros) of the energy system.

In fourth place is the "Heat and power generation, storage and supply" sector, which encompasses technologies for generation, storage and grid operation (electricity: transmission, distribution; heat: district heating and cooling). This sector accounted for 42.1 million euros in 2025.

Following two particularly strong years, the "Hydrogen, hydrogen-based fuels and fuel cells" sector has once again recorded a significant decline: 34.6 million euros. However, there are also hydrogen related activities covering applications in "Industry", "Transport", et cetera (totalling 47.9 million euros).

"CO2 capture and storage" saw a significant increase in Austria, reaching 12.5 million euros in 2025. The "Critical minerals" sector has been included in the IEA framework for the first time ever. R&D expenditure on exploration, extraction, processing and recycling totalled 2.6 million euros. The thematic areas of "Nuclear fission and fusion" (1.7 million euros, of which 1.2 million euros is for fusion research within the European framework) and "Fossil fuels" (0.2 million euros) remain far behind in terms of funding in 2025 and are not prioritised in publicly funded energy research in Austria.

Three-quarters of the expenditure for 2025 set out in this report consists of funding – mostly channelled through funding agencies (FFG, AWS, KPC, FWF) – from federal ministries and the federal states. In 2025, the federal ministries made €173.5 million available, which was €112.1 million less than in the previous year. Of this amount, €139.2 million is allocated to the BMIMI in the report. Expenditure on energy-related R&D under the Climate and Energy Fund rose significantly to €75.9 million. The remaining 23.6 per cent comprises in-house research, core-funded by federal or state funds, that is financed through the so-called own resources in the higher education sector and non-university research institutions.

Three-quarters of the funds were allocated to applied research, whilst expenditure on experimental development accounted for 16.2 per cent. Investment in first-of-its-kind demonstration projects amounted to 3.1 per cent, and that in energy-related research to 6.3 per cent.

The full report is available in German (including an extended summary in English)