Austrian Research Award to Investigate Geographic Concentration of Software Growth
Frank Neffke of the Complexityโข Science Hub has been awarded the prestigious โ”netidee SCIENCE” funding โฃ- Austria‘s largest privately-funded research prize – in 2025.The approximatelyโฃ โฌ400,000 grant, awarded through the FWF โScience Fund by the Internet Foundation, will support Neffke’s research into why โsoftware developmentโข remains concentrated in specificโ regions despite the potential โขfor global, digital collaboration.
Neffke’s project, “Skills and the Geography of Software Startups,” will analyze extensive data โขfrom platforms like GitHub and Stack Overflow to map the skills of millions of developers and correlate โคthemโ with the โคsuccess of new software companies. The research aims to understand the dynamics of the digital industry and โidentify the factors that make certain locations attractive for investment and innovation.
The study seeks to โขexplain why global software โขgiants like Microsoft,Google,and Apple are clustered in areas โlike Silicon Valley and โขBangalore,despite the geographically unbound nature ofโค software โcreation. Theโ findings will offer insights into regional value creation, locationโค policy, and the digital labor market.
“This study not only provides new insights into โขthe geographical distribution of software development,but also into the dynamics of companies and employees โขas well as the opportunities of different regions around the world to be competitive in this sector,” saeidโ Neffke.
Andreas Schildberger, โBoard Member of the Internet Foundation, emphasized the importance of the project โฃfor Austria’s โdigital future: “Promoting projects like Frank โคNeffke’s is a central โคpart of our mission to strengthen digital competence and innovative strengthโข inโ Austriaโฆwe can specifically help establish Austria โasโฃ a leading locationโ in the digital economy and promote Europe’s technological โฃsovereignty.”
Stefan Thurner,President of the Complexity science Hub,and Ursula Jakubek,commercial vice president of the FWF,also congratulated Neffke,highlighting โคtheโข research’s potential to inform economic development and strengthen Europe’s digital โcapabilities.
Theโ “netidee SCIENCE” funding is facilitated by the FWF’s alpha+ Foundation, โwhich provides a platform for philanthropic support of Austrian research alongside other awards focused on climateโฃ research and medicine. The FWF manages the awards usingโฃ its established peer-review process.
For more details: www.alphaplusstiftung.at