Maria Bendl

Head of Research and Technology Department, Austrian Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs

Dr. Maria Bendl is head of the research and technology department at the Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs in Vienna. In her department important support programs are developed e.g. at the interface of science and economics (e.g. Competence Center Program) or measures and programs to digitize the economy, e.g. a program to support digitization in SMEs (kmu.digital). She is responsible for the R & D budget coordination of several departments of the Ministry in the field of applied research. Maria Bendl is the director of the National Cluster Platform Austria, a joint dialogue platform of the federal government with stakeholders from ministries, social partners, countries and regions. In the past Maria Bendl worked in the former Federal Ministry of Economics and Labor in the Department of Industrial Policy (1994-2004). She gained international experience in various EU institutions (in 1993 at the Permanent Representation of Austria in Brussels, 1997 as "National Expert" in the European Commission / DG Industry). During the Austrian Presidency of the EU in 1998, she was Chair of the Council Working Group on Industry and Competitiveness and the ECSC Council working group. Dr. Bendl is a member of several (awarding) advisory boards.

Maria Bendl