About US
RTDS Association is Austria’s leading NP-SME participating in European research programmes from FP6 through to Horizon Europe, with a focus on the non-technical aspects of EU R&I project implementation.
Since FP6, RTDS has implemented ca. 40 EU R&I projects covering dissemination, exploitation & communication (DEC), data, innovation, and project management. In H2020, RTDS participated in 12 projects, acting as Coordinator in 5 of those, the majority in the circular and bioeconomy.
RTDS is clearly focused on the implementation of the EU Green Deal, strengthened by digitisation, to achieve the Twin Transition of the European economy.
We develop projects that make a difference — for organisations, society and the planet.
RTDS Group is Austria’s leading consultancy to develop, implement and manage EU funded research and innovation projects. Our goal is to enable creativity by bundling sustainability, technology and societal objectives.
The RTDS mission is to support scientists and innovators to move research and technology from the lab to the market. We complement your specific knowledge with broader socio-economic aspects required for success and eventual uptake of your results.
RTDS does not perform research. We take care of all the non-technical aspects of EU-funded research and innovation projects. The researchers focus on research, and the companies can develop their products and services. We take care of the rest. Everyone does what they are best at.
Company History
- 1996
Early days
RTDS founder Stephen Webb manages his first EU project with a Styrian SME in FP4 on IT tools to quantify industrial environmental performance. Subsequently in FP5, he begins consulting with AVL List, the world’s largest private engine developer, on vehicle emission reduction projects.
- 2003
First employees
RTDS (formally known as RTDS Services) becomes the first Austrian EU project consultancy. Based in Vienna, RTDS mainly serves universities and local companies. Its first project participation in FP6 includes launching the largest food safety standards project with €12.3 million budget.
- 2007
First recognition
RTDS expands with 15 FP7 project participations, three of which are in the role as coordinator. The Austrian Ministry of Education, Science and Research confirms RTDS as the No. 1 Austrian SME in FP7 and third in all Austrian companies behind AVL List and Infineon.
- 2014
Growth course
RTDS Group is established as two legal entities: RTDS e.U. for project development and consulting and non-profit RTDS Association for project implementation. RTDS is set to grow with extended IPR skills and exploitation as a strength. Project participation in H2020 and BBI increases year to year.
- 2020
Success confirmed
With ten H2020 project participations — with five as coordinator, and eight as Work Package leader for DEC — RTDS is recognised as the top EU consulting company in Austria and is well known throughout Europe. RTDS coordinates the only three Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI-JU) projects led in Austria.
With Horizon Europe in sight, RTDS Group is a truly European consultancy with over 10 nationalities and eight languages spoken fluently. At this point, RTDS has developed and implemented more EU funded projects in Austria than any other SME consultancy.
- 2023
20 year Anniversary
RTDS is officially 20 years old after beginning as a start up in the INITS incubation centre, at that time in the Rudolf-Sallinger Platz in 1030 Vienna.
Times have moved on and we have taken additional office space upstairs in the Lerchengasse and the staff number has grown to over 15 to keep up with concurrent implementation of 10+ Horizon collaborative projects.
Five new Horizon projects were approved in 2023 with another seven H2020 projects still running, four as Coordinator. 2023 also saw two large, coordinated projects (SUSFERT and FNS-Cloud) being concluded and with 01.01.2024 three of the newly approved projects will be kicked off (RecAL, SAGROPIA and BIOBUILD). 2023 was a milestone year in many aspects.
What others say about us
RTDS have proven to reliable, highly informed experts in EU funding matters. I can highly recommend them as H2020 consultants and project managers, taking care of both administrative and sensitive IP issues from project conception through to implementation.
I enjoyed working with RTDS on a BBI-JU proposal which was recently approved! Their expertise in project management and EU funding were crucial to bring our project idea to life and put together a winning proposal.
RTDS have recently run two H2020 Impact Workshops with our researchers and grants office staff. Stephen, with his hands on approach, competently presents and brings to life concepts of stakeholder analysis, business models and value chains to help researchers better understand business perspectives essential for successful H2020 project proposals. Fully recommendable for higher success rates!
I have worked with RTDS for some years on EU proposals and my staff have attended their H2020 Impact workshops. Their professionalism and ability to integrate our research with industry needs was key to success in our recently approved Innovation Action. With RTDS, we have a competent partner for both Horizon proposals, training and H2020 project coordination!
RTDS delivered great support for development of the SUSFERT Horizon 2020 project. Starting with building of the consortium, filing in the proposal and coordinating the work among the partners. As a consortium member we benefit a lot from their experience and professional handling of the whole project, which was approved in May 2018.
Our areas
More than 20 Years
of Experience
We work with ambitious leaders who want their future to be successful and help them achieve extraordinary outcomes.
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Our mission
Going beyond the societal challenges of Horizon 2020, the mission-oriented research & innovation (R&I) initiatives are coined to be at the core of the next framework programme: Horizon Europe.
Transformative initiatives should address concrete societal or economic problems experienced by all stakeholders including citizens, thus mission-oriented R&I initiatives require legitimacy and endorsement by the various stakeholders.
On the other hand, research initiatives should be oriented towards faster scientific and technological impact.
Our Team
The multidisciplinary RTDS team in Vienna covers a range of technical & social sciences, engineering, IP law & business administration, marketing & innovation, journalism and public relations, as well as graphics, illustration and website design.
Dr. Stephen Webb MBA, LLM (IPR)
Stephen has degrees in engineering, business and most recently law, having completed the LL.M programme in Intellectual Property Rights at the University of Turin in 2013. He completed his PhD from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) as a researcher within a FP6 project. Commencing his first project in FP4 more than 20 years ago, Stephen is a recognised expert in EU projects, both in Austria and across Europe. He is a regular conference speaker and a Panel Vice Chair for H2020 evaluations for the European Commission.
Roxana Weiss-Anton, MSc
Roxana holds a Business Administration and Management degree from the Open University (UK), as well as a Master of Science degree in Petroleum Technology and Crude Oil Chemistry. With over 20 years of experience in project management and product development across diverse industries, she brings a strategic and results-driven approach to her work.
As CEO and Head of the Project Management Team at RTDS, Roxana spearheads the company’s strategic development, planning, and execution. She also oversees financial management, controlling, and personnel development, ensuring operational efficiency and sustainable growth.
Mag. Marianne Webb
Marianne has a degree in Sports Science and a postgraduate marketing diploma (Vienna University of Economics and Business). She has over 10 years´ experience in health and pharmaceutical management and marketing.
At RTDS she is Business Administrator focusing on strategic planning and financial management. Skilled in Sales and Marketing Management, she contributes to various dissemination activities, mainly graphic design like logos, printed materials and project identities.
Vilma BEQA, MSC, MA
Vilma holds a MA in Public Administration from Central European University and a MSc in Political Science from the University of Salzburg. She completed semesters at ELTE University (Hungary) and the Levy Economics Institute (US). Vilma is a certified Project Management Associate (IPMA) and specialized in EU Project Management at the Hochschule Burgenland.
She has performed diverse administrative, financial, and research tasks across NGOs, consultancies, and international organizations in Vienna, Budapest, Vilnius, Geneva, and Tirana. At RTDS, Vilma holds a cross-project role, supporting project control and utilizing various tools to streamline daily operations.
TIZIANA CENTOFANTI, PH.D.
Tiziana holds a PhD in Natural Sciences from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich. She is an expert in environmental pollution and sustainability, with significant experience in EU-funded projects. With over 15 years of experience, her work focuses on sustainable practices and policies to address environmental challenges and mitigate pollution.
At RTDS, she serves as a project developer and leads the company’s training team.
David Donnerer, MA
David holds a BA in Journalism and Media Management from the FH Vienna University of Applied Sciences and an MA in International Studies from Aarhus University. He also holds a CAPM certification from PMI and has +5 years of experience in working as freelance journalist for various Austrian and European media outlets. At RTDS, he is leading the company’s communication & dissemination team. He is further acting as project & communication manager in EU projects.
Juan-LUIS RODRIGUES, LLM (IPR)
Juan-Luis is a qualified Venezuelan solicitor (2009) with a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the University of Turin (2014). As a recognised expert in intellectual property, he has contributed his expertise as an invited specialist for the Horizon IP Scan project (EISMEA) and is listed as a vetted IP Due Diligence expert for the European Innovation Council (EIC).
At RTDS, he has been involved in over 25 collaborative projects since FP7, focusing on IP, innovation, and data management. His role includes ensuring effective IP management, supporting results owners in developing credible and innovative exploitation strategies, and facilitating the negotiation of Consortium Agreements, IP Strategies, and Technology Transfer Agreements.
Filoklis Pileidis, MSC
Filoklis holds a degree in Chemistry (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki) with postgraduate studies in Green Chemistry, Sustainable Industrial Technologies and Materials Sciences (University of York and Queen Mary University of London). He has over 10 years’ experience in the fields of biobased economy and biorefineries. At RTDS, he is responsible for ongoing projects in dissemination, exploitation, communication activities, project management and supports proposal writing.
Mag.phil. Ana BabiĆ, M.E.S
Ana holds Master degrees in European Affairs, in English & American Studies from the University of Vienna and is a certified IPMA project manager. Ana worked in international political affairs within the OSCE and a diplomatic mission to the OSCE and the UN. At RTDS she is involved in project management, dissemination and communication.
Nouhaila Bouhout, mA
Nouhaila holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Politics from Jacobs University and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the Central European University. She has extensive experience in managing communication and knowledge activities for innovative action projects focused on sustainable urban development, gained through her work with European funding programmes under DG REGIO, European Commission.
At RTDS, Nouhaila leads the dissemination, communication, and project management of Horizon Europe projects, ensuring impactful outreach and effective coordination. Her expertise lies in translating complex scientific research into accessible, engaging content and fostering collaboration across the EU and beyond.
Ben Leitner, MA
Ben holds a joint EuroMasters degree in Contemporary European Studies: Politics, Policy & Society from the University of Bath, Università di Siena and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin. He joined UNIDO in 2009 and worked primarily on sustainable energy projects and communications & outreach. From 2018 onwards Ben also acquired expertise in EU decision processes and in the management of EU funded projects. Ben’s main responsibilities at RTDS are dissemination and communication for EU projects.
Francine Martin, MA
Francine holds a joint Master’s degree in Global Studies from the Univ. of Vienna and the Univ. of Wroclaw, and an MBA in Foreign Trade from Fundação Getulio Vargas. She specializes in Project Management and has been involved in EC-funded projects including Erasmus+, H2020, and Horizon Europe. At RTDS, she oversees project management. Previously, she managed EU-funded international security projects, and handled dissemination, exploitation, and communication, and proposal writing activities. With over a decade of experience in the industrial sector, Francine also managed import/export processes for the steel and oil & gas industries.
jennet orayeva, mBA
Jennet is an advocacy and communications expert with over 10 years of experience in nuclear energy and climate change mitigation issues. Previously, as a Communications Consultant to UN organizations, she advised on strategizing, assessing, and overseeing diverse program aspects, ensuring adherence to the organizations’ strategic goals. She also provided advice on knowledge management and partnership development and conducted communication audits to align with organizational objectives. Jennet is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Public Governance and Management from MODUL University Vienna. At RTDS, Jennet leads dissemination and communication of EU projects.
Ana F Povh, uni.dipl.prav, LLM
Ana holds an LL.M. in Technology Law, a legal diploma from UM, and studied EU law at VU Brussel. She has been specialising on H2020/Horizon Europe projects since 2017 and became a Jean Claude Juncker “Future of Europe” laureate in 2022. At RTDS, she was FNS-Cloud project manager before assuming the role of Exploitation and Legal consultant.
Vedran Pribilovic, BA
Vedran is a digital marketing and communications specialist with over 14 years’ experience. He’s successfully completed the Google Digital Marketing and E-commerce Certificate program and is currently pursuing the Google UX Design Certificate. Holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Journalism Studies from the University of Sarajevo, Vedran previously served as the Online Communications Officer at OSCE. In this role, he effectively managed a diverse range of communications channels for the organisation.
Tristan Tiefenbacher-Bath, MA
Tristan holds a degree in Media from Goldsmiths College, University of London and recently completed a Master’s degree in Public Policy at Central European University in Vienna. He has more than a decade’s experience in a diverse range of communications fields, including riverine conservation, communications consulting, journalism, and online marketing. His responsibilities at RTDS cover dissemination, exploitation, and communication activities for EU-funded research projects.