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 gas resists heating
A joint theoretical study by the University of Innsbruck and Zhejiang University has uncovered the microscopic origin of a striking quantum phenomenon: a periodically driven gas of ultracold atoms that simply refuses to heat up, defying classical expectations.
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.
Quantum computing without interruptions
Mid-circuit measurements are one of the biggest practical hurdles in quantum error correction on encoded qubits. Researchers in Innsbruck and Aachen have now proposed and experimentally demonstrated that a universal fault-tolerant quantum algorithm can be executed without such measurements. Using a trapped-ion quantum processor, the team successfully ran Grover's quantum search algorithm on three logical qubits.
DIGISOC teaching staff welcome the second student cohort
More than 450 international applicants took part in the admission test for DIGISOC. For those who have successfully completed the selection process, a new stage of education is now beginning with entry into a joint European master’s programme that addresses the social, ethical and political dimensions of digital transformation.
Detail-oriented and data-driven: Pharmaceutical Sciences graduate Elisabeth Schweiberer
Elisabeth Schweiberer, one of the first graduates of the Master’s program Pharmaceutical Sciences – Drug Development and Regulatory Affairs, works in the field of drug approval at a large pharmaceutical company. This joint English-language program, that is offered since 2022 by the University of Innsbruck and the Medical University of Innsbruck, prepared the Zillertal native for this role. Prospective students can register for the 2026 admission procedure until May 6, and an online information event will take place on March 18.
Sunshade helps in the search for a second Earth
An international research team including Stefan Kimeswenger, astrophysicist at the University of Innsbruck, has tested a new approach to studying Earth-like exoplanets. The idea is to combine a large, earth-based telescope with a "sunshade" orbiting in space.