The Federal Institute of Agricultural Economics, Rural and Mountain Research (BAB) is a research unit affiliated to the Austrian Ministry of Sustainability and Tourism (BMNT) targeted at analysis of agricultural economic issues, rural and mountain development research. Within its socio-economic research perspective, it has a particular focus on the assessment of the impacts of rural and regional policies on mountain and other less-favored areas. The institute comprises a staff of 38 persons, including senior researchers of various scientific backgrounds (macroeconomics, regional development, agricultural economics, and sociology).
Lisa Bauchinger
Lisa Bauchinger graduated from the University of Vienna with a Master degree in human geography and from the University of Natural Resources and Life Science, Vienna, with a bachelor degree in Environmental Science. She is a junior researcher at the BAB and participates in several national and international projects in the area of rural and regional development.
Dr. Thomas Dax
Thomas is senior researcher and deputy director of the Federal Institute of Agricultural Economics, Rural and Mountain Research in Austria. His main research expertise is on mountain development and rural policy where he collaborated since more than two decades in European and international research. He is promoting research cooperation on rural change and mountain policy assessment at the international scale and is member in numerous international working groups, including a long-time participation in the OECD Working Party on Rural Policy and the Working Party on Territorial Indicators.
Dr. Ingrid Machold
Ingrid graduated from the University of Vienna with a PhD in sociology. She is a senior researcher at the BAB and has long standing experience in collaborating in European research with a special emphasis in rural sociology, rural and regional development issues with a focus on demographic change, migration, social diversity, provision of public services, governance and regional resilience. These topics are analysed primarily in their regional differentiation and in the context of mountain areas, remote or less favoured areas.