General Data Protection Notice

4.1. Data Protection When Using Our Website

Processed Personal Data

During your visit to our website, we collect the following data:

• Date and time of accessing a page on our website
• IP address
• Name and version of the web browser
• Website (URL) visited prior to accessing our website
• Information provided by you as a user and/or customer (e.g., within the framework of an inquiry in contact forms)

Your data is not used to personally identify you. If the processing of your personal data is not necessary for the fulfillment of obligations arising from a contract with you, there is no obligation to provide the data that we request on our website.

Purpose of Processing

We process your personal data for the following purposes:

• Provision of the website
• Continuous improvement and development of the website
• Generation of user statistics
• Detection and prevention of attacks on our website

Legal Basis of Processing

The processing of your data is based on our predominant legitimate interest in achieving the aforementioned purposes.

Cookies

A cookie is a text file that can be stored on your computer when you visit a website. Cookies cannot access, read or modify any other data on your computer. We use cookies to optimize our marketing activities.

Technically necessary cookies are required for basic website functions. We use them in the legitimate interest of providing a user-friendly website. You cannot deactivate this type of cookie.

Functional cookies ensure the performance of a website. They are used to provide you with additional functions on our website and to make our offering more user-friendly. For example, to make it easier for you to navigate our website and/or to save your preferences and settings when you visit the website again.

You can block cookies (except for necessary cookies) or delete them if they have already been stored. You can find more information using the “Help” function of your browser. Please note that blocking cookies may affect the user experience of the website.

We use the LinkedIn Insight Tag on our website. The LinkedIn Insight Tag uses browser cookies to collect data on our website. By using the LinkedIn Insight tag, data can be sent to LinkedIn and processed there.

Personal data processed by the LinkedIn Insight Tag

• Page activities (e.g. click behavior, navigation behavior, access duration)
• URL and referrer URL
• IP address
• Device and browser properties
• Timestamp, job title, career level, company size, location, employer and industry, if you are an active LinkedIn member

The LinkedIn Insight Tag enables us and LinkedIn to recognize when you have reached our website via a LinkedIn ad. The IP addresses are truncated or hashed. This allows your behavior to be tracked after you have clicked on an ad on LinkedIn.

Purpose of the processing

We use the LinkedIn Insight Tag for statistical and market research purposes and to optimize future advertising measures. By using the LinkedIn Insight Tag, we can better customize our offer to your interests. Please also note LinkedIn’s cookie policy.

Legal basis of the processing

We only process your data in connection with the LinkedIn Insight Tag if you have given us your consent to do so in the cookie banner (pop-up).

Duration of the processing

We remove direct identifiers through the LinkedIn Insight Tag within seven days of identification.

Web Analytics Tools

Our website uses “Matomo” for reach and usage analysis. We use “Matomo” in no-cookie mode, which means that no so-called “cookies” are stored on your computer and transmitted to the server for the purpose of reach and usage analysis.

Links

Please note that this privacy information only applies to services directly offered by us. It does not apply to links that we provide on our website. When using these links, the privacy policies of the linked websites’ providers (e.g., YouTube) apply.

4.2. Data Protection Regarding Newsletter Subscription

Processed personal data

If you subscribe to our newsletter, we process the following personal data:

• First and last name
• Email address
• Company affiliation (if you provide us with this information)
• Date and time of subscription
• IP address

We process your personal data in connection with your newsletter subscription until you revoke your consent to receive the newsletter.

Purpose of processing

We send our newsletter to inform you about interesting news (research projects and content, events, etc.).

Legal basis for processing

You will only receive a newsletter from us if you have given your consent to receive it. You can revoke your consent to receive the newsletter at any time by using the unsubscribe link in your newsletter profile.

4.3. Data Protection Regarding Contact Inquiries

Processed personal data

If you submit a contact inquiry to us, we process the personal data you provide, which typically includes:

• First and last name
• Address
• Email address
• Title (prefix or suffix)
• Phone number
• Company affiliation
• Other content of your inquiry

Purpose of processing

We process your personal data in the context of contact inquiries to be able to respond to your inquiries.

Legal basis for processing

The processing of your personal data is based on your consent, which you give us by submitting your inquiry.

4.4. Data protection Regarding our AIlevator program

Processed personal data

We process the following personal data as part of our AIlevator project:

• First and last name
• Email address
• Telephone number (if you provide us with this information)
• Company affiliation
• Position in the company (if you provide us with this information)
• Date of registration

We will process your personal data in connection with your AIlevator account until you withdraw your consent to this data processing.

Purpose of processing

Through our website, you can send us proposals for collaboration or specific project requests in the course of the AIlevator project. We use your personal data as part of the AIlevator project to contact you and to identify potential joint projects.

Legal basis for processing

We only process your personal data within the AIlevator project if you have registered for this project on our website. You can withdraw your consent at any time by emailing marketing@know-center.at.

4.5. Data Protection During Contract Initiation and Conclusion

Processed personal data

When initiating and concluding a contract with us, we store the following personal data:

• Contact details (name, address, email address)
• Position in the company
• Bank details
• Contractual data

We transmit your personal data to banks/payment service providers, tax consultants, and, within the scope of funded projects, to our funding agencies, if the transmission of your data is necessary to ensure the proper use of the funding. Transmission takes place to recipients in Austria and the EU.

Purpose of processing

The purpose of data processing is the fulfillment of pre-contractual obligations, contract processing, and the fulfillment of any reporting obligations in the field of funding.

Legal basis for processing

The legal bases for data processing are our legitimate interest in the successful processing of the contract and our reporting obligations. If you do not provide us with the mentioned information, no contract can be concluded.

Direct advertising

We will also use your contact details to send you information about our services and invitations to events. You can object to this processing of your data for the purpose of direct advertising, which we carry out until the termination of the contract, at any time and without stating reasons by sending an email to office@know-center.at. Your objection does not affect the processing of the contractual relationship with us in any way and does not affect the legality of the processing carried out up to that point.

4.6. Data Protection Regarding Applications

Processed personal data

In the context of applications, we process the following personal data:

• First and last name
• Contact details
• Date of birth
• Data from your resume and other application documents provided (certificates, etc.), as well as information you provide during an application interview

Your personal data transmitted in the course of your application will be made accessible to the relevant positions within our organization, which are also obliged to maintain confidentiality. This includes our external payroll accounting and tax consulting, if required for the application process and for registration with social security.

Your personal data transmitted in the course of your application will be stored for a maximum of seven calendar months from the receipt of your application. After that, it will be deleted. A longer retention period and keeping evidence can only be done with your explicit consent.

Purpose of processing

We assure you that your personal data transmitted to us during the application process will be treated confidentially and used only for the purpose of processing the application and, if applicable, transferring it to the personnel file.

Legal basis for processing

The legal basis for processing is the fulfillment of pre-contractual obligations and, in the case of employment, the fulfillment of associated legal obligations (e.g., registration with social security).

4.7. Data Protection when using our whistleblower system

In implementation of the Hinweisgeberschutzgesetz (HSchG), we operate a whistleblower system to process concerns regarding certain legal violations and clarify misconduct. As part of this whistleblower system, not only our employees, but also customers and suppliers, among others, can report misconduct they perceive and thus contribute to compliance with our compliance regulations.

We use an external whistleblowing system. On our behalf, the

IT-Kommunal GmbH,
Pius-Parsch-Platz 9/14,
1210 Vienna operates the i-Inform whistleblowing system.

Your personal data and information are stored in encrypted and password-protected form in a database operated by IT-Kommunal GmbH in a high-security data center. Access to this data is only possible for a small group of expressly authorized employees of Know Center Research GmbH. The operators (IT-Kommunal GmbH) and other third parties have no access to your data. This is guaranteed by comprehensive technical and organizational measures.

Processed personal data

While reporting concerns, personal data of employees or other persons associated with us may be processed. This includes, for example

• Identification data (e.g. first name, surname)
• Contact data (e.g. email address, telephone number)
• Job-related data (e.g. company affiliation)
• Function and position in the company
• Information on violations/misconduct
• Other data disclosed in your report
• Data on follow-up measures including their results

Communication between your computer and the whistleblowing system is encrypted via an SSL connection. The IP address of your computer is not saved while you are using the whistleblowing system.

Notifications may also contain special categories of data (racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, health data, data concerning sex life or sexual orientation). We only process this data if we have your expressively consent for processing it or if the processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims.

Your data will only be made accessible to our compliance team, which has expressly undertaken to maintain confidentiality. If there is reasonable suspicion of misconduct on your part and an investigation is initiated against you, we will inform you of this process, provided that this does not jeopardize the investigation.

If necessary for the purpose of conducting investigations, we will forward your personal data to authorities, courts or third parties (e.g. financial experts and lawyers).

Your personal data will be anonymized or deleted after expiry of the statutory retention period or as soon as the purpose we are pursuing has been achieved.

You can make your reports anonymously. Please note that an anonymous report can make our investigations more difficult. If you provide us with personal data, this is done based on your consent. This consent can be revoked at any time. In the event of revocation, we will delete your data with effect from receipt of the revocation.

Purpose of the processing

We process your data to be able to clarify possible misconduct and, if necessary, to pursue legal claims and for legal defense.

Legal basis for processing

The legal basis for the operation of the whistleblower system is the legal obligation to operate a whistleblower system and (outside the scope of the HSchG) our legitimate interest in clarifying the reported concerns.

Your rights as a data subject (see section 7) may be restricted if ongoing investigations are jeopardized by their exercise. For example, you do not have the right to information, access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, objection and notification of a personal data breach if this is necessary to protect the identity of whistleblowers or for the purpose of taking follow-up action under our whistleblower system.

4.8. Data Protection at Events

Processed personal data

In the context of our events, we reserve the right to take photographs and videos as well as maintain visitor lists. For this purpose, we process the following personal data:

• Photographs and videos
• First and last name
• Title
• Email address
• Affiliation with a company
• Position in the company

We publish your photos in print and online media (including LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.). You always have the right to reject individual photos and request their deletion. Please note that it is not possible to obscure images in already issued print media. Deletion from online media will be done within the technical capabilities.

Purpose of processing

As a funded COMET center, we are obliged to report transparently on our activities and initiatives as part of the COMET reporting system. The photos and videos taken during our events are used to fulfil this obligation as well as to present our activities and for marketing purposes.

Legal basis for processing

The legal basis for processing is our legitimate interest in fulfilling the aforementioned reporting and marketing purposes.