Highlight projects
Here you can find all highlight projects of the past years
Working together in Europe
From Reykjavik to Naples and from Tarragona to Copenhagen: The partners of the University of Innsbruck in the European Universities Network Aurora jointly implement a wide range of collaborations in the areas of teaching, research, third mission and administration. In particular, mobility programmes are supported at all levels. In 2024, various funding programmes were established for the first time to strengthen research cooperation. This involves supporting research stays of up to three months by early career researchers at an Aurora partner university. The University of Innsbruck was particularly interested in this programme. Thanks to the support of the funding organisation, more young researchers now have the opportunity to take part in such a research stay. In this way, the funding organisation makes an important contribution to the European networking of young scientists.
Together against cybercrime
Masarah Paquet-Clouston heads the EconCrimeLab, a research centre at the University of Montreal that focuses on detecting and understanding profit-driven crime. Her interdisciplinary training in criminology and Computer Science gives her unique access to this field. As a visiting professor, she introduces students at the University of Innsbruck to the quantitative methods of cyber criminology. Together with scientists at the Department of Computer Science, she develops strategies to better prevent cybercrime and protect users.
Rethinking spaces
The renowned architect and innovator Tom Kovac is coming to the University of Innsbruck as a visiting professor with the support of the Förderkreis. His expertise in the field of sustainable construction and digital architecture will provide students with valuable insights and practical knowledge. An exciting highlight will be the Innsbruck students' participation in the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale 2025, accompanied by Tom Kovac and Marjan Colletti.
Digital further education
In future, the University of Innsbruck will offer further education programmes to students who are already in employment and want to switch to a role with an IT or data focus. With generous financial support from the Förderkreis, a team led by Ruth Breu is developing a well-founded, application-oriented further education programme to build up skills in the field of software development and data engineering. The programme is aimed specifically at women who would like to develop their IT skills through further training. The university will develop this further education programme in close cooperation with companies, thereby closing a gap in the regional education landscape. The modular training programme will use the latest didactic methods and digitally supported teaching management.
Digital sharpening
A new measurement method suppresses typical interference signals on image sensors and increases analytical precision compared to conventional analyses. With the support of the funding organisation, a team at the Department of Geology is further developing this method, which has already been successfully used in X-ray fluorescence analysis, for hyperspectral imaging processes. Typical areas of application for this can be found in mining, agriculture, medical imaging and industrial quality control.
Digital reading
Automated book scanners help archives and libraries to digitise entire collections in a short space of time. A team at the Department of German Studies is developing a multifunctional book cradle that is of great importance for scanning bound books and documents. It aligns the book optimally for scanning the page and is controlled by a 3D camera. The 3D data will later also form the basis for "smoothing out" unavoidable distortions caused by curled paper and the book fold.
Promoting bee health
Honey bees play an indispensable role in the ecological balance. However, changing environmental conditions are putting bee colonies under increasing pressure. Particularly alarming is the high mortality rate in winter, when beekeepers lose up to a third of their colonies every year. At the Department of Zoology, Stefanie Jäger and Thorsten Schwerte's team are developing a new, passively highly insulated brood chamber frame with zero energy standard and integrated ventilation system with financial support from the Förderkreis to improve the bees' chances of survival in the cold season. The inner shell is made of bee-friendly material, while the outer shell is extremely weatherproof, highly insulating and predominantly made of highly technical materials.
Reducing battery waste
The energy transition means that energy storage systems are becoming increasingly important. In the energy storage methods commonly used today, the individual battery cells are not loaded evenly, which can lead to different states of charge. However, batteries are only as strong as their weakest cell. They therefore often have to be replaced early. Cell equalisation techniques developed by the electrical engineering department and the monitoring of cell wear can extend the service life and use of battery cells.
Disposing of greenhouse gas
A team at the Department of General and Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry is developing a globally applicable disposal method for the problematic substance sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), the strongest known greenhouse gas. In addition to applications in metallurgy and medical technology, SF6 is primarily used as an insulating and arc extinguishing gas in electrical power engineering. Due to the F-Gas Regulation laid down by the EU, which bans the use of SF6 in energy technology by 2032, its disposal is becoming increasingly urgent.
Braking robots efficiently
Electric drives can recover energy when braking. This is already standard in electromobility, but is still little used in mobile robotics. In many production facilities, autonomous robot systems are used individually and in swarms. In addition to the braking energy of the mobile platform, energy can also be collected when the robot arms slow down. Supercapacitors are used for this because batteries lose their service life due to constant recharging.
With the support of the funding organisation, mechatronics engineers have developed a module that uses batteries and supercapacitors as a power supply and combines the advantages of both systems. The idea has already been registered as an invention and is now being further developed in an FFG project together with the companies Infineon and Kuka.
Tutoring through a learning programme
The demand for specialists in mathematics, Computer Science, natural sciences and technology will remain high in the future. To make the transition from school to university easier, the University of Innsbruck is introducing a digital practice platform for first-year students in these subjects with the support of the Förderkreis. The new platform provides students with automated, individualised feedback on their attempted solutions.
In this way, the learning programme picks up students where they are with their knowledge and guides them directly or with impulses for further work to solve their tasks.
Creative partner for architecture
Artificial intelligence is currently being trialled and introduced as a new tool in many areas of work and life. Architecture can also benefit from the support of AI. At the Department of Experimental Architecture, two- and three-dimensional AI models are being incorporated into the design process of buildings and objects as creative cooperation partners with the support of the funding organisation.
Students are already being introduced to these new design and production methods and are learning about a new dimension of the architecture of the future.
Digital cancer maps
Tissue samples play a major role in the prognosis and treatment of tumour patients. Recent research has shown that by analysing the spatial distribution of gene expression in tumour samples, insights can be gained into the progression of the disease. The Department of Molecular Biology, together with the Department of Computer Science and the Digital Science Center at the University of Innsbruck, is now combining deep learning and systems biology methods for tumour analysis.
The researchers want to use innovative software solutions to shed new light on spatial patterns and their impact on the prognosis and response to cancer therapy.
Prevent high blood pressure
Smoking, a poor diet and little exercise increase the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and high cholesterol levels. Deposits in the arteries and cardiovascular disease are the result. Scientists from the Physiology working group at the Department of Sport Science are developing therapeutic warming cuffs that increase blood flow and shear forces in the arteries. This allows pathological changes in the blood vessels to be prevented and treated without the need for medical intervention.
With the support of the funding group, the researchers are now producing an optimised prototype of this therapeutic warming cuff, for which the University of Innsbruck would then like to apply for a patent as soon as possible.
Customised solutions
Individualised solutions are often necessary for the self-determined participation of people with disabilities in society. In close dialogue with people with disabilities, Bachelor's students of mechatronics, with the support of the Förderkreis, develop needs-based and individual approaches to simplify the everyday lives of these people.
As part of three-month internships, the students realise their solutions as prototypes and thus acquire skills in engineering product development with practical problems.
Organic beams for the new house
Wood is an attractive building material, but is also in short supply due to demand. Engineers from the Material Technology Unit combine wooden elements with other sustainable building materials such as hemp and use them to create biobalks, statically load-bearing and thermally insulating wall structures. An easy-to-use system enables the elements to be assembled quickly.
The prototype is being developed and tested with the support of the funding organisation. Preliminary tests at the research farm in Imst have shown that hemp is an easy to extract and soil-friendly building material.
Finding and evaluating microplastics
Plastic residues can be found almost everywhere today, in the soil, in the water, in the ice of the Antarctic. However, it is not easy to determine the type and degree of pollution. A team from the Institute of Analytical Chemistry has now developed a method that can be used to analyse and objectively assess microplastics. In doing so, they are creating an important technical prerequisite for the expected regulation by the EU.
With the support of the Förderkreis, the scientists are now setting up the first commercial laboratory for analysing microplastics in the environment.
Peaceful coexistence
Diversity and successful conflict transformation are the foundations for peaceful coexistence.
The Förderkreis supports the visiting professorship of two internationally renowned researchers in this field at the University of Innsbruck:
The historian Tiffany N. Florvil is one of the leading academics in the field of intersectional gender studies and black studies.
Ahmet Sözen is an internationally renowned peace researcher who has been and continues to be active as a negotiator and mediator in a number of diplomatic initiatives. He was a member of the Turkish-Cypriot negotiating committee during the Cyprus negotiations.
Intelligent textiles measure the pulse
Sensors built into clothing can help to continuously monitor a person's state of health. The Institute of Textile Chemistry and Textile Physics and the Department of Microelectronics and Implantable Systems have developed a textile-based sensor that can automatically measure heart rate.
The team led by electronics engineer Thomas Ußmüller from the Department of Mechatronics has now developed a battery-free sensor for heart rate measurement based on this innovative measuring electrode. The basis for this is a passive RFID chip designed in Innsbruck, which utilises the energy of the reader to send the data to the receiver. The trick is that the built-in electronics are so energy-efficient that the energy collected via the air is sufficient for data transfer.
Medical sensors such as the new heart rate monitor, which is woven into textiles, can be operated without the need for batteries or cables, thus making an important contribution to health management.
Analysing biologicals more quickly
Drugs produced using biotechnology and genetically modified organisms are among the growing business areas of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. During development, biomolecules that are to be used as active ingredients in humans must be analysed precisely, quickly and cost-effectively in the laboratory.
A team led by Tobias Rainer from the Department of Organic Chemistry is developing miniaturised flow reactors that can be used to analyse biomolecules fully automatically using mass spectrometry. They can help to identify potential active substances more quickly and bring new drugs to market faster.
Natural adhesive for medicine
Nature has found very efficient solutions to allow living organisms to adhere to surfaces. Scientists at the Department of Zoology want to copy this idea and develop a natural adhesive that adheres well in humid and wet environments and can also be released again.
They are taking their biological inspiration from free-living flatworms, which have the outstanding ability to stick very firmly to any surface and then let go again. The newly developed adhesive will work on and inside the human body and will be of particular interest during operations.
Understanding climate change better
The weather and climate models were developed for flat land. However, mountains influence air currents and thus change the weather. Meteorologists are therefore endeavouring to better understand the effects of mountains and to depict them in the models.
The Tyrolean Inn Valley and the surrounding regions are an ideal place to study these phenomena in detail. In a broad measurement campaign coordinated by Mathias Rotach, international research teams will carry out extensive measurements here in 2024 and 2025 using various methods.
The results can be used to improve the weather and climate models that form the basis for predicting natural disasters. These models also make it possible to properly prepare for the climatic changes that we will be facing in the coming years.
Cost-effective ventilation control
Buildings are still major energy consumers. In times of energy crisis, energy-efficient solutions are therefore particularly in demand.
At the Department of Structural Engineering and Material Sciences, a team led by Rainer Pfluger is developing an ultra-modern and cost-effective ventilation controller that works with a rotating impeller rather than a motorised adjustable damper blade. This builds up the pressure drop by braking the rotor and at the same time provides the energy for the controller. The controller is controlled by radio, which eliminates the need for complex cabling.
New improved snow sensors
The mountains bind important water resources and secure the water supply in the valley. The precise determination of the quantities of water available there enables better planning of the water supply. Until now, however, it has only been possible to measure water reserves at certain points.
In recent years, a research team led by Paul Schattan has provided scientific proof that a new method can be used to survey larger areas with a high degree of accuracy. This involves measuring the reflection of neutrons that fall on the snow fields from space. This method is now being refined and made marketable
Changing mobility behaviour
The way we travel will change massively over the next few years. New technologies and the looming climate catastrophe are forcing us to rethink our behaviour. Autonomous driving, electric vehicles and car sharing can significantly reduce the number of cars on the road. A breakthrough for these technologies requires good coordination between these areas.
A study by Oliver Koll's team from the Department of Strategic Management, Marketing and Tourism shows that there is broad agreement on the social and environmental contribution that autonomous driving, e-vehicles and car sharing can make. However, there is still no consensus on the actual implementation and composition of these measures. The researchers identify customers as potential drivers for more rapid change. According to the scientists, they should be more involved in the development of offers in order to increase their acceptance.
The research team also believes that cities and local authorities have a key role to play. They need to start planning charging facilities and parking spaces for electric vehicles as well as rules and areas for autonomous driving now in order to be ready as soon as the technological gaps are closed.
Experimental behavioural research
Human behaviour is often difficult to understand. A new laboratory has been set up at the University of Innsbruck where researchers from a wide range of fields can track down this behaviour. Reactions can be observed in detail with the help of facial expression and skin sensors.
In learning research, for example, emotional reactions when reading texts can be documented, while in media research the user-friendliness of websites and other media offerings can be analysed. Tourism researchers will have their test subjects walk on treadmills through virtual holiday landscapes and document where their gaze lingers. Marketing experts will use the lab to examine consumer behaviour on the internet in detail
Blockchain in tourism
Holidays are one of our favourite pastimes, and the tourism industry is developing at a correspondingly dynamic pace. Robert Eller from the Department of Strategic Management, Marketing and Tourism is bringing a new driver of innovation to the industry in the form of blockchain. With an automatic blockchain system, he makes it possible to map business processes and services for several tourism organisations in an efficient and distributed manner and to store transactions in a tamper-proof, trustworthy and immediate manner. This means that services can be provided between different parties without intermediaries via a secure and trustworthy settlement.
Corona
Mental stress
Young people are in a developmental phase that makes them particularly sensitive to the effects of social change. The pandemic is causing them particular psychological stress.
A team led by psychologist Barbara Juen is accompanying students through the pandemic and using their experiences to develop concepts to support young people during the crisis.
Analysing wastewater
Right at the beginning of the pandemic, scientists led by Heribert Insam recognised that the development of infection numbers in a region can be detected very early on in wastewater treatment plants. This is because components of the virus are excreted by infected people and can be identified using genetic methods.
Together, the researchers in Austria have set up a wastewater monitoring system that facilitates the planning of containment measures. The project, which was initiated with funding from the funding organisation, has now become a publicly funded early detection system that can also be used to combat other disease outbreaks in the future.
Nightline Innsbruck
Nightline Innsbruck is a night-time telephone helpline that offers young people a sympathetic ear for all of life's big and small issues. Students can call here if they are dealing with specific positive or negative issues or simply need someone to listen to them.
The Nightline team is supported by the Förderkreis and consists of 30 students who are trained and integrated into a Europe-wide network.
Sustainability
Bee protection with dummies
In German-speaking countries, the Varroa mite is the greatest threat to honey bees. The mites weaken the bee colonies by sucking on the body fluids of the larvae and the fat deposits of adult bees. They also transmit viruses that can damage the animals.
In winter, the bees remain in their hive for several months. At temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius, they warm themselves by shivering their muscles. This consumes a lot of energy and the bees only make it through the winter weakened. An infestation with varroa mites also affects the animals and usually leads to the much-lamented bee mortality.
A team led by zoologists Stefanie Jäger and Thorsten Schwerte has now developed the prototype of a "dummy bee". It is designed to distract Varroa mites from their actual victims, reduce the number of mites in the hive and thus ensure the survival of the bees.
Novel gas disposal
The warming of the earth's atmosphere is not only driven by carbon dioxide. Numerous other gases are exacerbating climate change. These include sulphur hexafluoride, which is used in industry and medicine and is the strongest known greenhouse gas according to the World Climate Report. Although its use is now heavily regulated, it may be decades before existing plants are decommissioned.
The disposal of sulphur hexafluoride involves energy-intensive incineration and is currently only possible at a few locations in Europe. A team led by chemist Fabian Dielmann has therefore developed a prototype for the chemical decomposition of sulphur hexafluoride, which can be used to dispose of the greenhouse gas on site.
Sustainability with SUN
In autumn 2021, the Förderkreis took part in a sustainability call for proposals, the majority of which was funded by the German Foundation Fund for Environmental Economics and Sustainability (SUN Foundation). 14 scientific projects were submitted by doctoral students and post-docs, 5 of which were recommended for acceptance by the jury.
The approved applications can be implemented in 2022, including several ideas for a more careful use of resources (e.g. water and energy management) at the university itself and a project to increase sustainability awareness in social housing.
More women for tech subjects
The MINT Summer Technical Centre gives schoolgirls the opportunity to get a taste of technical and scientific subjects during the summer holidays.
This year, over 50 young women once again took advantage of this opportunity to gain impressions and experience. In addition to the summer school, the schoolgirls also completed an internship lasting several weeks in a company or at the university.
The world as a guest in Innsbruck
The Förderkreis supports the invitation of visiting professors to the University of Innsbruck. They bring international expertise in a wide range of fields to Innsbruck and exchange ideas with students and academics. It is not uncommon for joint research projects to be carried out or prepared during the stay. This intensifies international networking and promotes exchange.
In 2022, the renowned Law scholar Lisa Bernstein from Chicago Law School will be a guest in Innsbruck. Bernstein's research interests lie in the field of contract and commercial law, with a particular focus on industry-specific dispute resolution and modern supply chain relationships. She is also interested in the organisation of commercial courts in emerging and transition countries and the relationship between social structures and economic development.
Knowledge cards to collect
Collectible cards are very popular, especially among young people, from Pokémon to Yu-Gi-Oh! to Magic. A team led by young physicists Lea M. Trenkwalder, Fulvio Flamini and Hendrik Poulsen Nautrup from the Doctoral Programme Atoms, Light and Molecules has developed a new collectible card game that is attractive to a young audience and at the same time imparts knowledge.
The game is designed to get young people more interested in science and technology and bring them closer to scientific topics and issues.