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Current projects

Against the background of the necessity to create a sustainable mobility system, different mobility paths for the next decades will be developed and evaluated in this project. For this purpose, an interdisciplinary supported, multidimensional view on the future development of mobility in Styria will be taken, which considers both passenger and freight transport as well as implications for Styria as a production location. The future projections should be flexible enough to integrate recent materializing developments, to strengthen appropriate trends and to change course according to the principle of avoid-shift-improve. The projection period covers the next 20 years in line with the 2040 climate neutrality target at the federal level. The analysis will seek to answer the following specific questions, among others: - What new governance structures and tax needs are derived for spatial, urban, and transportation planning? - What are the requirements for the distribution patterns of housing, workplaces and infrastructure? - How do the different projections affect social inclusion and socio-spatial inequalities? - What is the significance of new social practices, such as the use of "Mobility as a Service" (MaaS) offerings, for the Styrian industry? The project approaches this issue through a broad-based, transdisciplinary backcasting process. With the participation of stakeholders, the neuralgic points of possible development paths are identified and quantitative projection calculations are validated. In addition, this project combines backcasting and scenario analysis in a contrasting and synthesizing way (a methodological approach that is quite innovative in international comparison).
Staff member
Konsortialführer/in bzw. Koordinator/in bei Kooperationen mit externen Organisationen
Christian Daye
Mag.phil. Dr.phil.
Participant / Staff Member
Roman Prunc
Bakk.rer.soc.oec. MSc
Funding sources
  • Amt der Steiermärkischen Landesregierung, Abteilung Wirtschaft, Tourismus, Wissenschaft und Forschung, Zukunftsfonds Steiermark - Geschäftsstelle, A12
External Partners
  • Universität Graz, Wegener Zentrum für Klima und Globalen Wandel
  • Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Institut für Systemwissenschaften, Innovations- und Nachhaltigkeitsforschung
Research areas
Start: 28.02.2023
End: 30.05.2025
Although there seems to be broad support for a transformation to a hydrogen-based economy, there are different expectations regarding the implementation and design of such an economy. For instance, hydrogen is often seen as an environmentally friendly substitute for fossil fuels, allowing us to maintain our current (globalized) consumption and production patterns in the future. However, hydrogen is also often associated with energy independence from nation states and individual regions. Finally, there are visions that associate a future hydrogen economy with a democratization of the energy system as well as with an establishment of decentralized post-growth societies. There are also different expectations with regard to the production of hydrogen. For example, while some countries focus exclusively on green hydrogen in their hydrogen strategies (i.e. hydrogen produced by electrolysis and renewable electricity), other countries push the production of hydrogen from fossil fuels in combination with carbon (dioxide) capture (blue or turquoise hydrogen). Against this background, this project explores the opportunities available to the Styrian region in terms of increased hydrogen use (and associated R&D&I activities). As in basically all processes of socio-technical change, different logics - and thus different visions of the future - come together in the use of hydrogen. The aim of this project is to map them systematically and to confront them critically with considerations of feasibility. The central result is therefore the description and evaluation of potential future paths for the Styrian region as well as the comparison of these with current R&D&I activities and with developments in the larger context (Austria, EU, global). The results of this research project can subsequently be used as a basis for the continuous design of a Styrian future strategy in the field of hydrogen. Specifically, the following questions will be addressed: - Which different hydrogen visions are discussed in the Styrian context and how are these visions evaluated by experts and stakeholders? - What are the opportunities and risks for those private-sector actors who are to drive this transformation forward? - What socioeconomic effects can be expected? - Which synergies between potential future paths in the field of hydrogen and other Styrian R&D&I activities (in related topics) can be identified? To answer these questions, possible hydrogen future paths for Styria are formulated based on (i) focus groups with stakeholders, (ii) a systematic literature loyalty analysis, and (iii) an analysis of public discourses. Afterwards, these future paths will be critically discussed and evaluated in an exchange with experts and stakeholders. For this purpose, multi-criteria analyses will be performed and causal loop diagrams will be developed. The multi-criteria analyses are based on the Multicriteria Mapping (MCM) approach, which makes it possible to include a variety of relevant perspectives and to systematically illuminate competing views. The causal loop diagrams are based on systems mapping approaches and allow to embed the respective development paths into economic questions.
Staff member
Konsortialführer/in bzw. Koordinator/in bei Kooperationen mit externen Organisationen
Christian Daye
Mag.phil. Dr.phil.
Participant / Staff Member
Christina Auer
BSc
Michael Kriechbaum
Bakk.rer.nat. BSc MSc PhD
Funding sources
  • Amt der Steiermärkischen Landesregierung, Abteilung Wirtschaft, Tourismus, Wissenschaft und Forschung, Zukunftsfonds Steiermark - Geschäftsstelle, A12
External Partners
  • Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Institut für Systemwissenschaften, Innovations- und Nachhaltigkeitsforschung
  • Universität Graz, Wegener Zentrum für Klima und Globalen Wandel
  • HyCentA Research GmbH
Research areas
Start: 30.06.2023
End: 29.09.2025
This project aims to present development options and potentials for carbon management in Styria, to locate the most important stakeholders along the value chain and to derive future paths and recommendations for action for the Styrian research and development community and for industrial applications.
Staff member
Konsortialführer/in bzw. Koordinator/in bei Kooperationen mit externen Organisationen
Karl Steininger
Ao.Univ.-Prof. Dr.rer.soc.oec.
Project Manager at the Organizational Unit
Christian Daye
Mag.phil. Dr.phil.
Participant / Staff Member
Raphaela Maier
BSc MSc PhD
Funding sources
  • Amt der Steiermärkischen Landesregierung, Abteilung Wirtschaft, Tourismus, Wissenschaft und Forschung, Zukunftsfonds Steiermark - Geschäftsstelle, A12
External Partners
  • Montanuniversität Leoben, Institut für Verfahrenstechnik des industriellen Umweltschutzes
Research areas
Start: 30.09.2023
End: 29.09.2025
The provision of scientific knowledge is of great importance for social decision-making processes. The challenge here is to make data and facts on pressing social issues available to citizens and politicians. A technology assessment will examine new ways of evaluating and analyzing personal information using artificial intelligence while fully respecting the right to privacy can be carried out in a socially acceptable manner
Staff member
Project Manager at the Organizational Unit
Christian Daye
Mag.phil. Dr.phil.
Participant / Staff Member
Lea Katharina Demelius
Dipl.-Ing. BSc
Roman Prunc
Bakk.rer.soc.oec. MSc
Andreas Trügler
Mag.rer.nat. Dr.rer.nat.
Bernhard Wieser
Assoc.Prof. Mag.phil. Dr.phil.
Funding sources
  • Amt der Steiermärkischen Landesregierung, Abteilung Wirtschaft, Tourismus, Wissenschaft und Forschung, Zukunftsfonds Steiermark - Geschäftsstelle, A12
Research areas
Start: 31.01.2024
End: 30.07.2025
The project COOL-KIT develops demonstrates and structures system solutions for the cooling of buildings, with a focus on the founders' period (Gründerzeit). Buildings from this period (approx. built 1850 to 1910) characterise the centres of many European cities and contain high-quality public and private functions. Climate change, densification and sealing are increasingly causing extreme summer situations in these central urban locations and are rapidly enhancing the need for overheating protection and active building cooling. Due to the lack of overarching approaches to cool this important group of buildings, the increasing use of inefficient individual cooling systems (mostly single split units) becomes an energy-related, acoustic and architectural burden. The cooling systems developed in the project are based on different cooling sources (ground, air, microgrids) and various active cooling techniques and components (activated intermediate ceilings, fan coils, radiators). Passive approaches such as shading or night ventilation are investigated as complementary measures. Predictive control technology ensures optimal control and the use of PV electricity a sustainable operation. Cooling system and operation designs are developed, taking into account the accessible synergies with the heating operation. Cooling ceilings are used to reduce heating system temperatures to increase the year-round efficiency and reduce district heating requirements. Selected system configurations are implemented in several buildings of the participating universities. Testing of different predictive control approaches will be performed on the test buildings using a digital twin, based on an IoT platform, followed by comprehensive energy and comfort related, economic, ecological and operational evaluations. The experience gained simulation studies, as well as market and stakeholder analyses lead to a modularly structured bundle of interdisciplinarily evaluated system solutions, the COOL-KIT. BIM models of the system concepts also enable subsequent projects to be configured in a technically and economically targeted manner with little processing effort.
Staff member
Konsortialführer/in bzw. Koordinator/in bei Kooperationen mit externen Organisationen
Christoph Hochenauer
Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn.
Konsortialführer/in bzw. Koordinator/in von mehreren TU Graz Instituten
Thomas Mach
Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn.
Project Manager at the Organizational Unit
Günter Getzinger
Ass.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.phil.
Michael Monsberger
Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn.
Siegfried Pabst
Dipl.-Ing.
Participant / Staff Member
Richard Heimrath
Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn.
Andreas Heinz
Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Dr.techn.
Funding sources
  • EAM Systems GmbH
  • BIG Bundesimmobiliengesellschaft m.b.H.
  • Klima- und Energiefonds
  • IDM Energiesysteme GmbH
  • Uponor Vertriebs GmbH
  • Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH (FFG) , FFG
External Partners
  • Universität Graz, Direktion für Ressourcen und Planung
Research areas
Start: 28.02.2023
End: 27.02.2026
Austria is heavily depending on natural gas and oil. Large urban DH networks in Vienna, Graz, Linz, and Salzburg are mainly based on combined heat and power plants (CHP) using natural gas. Other cities, such as Klagenfurt, are still relying on natural gas for covering peak loads. Since the use of renewable fuels and CHP will be very limited in the future, and the connection of more customers to the DH networks can be expected, significant amounts alternative heat sources such as heat pumps, waste heat, solar- and geothermal energy will be required to secure and decarbonize the DH supply. However, this is resulting in various challenges, especially related to the optimization of the building stock in terms of return temperatures and flexibilities, network hydraulics, bi-directional operation, the integration of seasonal storages, as well as consumer involvement and business models – there is very limited experience for existing urban DH networks. Also, the connected investment costs are very high and uncertainties regarding energy prices, availability of alternative heat sources and seasonal storages as well as implementation of retrofitting and optimization activities, leading to high risks. DeRiskDH will develop and demonstrate key enabling solutions on a technological and a strategic level as well as innovative business models towards building owners and end users for handling the technical challenges and minimizing the investment risk in alternative heat sources. Those solutions will be demonstrated and tested: Vienna: innovative control algorithms will be developed and demonstrated in an innovative secondary DH network, including a local waste heat source and bi-directional operation. In Graz, the aim is to reduce the DH network temperatures in order to increase the performance of the heat pump in a new district, with a focus domestic hot water preparation. In Linz, a quick assessment tool for assessing the potential of optimizing the building installations should be developed. Salzburg will perform an assessment of the DH network hydraulics, including cascading for a complete decarbonization strategy. For Klagenfurt the focus is on activating building flexibility measures, P2H and heat pump integration for peak load reduction.
Staff member
Project Manager at the Organizational Unit
Günter Getzinger
Ass.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.phil.
Christoph Hochenauer
Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn.
Participant / Staff Member
Richard Heimrath
Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn.
Andreas Heinz
Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Dr.techn.
Thomas Mach
Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn.
Funding sources
  • Klima- und Energiefonds
  • Wien Energie GmbH
  • Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH (FFG) , FFG
External Partners
  • Technische Universität Wien, Institut für Energiesysteme und Elektrische Antriebe, ESEA
  • AEE - Institut für Nachhaltige Technologien
  • AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, AIT
  • Forschung Burgenland GmbH
Research areas
Start: 14.01.2023
End: 13.01.2026
The Grand Challenge ahead is to shift fossil-dominated centralized energy systems towards regenerative integrated multi-vector grids. This requires also sustainable electrical energy storage, including the related raw material supply, processes and systems. A real impact on economy, society and ecology is only created if materials, processes and products can be potentially transferred to large scale. This represents a particular challenge for mid to long term, systems-integrated energy storage, also because the EU strongly depends on critical raw materials from politically instable regions. In VanillaFlow, we develop radically new approaches for integrated energy storage which combine artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) with flow battery technology to replace currently employed, non-sustainable, and critical raw materials (i.e. redox-active molecules, membranes) in flow batteries by readily-available renewable materials based on starch and lignocellulosics. VanillaFlow will use AI and ML techniques such as physics-informed modeling, causal discovery, and representation learning, and makes use of deep learning and symbolic regression. These approaches are used in designing redox active quinones, and to optimize their interplay with the other components of a battery on single and multi-cell level. The whole research will be guided by toxicology investigations to ensure that sustainable and inherently safe materials will be obtained in the project. Today, the innovation capacity of European scientists and industry in the area of renewable materials makes them already the leading global players in the field. VanillaFlow will further support the European technological leadership in the area by cross-fertilization of different fields (artificial intelligence, battery technology, pulp and paper, biotechnology, polymer technology, toxicity) while addressing needs of sustainable materials in mid to long term energy storage.
Staff member
Konsortialführer/in bzw. Koordinator/in von mehreren TU Graz Instituten
Ulrich Hirn
Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn.
Project Manager at the Organizational Unit
Günter Getzinger
Ass.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.phil.
Robert Peharz
Ass.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn.
Harald Pichler
Assoc.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn.
Funding sources
  • European Commission - Europäische Kommission, EU
External Partners
  • Montanuniversität Leoben, MU Leoben
  • Technische Universität Darmstadt
Research areas
Start: 31.08.2023
End: 30.08.2026
The project Pedestrian Strategy Styria aims to develop a strategy and a funding guideline for the design of pedestrian-friendly public spaces and to increase the share of walking in the municipalities of Styria. Increase the share of walking in the municipalities of the province of Styria. In particular, the (re)design of traffic areas is in focus.
Staff member
Konsortialführer/in bzw. Koordinator/in von mehreren TU Graz Instituten
Günter Getzinger
Ass.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.phil.
Project Manager at the Organizational Unit
Aglaee Degros
Arch. Univ.-Prof.
Participant / Staff Member
Anna Maria Bagaric
Dipl.-Ing. BSc
Markus Monsberger
Dipl.-Ing. BSc
Funding sources
  • Amt der Steiermärkischen Landesregierung, Abteilung Verkehr und Landeshochbau, Referat Straßeninfrastruktur - Neubau, A 16
Research areas
Start: 31.05.2022
End: 30.12.2024
The development of innovative products from lignin, which comes as black liquor in a million-ton scale from pulp and paper production, has a huge potential to open new business areas. Despite significant efforts on national and international level, the vast majority of lignin is still subjected to incineration. Another societal challenge is a safe and sustainable supply with energy. While sustainable energy production has been addressed in the past years, sustainable energy storage still is an issue. Nowadays, most of the chemical storage technologies rely on depletable sources (e.g. metals), which need to be mined and transported to Europe, thereby causing a wide range of problems (e.g., disposal, sustainability, flammability etc.) In this project, a new value chain based on lignin (more precisely black liquor) is explored to generate sustainable, non‒inflammable redox flow battery electrolytes including aspects on recycling after end-of-life. For this purpose, processes will be designed to efficiently separate and pretreat the black liquor.
Staff member
Project Manager at the Organizational Unit
Günter Getzinger
Ass.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.phil.
Marlene Kienberger
Assoc.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn.
Stefan Spirk
Assoc.Prof. Mag.rer.nat. Dr.rer.nat.
Funding sources
  • Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH (FFG) , FFG
Research areas
Start: 31.03.2021
End: 30.03.2025
The project result is a Virtual Reality Digital Twin environment of the test sites "My Smart City Graz" and "TU Graz - Innovation District Inffeld". The user can interactively operate and visualise energy-technical building simulations and Internet of Things monioring data of the districts. This will support all stakeholders in making our cities more climate-neutral, resilient, efficient and liveable.
Staff member
Konsortialführer/in bzw. Koordinator/in bei Kooperationen mit externen Organisationen
Thomas Mach
Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn.
Project Manager at the Organizational Unit
Hermann Edtmayer
Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn.
Christoph Hochenauer
Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn.
Johanna Pirker
Assoc.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn. BSc
Participant / Staff Member
Georg Arbesser-Rastburg
Dipl.-Ing. BSc
Günter Getzinger
Ass.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.phil.
Saeed Safikhani
Fogh-lis. Lis.
Anna Schreuer
Mag.rer.nat. Dr.phil. MSc
Jürgen Suschek-Berger
Mag.phil.
Funding sources
  • Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH (FFG) , FFG
Research areas
Start: 31.12.2022
End: 29.12.2025

(Kopie 2)

The aim of the proposed study on the technology assessment of artificial intelligence (TA study) is to assess the socio-economic potential of AI-based recommender systems. In particular, opportunities for regional value creation and sustainable development are to be discussed. The results of the TA study provide a basis for software developers and political decision-makers alike. Recommender systems support economic decisions by providing information on selected products and services. This mediation service is all the more useful the more confusing the offer is and the better the selection provided can be tailored to the individual needs and preferences of the information seeker. At the same time, the use of AI-supported recommender systems raises important questions of fairness. What criteria are used to evaluate the actors and offers involved and does the provision of recommendations lead to unintentional discrimination against individual interest groups? As Snoboli et al. (2022) argue, the definition of fairness itself is a multi-stakeholder problem that must be negotiated between the groups involved. The proposed TA study takes up this problem and explains it on the basis of a concrete AI development. The results of the proposed study will be incorporated into the development of recommendations for AI-based recommender systems. These recommendations will be communicated to software developers in the form of design guidelines and made available to policy makers in the form of policy briefs.
Staff member
Project Manager at the Organizational Unit
Bernhard Wieser
Assoc.Prof. Mag.phil. Dr.phil.
Participant / Staff Member
Dominik Kowald
Priv.-Doz. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn. BSc
Funding sources
  • Amt der Steiermärkischen Landesregierung, Abteilung Wirtschaft, Tourismus, Wissenschaft und Forschung, Zukunftsfonds Steiermark - Geschäftsstelle, A12
Research areas
Start: 30.06.2024
End: 29.06.2025
The provision of scientific knowledge is of great importance for social decision-making processes. The challenge here is to make data and facts on pressing social issues available to citizens and politicians. A technology assessment will examine new ways of evaluating and analyzing personal information using artificial intelligence while fully respecting the right to privacy can be carried out in a socially acceptable manner
Staff member
Project Manager at the Organizational Unit
Christian Daye
Mag.phil. Dr.phil.
Participant / Staff Member
Lea Katharina Demelius
Dipl.-Ing. BSc
Roman Prunc
Bakk.rer.soc.oec. MSc
Andreas Trügler
Mag.rer.nat. Dr.rer.nat.
Bernhard Wieser
Assoc.Prof. Mag.phil. Dr.phil.
Funding sources
  • Amt der Steiermärkischen Landesregierung, Abteilung Wirtschaft, Tourismus, Wissenschaft und Forschung, Zukunftsfonds Steiermark - Geschäftsstelle, A12
Research areas
Start: 31.01.2024
End: 30.07.2025

DEWISS – Delphi-Verfahren in den Gesundheits- und Sozialwissenschaften. Konzept, methodologische Fundierung und Güte

This research network addresses epistemological and methodological issues of the Delphi procedure and develops guidelines for the procedure’s use and reporting. The network comprises more than twenty scholarly members from various disciplines and pursues four objectives:

  1. To establish a network among scientists and researchers from different disciplines who share an interest in the Delphi method;
  2. To allow for an erudite exchange on theoretical, methodological, philosophical, and technical considerations related to Delphi;
  3. To carry out methodological tests and surveys to improve the methodological foundations of Delphi procedures; and
  4. To develop guidelines that establish a consensual standard on how to carry out and report on Delphi studies in an international context.

This research network is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG).

Duration: November 2020 to October 2022

Contact at the STS Unit: Mag. Dr. phil. Christian Dayé

For more information, see https://delphi.ph-sg.de/

The sociology of sociological knowledge

How can sociological knowledge be analyzed using sociological tools and models and what social processes and practices constitute sociological knowledge production? These questions have been addressed repeatedly by diverse sociological approaches. However, such debates were often discontinued, they remained insulated or were unrelated to more common issues in academic sociology. To integrate and to further develop sociological approaches to sociological knowledge, this research network focuses on five interrelated topics:

  1. Prospects and problems of transferring models of science and technology studies (STS) into the study of sociological knowledge;
  2. structures and processes of paradigm shifts in sociology;
  3. sociological analysis of sociological methods and methods for analyzing sociological knowledge;
  4. structure and transformation of academic and non-academic publics of sociological knowledge; and
  5. changes and continuities in the disciplinary identity of sociology.

This research network is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG).

Duration: May 2017 to April 2022

Contact at the STS Unit: Mag. Dr. phil. Christian Dayé

For more information, see http://sociologyofsociology.com/

 

ON-MERRIT – Observing and Negating Matthew Effects in Responsible Research and Innovation Transition

Equity is a key aim of Open Science, but Open Science for the few is just the extension of privilege. Open Science needs resources (funding, time, knowledge, skills), and institutions/individuals traditionally advantaged usually have more of them. This dynamic of cumulative advantage, known as the Matthew effect, has first been described in the 1960s by the sociologist Robert K. Merton. Responsible Research and Innovation, and in particular Open Science, promise a more equitable scientific system whose outputs are more accessible and understandable to the public at large. One concern associated with RRI is that instead of contributing towards equity, responsible research practices might actually worsen existing inequalities.

The project ON-MERRIT investigates the impact of open science practices in academia, industry, and policy with a particular focus on institutions and individuals working in the areas of agriculture, climate and health (key pillars of the UN Sustainable Development Goals). A multidisciplinary team of sociologists, computer scientists, information scientists, cognitive scientists, etc. uses a combination of qualitative and computational methods, complemented by stakeholder engagement and co-creation in order to examine the advantages and disadvantages in responsible and open research practices. ON-MERRIT aims at eventually suggesting a set of evidence-based recommendations for science policies, indicators and incentives, which could address and mitigate Matthew effects.

The use of publicly available scientific outputs by policymakers has been claimed to be one of the benefits of Open Science. However, there is yet little empirical evidence as to the impact of OS practices on research uptake by policymakers. In fact, the relationship between evidence and policy is frequently described as a “gap”, highlighting the difficulties that prohibit the use of scientific evidence in policy making. How can OS impact on policies, then, if policy makers do not make sufficient use of scientific outputs as it is? Based on a comprehensive review of existing literature, Work Package 5 of ON-MERRIT, led by the STS Unit, uses surveys, focus groups and workshops to study possible Matthew effects in policy advice, e.g. whose voices are heard respectively excluded, and for what reasons. The Work Package 5 addresses this question by systematically summarizing the evidence to date on how policy makers use scholarly resources with a special focus on open research practices.

Duration: October 2019-March 2022

Contact at the STS Unit: Assoz. Prof. Dr. Bernhard Wieser

For more information, please visit https://on-merrit.eu/

Record not found: ResearchProject

Technology assessment for GMOs (GVO-TA)

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are routinely assessed by national and EU Competent Authorities (CAs) for their environmental and health risks before market authorisation. The aim of this project is to develop an assessment approach with a broader perspective that could - on a case-by-case basis - complement the statutory health and environmental risk assessment and be employed in CA contexts. To this end, technology assessment and socioeconomic impact assessment approaches of GMOs will be examined for potentially useful assessment approaches as well as for criteria.

Project Manager at the Organizational Unit: Dr. phil. Armin Spök
Business card

Funding sources

  • Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Bonn

External Partners

  • University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
  • GenØk – Centre for Biosafety, Tromsö

Start: 16.12.2019
End: 31.10.2021

Record not found: ResearchProject
With population growing rapidly and within the context of agro-climatic changes, there is an increased demand to sustainably produce nutritious food. In Europe, many nutrient-dense foods are not widely grown and consumed, despite their suitability to European climates and environments, and viability for sustainable production with lower inputs. Underutilised crops that are stress resilient such as rye and legumes, have the potential to supply key nutrients and improve diets and risk of diet-related diseases. Such crops have a long history of cultivation across the continent and are part of the national historic food identity of different European countries yet are underutilised due to several complex reasons. DIVERSICROP addresses these challenges using an innovative, cross-sectoral and multidisciplinary approach by analysing the deep history of underutilised crops in Europe, understanding the genetic diversity and adaptation to climate change of crop germplasm, analysing current regional trends in the consumption of food products and by involving national and EU policymakers and key stakeholders to revive diverse crop production and maximise the impact of Europes agricultural sustainability. DIVERSICROP aims to harmonise fragmented data and develop strategies for the sustainable cultivation of target crops, striking a balance between agricultural sustainability and human nutritional value. DIVERSICROP brings together a skilled and interdisciplinary network to identify climate-resilient crop lines, and potential nutritional and health benefits of their consumption to rethink our food systems. DIVERSICROP will strengthen the Farm to Fork and the Biodiversity strategies under the European Green Deal to contribute to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Staff member
Project Manager at the Organizational Unit
Armin Spök
Dr.phil. MSc
Funding sources
  • Council of the European Union, COST - European cooperation in the field of scientific and technical research
External Partners
  • Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau, FiBL
  • HOGENT Hogeschool
  • Centre national de la recherche scientifique, CNRS
  • Bulgarian Academy of Science
  • Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, ARO
  • Slovenská poľnohospodárska univerzita
  • University College Cork, UCC
  • University of Patras
  • Palacký University Olomouc
  • Agricultural University of Tirana
  • Universiteti "Aleksander Moisiu", UAMD
  • Università degli Studi di Firenze
  • Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, BOKU
  • Kauno technologijos universitetas
  • Agricultural University of Athens, AUA
  • Sveučilište Sjever
  • Cranfield University
  • Dublin City University
  • Università degli Studi di Padova
  • Tallinna Tehnikaülikool, TalTech
  • University of Banja Luka
  • University of Belgrade
  • Instituto de Tecnologia Quimica e Biologica, ITQB
  • Norges miljø- og biovitenskapelige universitet, NMBU
  • Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi
  • Universidad de Alicante
  • Technische Universität München
  • L-Università ta' Malta
  • Univerzitet Donja Gorica
  • Universitatea din Craiova
Research areas
Start: 16.10.2023
End: 15.10.2027
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recognized the increasing role of digital tools and data in pharmaceutical regulation, especially for innovative processes like 3D-printing (3DP) that enable customized products such as personalized medicine. Currently applied regulations, designed for large batch manufacturing, often require extensive surplus production for release testing, hampering productivity and delaying patient access. Real-Time Release Testing (RTRT) offers a more efficient alternative, allowing products to be released based on real-time manufacturing data. Despite existing guidelines, widespread adoption of RTRT has been limited in the pharmaceutical industry due to various challenges. Our project aims to address this by developing an RTRT strategy for personalized dosage forms in collaboration with regulators, building upon relevant EMA regulations. To implement the RTRT strategy, we will develop smart data handling, analytics, and automation approaches, introducing disruptive innovation in the pharmaceutical sector. This digital workflow will provide real-time information on product quality for various 3D-printed dosage forms, namely the drug content and drug distribution within the product. The technology to be developed will further enable intuitive automated personalised manufacturing. Ultimately, this project aims to advance data-driven manufacturing, improving the efficiency and sustainability of pharmaceutical production tailored to each patient. Additionally, the technology lays the foundation for extending its application to the production of customised combination products, such as drug-loaded medical implants. In the project, machine learning (ML) models will be assessed and enhanced to streamline data extraction and automate pharmaceutical processes, via intelligent use of data. The regulatory aspect will prioritize building trust with authorities by engaging them in the co-creation of the novel digital technology.
Staff member
Project Manager at the Organizational Unit
Armin Spök
Dr.phil. MSc
Funding sources
  • Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH (FFG) , FFG
External Partners
  • Research Center Pharmaceutical Engineering GmbH, RCPE
Research areas
Start: 14.01.2025
End: 13.01.2028
Project Contact
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Christian Dayé
Z-T-G-001
Z-T-G-002
Z-T-G-003
Z-T-G-004

DEWISS
The sociology of sociological knowledge

Günter Getzinger
COOL_KIT
EU-VanillaFlow
Fußgänger
Carbon Diet
Klim2030
LignoFracStore
ParisBuildings
UserGrids

Michael Kriechbaum
HydroFrame
EU - VanillaFlow - Artificial Intelligence Guided Development of Vanilla-based Flow Batteries

Anna Schreuer
VR4UrbDEV
DeRiskDH
COOL-KIT

Armin Spök
EU-CHIC
GVO-TA

Bernhard Wieser
ON-MERRIT
The “hasty” digitalization: Reflecting on the boost on digital transformation during the COVID-restrictions at TU Graz