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Launch event Long Night of Research 2024
The kick-off event for the Long Night of Research was held in Vienna on 23 April 2024 . The event began with a press conference attended by high-ranking personalities such as Federal Minister Polaschek (Federal Minister of Education, Science and Research), Federal Minister Gewessler (Federal Minister for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology) and Federal Minister Kocher (Federal Minister of Labour, Family and Youth).
An outstanding highlight of the launch event was our presentation of the INNklusion initiative by Prof. Dr Robert Weidner, Oliver Ott and Heidi Ulm, representing the team from the Chair of Production Engineering.
The INNklusion initiative is committed to an inclusive future by developing and implementing various assistance solutions together with an existing network of people with disabilities, stakeholders, experts and students. The presentation provided an insight into the project, which aims to create a barrier-free environment and actively involve people with disabilities in the research and innovation process.
Further information on the INNklusion initiative can be found at Project homepage.
What Users Like and Don’t Like About Occupational Exoskeletons: Experiences and Implications From a Focus Group Study
A new research paper titled “What Users Like and Don’t Like About Occupational Exoskeletons: Experiences and Implications From a Focus Group Study” has now been published. A recent study examined in detail the experiences of users with exoskeletons used in the workplace. The aim of the study was to identify both positive and critical aspects from the users’ perspective and to derive important implications for the further development of these technologies. The findings provide valuable insights for research, development, and practical application, and help make the use of exoskeletons in the workplace even more effective and user-friendly in the future. The article is available at the following link: https://doi.org/10.1145/3772318.3790544
Oliver Ott Successfully Completes His Oral Defense
We warmly congratulate Oliver Ott on successfully passing his oral defense on March 23, 2026. By defending his thesis on “Fundamentals of Occupational Exoskeleton Adaptation,” he has reached an important milestone in his academic career.
Special thanks go to the examination committee, chaired by Dean of Studies Manfred Kleidorfer, as well as to Prof. Erwin Rauch and Prof. Johannes Gerstmayr for their guidance throughout this project. We wish Mr. Ott continued success in his future endeavors and look forward to continuing our collaboration.
We Are Inclusive – An Event Organized by the Ministry of Social Affairs
The event “We Are Inclusive,” organized by the Social Ministry Service, provided key insights into fostering active participation. The event was opened by Mag.a Angelika Alp-Hoskowetz, Director of the Tyrol Regional Office of the Social Ministry Service, and Mag.a Andrea Czerny, Product Manager at the Tyrol Chamber of Commerce; Mag.a Eva Pawlata, Provincial Councilor for Social Affairs, delivered the welcoming remarks.
A highlight was the presentation “INNklusion – Together for a More Inclusive Future” by Oliver Ott and Katharina Schmermbeck. Its core message: Inclusion begins with understanding, commitment, and the will to change. At INNklusion, we combine university teaching and research with practical social engagement. Our goal is to make barriers visible, break them down, and enable sustainable participation for all.
We bring people together:
- Idea generators who bring new perspectives
- Students who want to learn and shape the future
- Experts who share their knowledge
- Supporters who make change possible
Together, we develop concrete solutions that have an impact on society beyond the university. In this way, inclusion moves from aspiration to practice—step by step, with conviction and impact.
We are particularly pleased that our university has been recognized for its commitment to inclusion—an acknowledgment that reinforces our efforts.
As a department, we would like to sincerely thank the Social Ministry Service for the invitation and the opportunity to present our initiative. We are honored to be able to support such an important event.
For more information and ways to get involved: https://www.uibk.ac.at/de/projects/innklusion/.
4th EMPOWER consortium meeting at Gebrüder Weiss
On February 26, 2026, the fourth consortium meeting of the EMPOWER project took place at Gebrüder Weiss in Wolfurt/Lauterach. The focus was on an overview of developments over the past few months and reports on the measurements that had been started during the validation phase. The exchange at the headquarters was complemented by a tour of the Air&Sea department, which provided insights into processes at the logistics hub during ongoing operations.
Initial applications and test series were presented during the discussions. In addition, the next steps in the validation process were specified, particularly with regard to further tests, data collection, and documentation. The contributions of the individual partners for the coming phase were coordinated.
Outlook: The planned use of exoskeletons in real-world applications will be accompanied by parallel laboratory tests. The joint evaluation of the measurement data will serve as the basis for further adjustments. Many thanks to Gebrüder Weiss for their hospitality and the insights into their operations.
Field Trips as Part of the Courses on Factory Organization and Industry 4.0
As part of the courses on Factory Organization and Industry 4.0, two exciting field trips to leading industrial companies in Tyrol took place during the winter semester.
On December 15, 2025, the students visited the Liebherr facility in Telfs. There, they gained practical insights into modern production processes and the organization of an internationally active industrial company. Particular emphasis was placed on innovative manufacturing technologies and the practical implementation of efficient processes.
On January 15, 2026, another field trip was organized to INNIO Jenbacher in Hall, Tyrol. There, participants were able to see firsthand how digitalization and Industry 4.0 are being implemented in the energy and mechanical engineering sectors. In addition to a tour of the facility, current challenges and future prospects for the industry were also discussed.
The field trips provided students with valuable opportunities to connect theoretical concepts from their courses with practical experience and to gain insights into various industrial applications.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the companies for the interesting tours and the open dialogue.
“In Focus: Young Female Researchers in Conversation”
We are delighted that our doctoral student Katharina Schmermbeck was featured in the interview series “In Focus: Young Female Researchers in Conversation.” In the article, she talks about her career, her research interests, and the challenges and opportunities in scientific work.
For more information about the interview, please visit: https://science.apa.at/power-search/3094188840124248435.
Excursion to INNIO Jenbacher: Insights into innovative energy solutions
The Chair of Production Engineering recently organised an excursion to INNIO Jenbacher, which gave Master's students in Factory Organisation an insight into the production and focus areas of a leading provider of innovative energy solutions and services. The company develops and produces gas engines and digital platforms for sustainable energy generation and utilisation.
A factory tour offered participants an insight into the production and assembly processes of Jenbacher gas engines. The organisation of the production and service areas and the wide range of product lines were on display. Interactive presentations also gave the participants an overview of the company with its core areas and technologies, project management in practice using the example of an ongoing major project and existing career opportunities.
We would like to thank INNIO Jenbacher for the very successful organisation and the comprehensive insights gained during the excursion.
EMPOWER" research project - optimising working conditions with exoskeletons
As part of an interdisciplinary research project, the Chair of Production Engineering is pursuing the goal of reducing the workload of physically demanding tasks through the targeted use of proactively controlled exoskeletons. At a bi-annual project meeting at the Wagner Stahl site, the professorship team had the opportunity to analyse various working environments on site and gain valuable insights for the further development of the technology.
In close cooperation with the Johannes Kepler University Linz and industrial partners from logistics (Gebrüder Weiß) and the skilled trades (OPEXZERO), requirements for improving working conditions were discussed. A key focus was on the further development of exoskeletons and the integration of innovative sensor technologies into textile materials. The partners exoIQ, Texible and Adresys were actively involved in this.
The Chair of Production Engineering would like to thank Wagner Stahl for the exciting collaboration and the joint commitment to ergonomic, sustainable workplaces.
Congratulations on passing the doctoral examination to Dr Lennart Ralfs
The Chair of Production Engineering is delighted to congratulate Mr Lennart Ralfs, M.Sc., on the successful defence of his dissertation and on receiving the academic title of Dr. techn. With his outstanding thesis "Framework for Integrating Exoskeletons into Industrial Work Systems", Mr Ralfs has made an important contribution to the introduction of exoskeletons into industrial work processes.
A big thank you goes to Prof Dr Jörg Krüger (TU Berlin) for the second review and to Prof Manfred Kleidorfer for chairing the review.
Particularly pleasing: Dr Lennart Ralfs will remain with the professorship as a post-doc! We would like to congratulate him on this great success and look forward with excitement to the upcoming projects and scientific impulses.
Excursion to the Liebherr plant in Telfs
The Chair of Production Engineering recently organised an excursion to the Liebherr plant in Telfs for Master's students of Factory Organisation. Bulldozers, crawler loaders, telescopic handlers and pipelayers are manufactured at the Telfs site. In an interactive presentation by Industrial Engineering, Liebherr first addressed key topics from the lecture (e.g. lean management, digitalisation) and illustrated current projects and planned future developments. During the subsequent factory tour, the students were given an insight into the various work areas as well as production and assembly processes. Previously discussed topics such as the design and synchronisation of the lines while taking into account the mix of variants could be seen in practice.
We would like to thank Liebherr very much for the opportunity of the excursion and the exciting and comprehensive technical insight.
Excursion to Swarovski Optik with Master's students of mechatronics
On 8 May, Master's students of Factory Organisation and Production Engineering had the opportunity to visit Swarovski Optik's production and training facility in Absam as part of an excursion. During the guided tour through various specialised departments, the students were given an insight into the processes and technologies used to manufacture binoculars, riflescopes and telescopes. The focus was on the value stream through the stages of production, starting with the machining of raw materials and the glass processing of lenses, prisms and mirrors through to the assembly and quality inspection of the end products. The excursion gave the students an insight into the complex and high-precision work processes of a leading company in its sector.
The Chair of Production Engineering would like to thank Swarovski Optik for the opportunity to organise this excursion and to give the students a subject-related insight into practice.
Launch of the ExoExpert project
Cooperation between humans and technology, for example in the world of work, has intensified in recent years. As an approach to supporting human labour, exoskeletons have increasingly emerged as a suitable support technology in industry. Depending on the production scenario, exoskeletons are suitable for supporting workers by either facilitating or supplementing movements or stabilising postures. However, supporting methods or tools for the simulation-based selection and adaptation of exoskeletons only exist for individual aspects to date.
ExoExpert is attempting to close this gap with a novel planning method including a simulation model. Exoskeletons should be able to be better evaluated, selected and customised for industrial application scenarios. This will support the development process of occupational scientists, ergonomists and engineers.
The project is a cooperation between the Chair of Production Systems at Ruhr-Universität Bochum and the Department of Production Engineering at the University of Innsbruck and is funded by the German Research Foundation and the Austrian Science Fund.
Further information on the project can be found at here.
Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Robert Weidner elected new President of the ÖWGP
At the General Assembly of the ÖWGP on 26 February 2024, Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Robert Weidner was elected as the new President of the society. Together with Vice President Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. mont. Clemens Holzer (Chair of Plastics Processing at Montanuniversität Leoben) and Prof. Dr Sebastian Schlund (Managing Director of Fraunhofer Austria Research GmbH and Head of the Institute of Management Sciences at TU Wien), they will chair the organisation for the next two years.
The ÖWGP was founded on 17 June 2013 based on the model of the German "Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft für Produktionstechnik (WGP)" and represents the link between universities and industry. The central aim of the ÖWGP is to promote young researchers in the field of production technology.
In addition to the sustainable design of production technology, Prof Weidner also wants to focus on the networking of science and industry, as well as the promotion of young talent.
We wish him every success in his new position!
Das neue Vorsitzteam der ÖWGP (v.l.): Clemens Holzer, Robert Weidner und Sebastian Schlund
Status meeting in the A2P project
As part of the A2P project, we welcomed our project partners to the University of Innsbruck on 22 February 2024. The main focus of the meeting was to discuss the project results to date as well as the upcoming focal points and work content. In particular, the upcoming use case for an adaptive work table at Siemens and the use of robots at Infineon were discussed. The participants were also able to try out the latest developments in the project for adaptive exoskeletons in the PfF laboratory. The project team is looking forward to the work in the coming project year.
Gruppenfoto A2P Statusmeeting