B&C Private Foundation | Houska Prize 2025
Established in 2005, the B&C Private Foundation’s Houska Prize was set up to promote business-related research and innovation. By awarding the prize, B&C’s goal is to help strengthen Austria as a business location while expressing its appreciation for the outstanding research work carried out in the country.
In addition to the innovation performance, the economic effect is an essential criterion in the awarding of the Houska Prize. With a total endowment of EUR 760,000 shared between the winners, the Houska Prize is Austria’s largest privatly-awarded prize for application-driven research.
In this way, the B&C Private Foundation is honouring its purpose of promoting Austrian entrepreneurship and strengthening Austria as a business location in the long term. The best projects from university research and non-university research as well as innovative research achievements by SMEs are honoured in three separate categories. The Houska Prize is awarded annually and is named after Wolfgang Houska, a former member of the foundation. Since 2024, the Mariella Schurz Prize has been awarded in memory of the former Secretary General. The design of the golden Houska Prize trophy was modelled on Hollywood icon Hedy Lamarr, who also went down in history as its inventor.
Further information: https://bcgruppe.at/houskapreis/ausschreibung/