Document background
A Letter of Intent for Research Collaboration is typically used in the initial stages of establishing a research partnership, when parties have identified mutual interests but need to formalize their intentions before developing a comprehensive agreement. This document is particularly relevant in the Austrian research landscape, where collaborations between academic institutions, research organizations, and industrial partners are common and governed by specific regulatory frameworks. The LOI serves to outline the proposed scope of collaboration, basic terms, and next steps while maintaining confidentiality. It's especially useful for complex research projects where detailed agreements may take time to negotiate, providing a structured framework for further discussions while clearly establishing the non-binding nature of most provisions. Under Austrian law, while the LOI itself is generally non-binding, certain provisions such as confidentiality and exclusivity can be made explicitly binding.
