Supply Chain Intelligence Institute Austria – ASCII

What Supply Chain Intelligence Institute Austria – ASCII does

ASCII (Supply Chain Intelligence Institute Austria) is a Vienna-based non-profit research association (Verein) founded in 2023 as a joint venture by four Austrian institutions: the Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO), the Complexity Science Hub (CSH), the Logistikum of FH Oberösterreich, and the Verein Netzwerk Logistik (VNL). The institute produces evidence-based analysis of global value chains, strategic dependencies, and supply chain vulnerabilities for Austrian and European policymakers, government ministries, and industry stakeholders. Its core technical platform centers on the Austrian Supply Chain Pressure Index (ASCPI), a monthly dashboard that fuses ten indicators (five from Austrian company surveys, five from global transportation cost data) to quantify supply-side bottlenecks, supported by AI/ML methods including NLP on news and web data, network science for supply chain reconstruction, predictive analytics, and Kalman filter modeling for crisis scenario simulation.

The institute's offerings extend beyond the ASCPI to a portfolio of interactive supply chain dashboards, commissioned policy studies (covering critical raw materials, oil pipeline dependencies, China competition effects, and defense value chains), and peer-reviewed scientific publications. Revenue is generated exclusively through research grants, government commissioned studies (notably from the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, the Oesterreichische Nationalbank, and the State of Upper Austria), and contributions from its four founding partners — there is no commercial product pricing model. The institute is governed by a board drawn from the founding organizations, with Peter Klimek serving as Director, Klaus Friesenbichler and Markus Gerschberger as Deputy Directors, and Charlotte Hofer as Executive Assistant; Gabriel Felbermayr (WIFO Director) serves as President, with Stefan Thurner and Franz Staberhofer as Vice Presidents. ASCII pursues an event- and community-driven go-to-market model, engaging decision-makers through expert dialogues, policy briefs, monthly newsletters, and active LinkedIn dissemination.

Name

Supply Chain Intelligence Institute Austria – ASCII

Legal name

Supply Chain Intelligence Institute Austria (ASCII) – Verein zur Erforschung und Nutzbarmachung von Lieferkettendaten

Website

https://ascii.ac.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ASCII is a Vienna-based non-profit research institute founded in 2023 by WIFO, Complexity Science Hub, Logistikum, and VNL that provides data-driven analysis of supply chain dependencies, strategic vulnerabilities, and resilience for Austrian and European policymakers, ministries, and industry stakeholders via the ASCPI dashboard and commissioned policy research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Research funding and grants: ASCII operates as a research joint venture funded through founding organizations including WIFO, Complexity Science Hub, Logistikum FH Oberösterreich, and Verein Netzwerk Logistik. The institute conducts commissioned research for government bodies such as the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK) and regional governments.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ASCII is a non-profit research institute that conducts interdisciplinary, data-driven analysis of supply chains, production networks, and economic dependencies. Its flagship offering is the Austrian Supply Chain Pressure Index (ASCPI) dashboard, complemented by scientific publications, policy briefs, commissioned research, and expert dialogues that translate complex supply chain data into evidence-based recommendations for policymakers and industry.

Product overview

ASCII is a research institute offering a unified platform of data-driven analytical tools centered around the Austrian Supply Chain Pressure Index (ASCPI) dashboard and scientific research services. The core offering consists of the ASCPI monitoring tool, interactive supply chain dashboards, and data-driven analytical tools using AI/machine learning, network science, and economics. The institute also publishes peer-reviewed scientific journals and policy briefs to provide evidence-based recommendations for supply chain resilience and strategic dependency management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Austrian Supply Chain Pressure Index (ASCPI) A monthly-updated index that quantifies and analyzes supply bottlenecks affecting the Austrian economy. Combines 10 indicators (5 from Austrian company surveys, 5 global transportation cost indicators) into a single summary measure of supply chain stress for policymakers, researchers, and industry.
• Supply Chain Dashboards

Quantifiable outcome

• Analysis of 1.7 million+ aid projects and trade flows across 200 countries identifying systematic correlations between development aid and raw material trade interests
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Complexity Science Hub (CSH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Founding partner and key collaborator in joint research on supply chain resilience, complexity science applications, and network analysis. CSH provides interdisciplinary expertise and research infrastructure. ASCII researchers work closely with CSH on projects including the Austrian Supply Chain Pressure Index and crisis scenario modeling.
• WIFO (Österreichisches Wirtschaftsforschungsinstitut / Austrian Institute of Economic Research)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Founding partner and primary research collaborator. WIFO contributes economists and industry expertise to ASCII's supply chain research. Gabriel Felbermayr serves as Director of WIFO and President of ASCII. Multiple WIFO researchers are affiliated with ASCII.
• Logistikum der Fachhochschule OberösterreichcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Founding partner contributing logistics and supply chain management expertise. Franz Staberhofer serves as Vice President of ASCII and heads the Logistikum Competence Center. Multiple Logistikum researchers are affiliated with ASCII.
• Verein Netzwerk Logistik (VNL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Founding partner representing the Austrian logistics network. Veit Kohnhauser serves as Board Secretary of ASCII and Managing Director of VNL GmbH. Bernd Winter serves as VNL network manager and press spokesperson.
• KONTEXT InstitutminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partnership on critical raw materials and circular economy. Joint study 'Rohstoffversorgung unter Druck – Kreislaufwirtschaft als Ausweg' analyzed dependencies on critical raw materials for Europe and Austria.
• Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of high-level expert dialogue events. Governor Martin Kocher participates in ASCII events. Joint organization of the ASCII Strategic Expert Dialogue on Economic Dependencies in July 2026.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• WIFO (Austrian Institute of Economic Research): Founding partner of ASCII and Austria's leading economic research institute, providing economists and industry expertise for supply chain research. Closely comparable as a government-adjacent economic policy research organization publishing evidence-based analysis for Austrian policymakers.
• Bruegel: European economic think tank producing independent research on EU economic policy, supply chains, and industrial strategy. Closely comparable in mission, audience (EU policymakers), and evidence-based output style to ASCII.
• DIW Berlin (German Institute for Economic Research): German economic research institute producing policy-relevant analysis on industrial policy, trade, and economic resilience. Comparable as a publicly funded think tank publishing evidence-based briefs for government and industry.
• Interos: AI-driven supply chain intelligence and risk management platform that maps multi-tier supplier networks and monitors disruptions. Closely comparable product offering to ASCII's supply network mapping and crisis scenario modeling, although commercial rather than policy-oriented.
• Resilinc: Commercial supply chain risk intelligence and mapping platform serving multinational manufacturers. Comparable in offering (supply chain visibility, disruption monitoring, supplier mapping) but operates as a for-profit SaaS company rather than a non-profit research institute.
• ifo Institute (Leibniz Institute for Economic Research): Germany's leading economic research institute providing policy advice, indices, and surveys (e.g., ifo Business Climate Index). Directly comparable to ASCII as a European economic research institute publishing regular indices for policymakers and industry.
• RAND Corporation: Global non-profit policy research institution producing independent, evidence-based research for governments. Comparable as a multi-disciplinary research organization that combines deep academic expertise with direct policy engagement and public-interest outputs.
• KONTEXT Institut: Collaborative research partner of ASCII, co-authoring studies on critical raw materials and circular economy. A directly comparable small research outfit conducting policy-relevant supply-chain and resource analysis for Austrian and European stakeholders.
• Complexity Science Hub (CSH): Founding partner of ASCII and a Vienna-based research organization applying complexity science, network science, and data science to economic and societal problems. Directly comparable on research methods, talent base, and the use of interdisciplinary teams for supply-chain and systems-level analysis.

Emerging players

• FourKites: Supply chain visibility platform offering real-time transportation and shipment tracking analytics. Comparable on supply-chain analytics capabilities but operates as a commercial SaaS platform rather than a policy-oriented research institute.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ascii-supply-chain-intelligence-institute-austria

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Supply Chain Intelligence Institute Austria – ASCII