Third Mission
In addition to research and teaching, knowledge transfer (third mission) is one of the university's central tasks. Third mission refers to the university's mission to make knowledge available to society and usable for the economy and at the same time to absorb impulses from the non-university world for research and teaching.
Third Mission
Software development in the AI transformation
At the "Software Engineering Live" workshop held on March 19 and 20, 2026, in Kitzbühel, approximately 50 experts from academia and industry discussed how artificial intelligence is fundamentally transforming software development and what skills will be in demand in the future.
Field tests: Clearing aisle islands boosts sales
Additional product displays in supermarket aisles—so-called secondary placements—are intended to encourage impulse purchases. However, a new study by Mathias C. Streicher of the University of Innsbruck shows that excessive use of secondary displays narrows the aisles, reducing in-aisle browsing and sales. In real-world field experiments, sales rose by about 11.5 percent after removing secondary displays from a congested aisle, even though fewer products were on display overall.
Quantum spin-off sets new record
The spin-off company ParityQC has implemented the largest quantum Fourier transform ever reported using an IBM quantum computer, thereby setting a new milestone on the path toward the industrial application of quantum computers. The quantum Fourier transform is a cornerstone algorithm with applications in cryptography, financial modeling, and materials science.
Francesca Ferlaino is Austria’s Scientist of the Year
The Austrian Association of Science and Education Journalists named quantum physicist Francesca Ferlaino Scientist of the Year. Born in Italy, she has been conducting research at the Department of Experimental Physics at the University of Innsbruck since 2006 and has been Scientific Director at IQOQI Innsbruck since 2014.
Postdocs to Innovators: Event for Researchers in Edinburgh
Researchers of the University of Innsbruck took part in the "p2i (Postdocs to Innovators) In Action" event in Edinburgh and explored innovation, entrepreneurship, and the translation of academic research into practical impact.
Statisticians: Spain is Women's Euro 2025 favorite
The 2025 European Women's Football Championship kicks off tomorrow, Wednesday, in Switzerland. The Spanish national team is favored to take home the trophy in the three-week tournament. Germany, France, and England are also strong contenders for winning the European title – according to a team of statisticians from the University of Innsbruck and TU Dortmund University.
Supercomputer and quantum computer in harmony
Working together, the University of Innsbruck and the spin-off AQT have integrated a quantum computer into a high-performance computing (HPC) environment for the first time in Austria. This hybrid infrastructure of supercomputer and quantum computer can now be used to solve complex problems in various fields such as chemistry, materials science or optimization.
Chip with Austrian quantum architecture operational
The Japanese IT group NEC has built the first quantum processor with the ParityQC architecture. The Parity technology was invented at the University of Innsbruck and is being further refined and marketed by the quantum spin-off ParityQC. NEC is now making the quantum computer, which specializes in optimization problems, available to the scientific community via the cloud.