Austria
BBMRI.at comprises the Medical Universities of Graz, Vienna, Innsbruck, the JKU Linz Medical Faculty and the University of Veterinary Medicine with their biobanks. The University of Vienna brings in legal expertise. BBMRI.at develops the Austrian biobanking research infrastructure and links it to the European community. Focus is to increase close cooperation and harmonisation between biobanks and foster research collaborations using samples/data and expertise.
BBMRI.at partners harbour 22+ million human and animal samples with associated data to support academic and industrial research. BBMRI.at was established in 2013 and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education, Economy and Research. More about BBMRI.at.
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Areas of expertise
Quality & data management: Developing/implementing ISO/CEN (pre-analytics) standards; QM cross-audits; Training/webinars; High-capacity tissue slide digitalisation (whole-slide-imaging) & AI; Bio bank-Editor; Trusted data environment/access model; Data quality; BSL-3 facility & high-risk pathogen-containing material.
Stakeholder & user engagement: BBMRI.at Legal Knowledge-Base & Helpdesk, Public engagement(e.g., Long Night of Research, biobank tours, children’s courses); Education/training (e.g., QM, standards & IVDR; biobanking (MSc, courses)); Industry cooperation.
Non-human & green biobanking: Veterinary/animal
biobanking for comparative medicine/One-Health;
Green biobanking & environmental sustainability;
Non-human biobanking (QM, ELSI).
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Achievements
Harmonisation & standardisation: Leading “ISO 18701 human specimens – microbiome DNA”; ISO 24051-2 “Digital pathology & AI-based image analysis” development; QM cross-audits on ISO-20387; Organising QM course on ISO-21899; Operation of BBMRI.at Legal Helpdesk & Knowledge Base supporting part ners; ELSI harmonisation; Co-leading the Austrian Cohort Initiative as platform for research groups with cohorts.
Data management: Development of technical specification for BBMRI.at Biobank Data Communication Platform “trusted environment for patient/research data” in EvolveBBMRI; complementing biobank sam ples with digital whole slide images (WSI).
Stakeholder / user information and engagement: Co-leading 4 strategic objectives of BBMRI-ERIC’s WP25-27; Multiple grants and industry collaborations; Awareness raising on veterinary biobanks’ potential for comparative medicine/One Heath, and on green biobanking; Contribution to SCIBIOEU’s Biobanking Adventure Game and eCourse; Multimedia stories at World Patient Safety Day and One Health Day; Several dissemination and communication; Scientific publica tions with biobank/BBMRI.at contributions.
Achievements linked to calendar year 2025
✉️ Coordinating PI: Gregor Gorkiewicz, gregor.gorkiewicz@medunigraz.at
✉️ National Node Director: Helmuth Haslacher, helmuth.haslacher@meduniwien.ac.at
✉️ Executive Manager & central contact point: Cornelia Stumptner cornelia.stumptner@medunigraz.at
🔗 Web: https://bbmri.at/