Evaluation of the PPPI-cooperation
The annual volume of goods and services procured by Austrian public administration is equal of up to 14 % of the country´s GDP. This bears the potential to pro-actively drive domestic innovation processes with the procurement of particularly innovative products. One major demand-side innovation policy instrument for achieving this objective is public procurement promoting innovation (PPPI). With the launch of the PPPI initiative as part of the „Austrian Strategy for Research, Technology and Innovation“ (RTI Strategy) in 2011 and the elaboration of an “Austrian Action Plan on Public Procurement Promoting Innovation” in 2012, PPPI has been systematically implemented on political and operational level in Austria. PPPI has also been granted additional importance by being strategically embedded in the current government program, the „RTI Strategy 2030“, the “RTI Pact 2021-2023” and other government strategies. Austria is thus proving to be a pioneer in the field of PPPI.
As has been shown during the evaluation, the activities carried out within the framework of the PPPI-cooperation act as a significant stimulus and catalyst for innovative public procurement in Austria. Through the focused and targeted measures of the PPPI cooperation partners BMDW, BMK and BBG with the PPPI Service Center, on the one hand innovation and innovation culture in the public sector are promoted and made visible, on the other hand broad networks are established in the key target groups.