# R&D Compass for funding agencies and ministries R&D Compass is a proof of concept by LETO SPACE that makes the research projects published by Austria's research promotion agency FFG searchable. It combines a project catalogue, analytics and an AI chat over more than 7,500 projects with a funding start from 2013. It shows funding agencies and ministries what a searchable research portfolio can look like. ## What R\&D Compass shows R\&D Compass covers exclusively R\&D projects funded by FFG, from space and mobility to energy, digitalisation and life sciences. The site lists more than 7,500 research projects, more than 7,200 organisations and more than 100 funding programmes. It offers five tools, each after sign-in: - **Project catalogue:** search all projects and filter them by topic, technology, organisation and more. - **AI chat:** ask questions in plain language about projects, technologies and research results. - **Funding calls:** see current FFG calls and funding programmes. - **Project comparison:** set several projects side by side and compare their objectives, technologies, results and organisations. - **Analytics:** follow portfolio trends and research results in interactive charts and indicators. The data come from FFG's public project database, which R\&D Compass reconciles every night, and from the calls FFG publishes. For individual projects it adds evidence found on the web, each with its source and date. **Figure:** R\&D Compass project catalogue **Figure:** R\&D Compass analytics dashboard [Explore R\&D Compass](https://rnd-compass.leto.space/en) ## What the data cover, and what they do not R\&D Compass shows the projects that FFG publishes. That is not FFG's full portfolio, so its figures differ from FFG's official statistics. **Figure:** What R\&D Compass contains, and what it leaves out. Funding amounts per project are missing because FFG does not publish them, and other Austrian funding bodies, such as FWF and aws, are not covered. For official figures on these points, see FFG: it publishes them in its annual report. ## How we can help What does a funded portfolio contain, and which evidence can support programme design? R\&D Compass shows one way to answer these questions for FFG's published projects. If your programmes are funded through FFG, book an initial call and we show you what R\&D Compass contains for them. - [Our consulting](https://leto.space/consulting/): How we take an organisation from a first question to a solution in operation. - [Cities and regions](https://leto.space/cities-and-regions/): Satellite data for climate, planning and environmental tasks. - [Our products](https://leto.space/products/): Spacegraph, R\&D Compass and LETO Academy. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does R&D Compass contain? It contains the R\&D projects that FFG, Austria's research promotion agency, publishes in its project database, with a funding start from 2013. On 6 October 2026 it counted 7,953 projects. For each project it shows the title, funding period, programme, participating organisations and a short description, and it lists current FFG calls. ### Where do the data come from? From FFG's public project database (projekte.ffg.at), which R\&D Compass reconciles every night, and from the calls on ffg.at, reconciled daily. For individual projects it adds publicly findable evidence from the web, each with its source and date. ### Is R&D Compass a finished product? No. R\&D Compass is live as a proof of concept, and the site labels it as one. ### Who can use R&D Compass? The site is built for researchers, policymakers and industry professionals. All five tools, from the project catalogue to the analytics, require you to sign in. ### How are chat conversations handled? R\&D Compass runs on servers in Falkenstein, Germany. The chat uses Microsoft's Azure OpenAI within the EU data zone. Chat histories are deleted 365 days after the last activity, and administrators at LETO SPACE can read them for quality assurance. Page: