Making Industries Pro²Future

Empowering Humans with Cognified and Sustainable Products and Production Systems

As a COMET competence centre, we conduct research into resilient, energy-efficient and human-centered solutions that make everyday industrial life smarter, safer and more sustainable. Through strong partnerships with industry and science and a clear focus on knowledge and technology transfer, we are paving the way for a cognified and sustainable future of production.

About us

News

News from Research and Innovation
Latest updates from Pro²Future: projects, awards, conferences and insights into our research in Linz and Graz. Discover how we are shaping today’s and tomorrow’s industry, AI and cognitive systems.

All News

How to partner with us

We provide an ecosystem for applied research and innovation.

Scientific Partners

From joint research projects and scientific exchange to research stays and supervision of academic work with international universities.

Industry Partners

Applied research on industrial topics; collaborative work from idea to practical implementation throughout the entire product life cycle.

Network Partners

We build long-term partnerships that strengthen regional innovation, support international success and help educate and develop future talents.

Public Funding

We offer an ultimate environment for collaborative projects (industry, SMEs, startups, universities, research institutions) and provide application-driven results for mission-oriented initiatives and innovation programs.

Research with Impact - Your Career at Pro²Future

You want your work to make a real impact and not just stay within the lab? At the intersection of science and industry, you’ll work at Pro²Future on forward-looking topics such as Artificial Intelligence, digitalization and sustainable production. Together with leading industrial partners, you’ll develop data-driven solutions, test innovative algorithms and receive direct feedback from real-world applications. Whether it’s human-machine interaction, smart products or process optimization – with us, you drive genuine innovation.
Whether you’re pursuing a PhD, internship or research position – we offer challenging projects, flexible structures and an inspiring research environment where your ideas truly matter.
More information

Research Program

About Pro2Future GmbH

Pro²Future is working on the goals and results of the digital transformation and conducting research for industrial implementation in the period thereafter. As a non-university COMET research centre with locations in Linz and Graz, we are working on the next generation of cognitive products and production systems.

Our mission is to cognify industries
by developing resilient, energy-efficient and human-centered solutions that directly address everyday challenges.

Further information can be found here:

Mission & Vision
Shareholder
Funding
Partners & Network

Projects

PREDISCOVER

PREDISCOVER

Unified Dependable Wireless Services for Cognitive Products

In this strategic project, use cases and communication requirements for smart products in various environments are investigated. The goal is…

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Fischer4You2

Fischer4You2

Active Learning for Cognitive Skiing Products

Fischer4You2 aims to assess recreational alpine skiers to find their skill level of skiing, therefore providing them with an appropriate…

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APECGR

APECGR

Artificial Personality for Cognitive Guidance and Recommendation Systems

This project researched user experience design based on contextual triggers in the welding domain. Usually in industries, good user experience…

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TUNSPEKT

TUNSPEKT

Innovative Straßen-Tunnelinspektion mit Hilfe von KI-Ansätzen

In the D.A.CH Transport Infrastructure Call 2024, topic 2 “Automated condition recording and damage detection in road tunnels” will be…

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RTEL

RTEL

Cognitive Rail Track Error Learning

RTEL is an innovative Rail Track Error Learning AI system where in collaboration with System 7, we will analyze railroad…

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SINPRO

Predictive Maintenance for Production Environments SINPRO

This multi firm project (MFP) will investigate a novel decision support technology for assistance in the manufacturing- and production setting…

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SAFE-TRACK

SAFE-TRACK

Failsafe Autonomous drone-based warehouse check beyond visual line of sight

Drones are excellent machines to carry cameras, laser scanners and sensors to provide data for industrial and commercial applications. Thanks…

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VIVARIUM

VIVARIUM

Self-Learning System for Anomaly Detection

Monitoring multivariate sensor data in automated welding can be critical for ensuring product quality. However, gaining actionable insights from data…

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VAPS

VAPS

Visual Analytics for Production Systems

The objective of the project is to develop a prototype for an online visual analytics application. To achieve this goal,…

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A2PS

A2PS

Adaptive Assembly Process System

This MFP investigates models, architectures, techniques, and algorithms for increasing the flexibility and adaptability of cyber-physical production systems, specifically here…

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CoExCo

CoExCo

Cognitive Polymer Extrusion and Compounding

Polymer processing plants show a nonlinear relation between extruders and downstream equipment, so this MFP will investigate and develop novel…

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LineTACT

LineTACT

Cognitive Line Tacting Support

This MFP investigates models, architectures, techniques, and algorithms for reducing the time to rebalance a manual assembly line. A primary…

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recAIcle

recAIcle

recAIcle: Recycling-oriented collaborative waste sorting by continual learning

Waste contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. As economic growth is the main driver for increased waste generation, a decrease…

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Fischer4You

Fischer4You

Cognitive Skiing Prodcuts

Fischer4you will study skier’s behavior to find their skill level of skiing, therefore provide them with an appropriate range of…

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DEFCLAS

Advanced Defect Classification

Automatic optical inspection (AOI) in the semiconductor industry is considered an extremely important and demanding task for detecting significant errors…

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3D-Recon VI

3D-Recon VI

Novel methods for 3D models from camera shoots

The primary focus of this research project is deeply rooted in the domain of Structure from Motion (SfM). SfM is…

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PREMAC

PREMAC

PRedicitive Maintenance für Krankomponenten

The efficiency and safety of heavy industries depend significantly on crane systems, making the condition of critical components, such as…

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CoSma

CoSma

Cosimulation for Smart Manufacturing

Predicting quality in production systems is an open field of research, especially for discontinuous production like assembly. In manufacturing of…

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TWIN-SOLUTION

TWIN-SOLUTION

Digital Twin enabled commissioning and testing of failsafe automation

Due to the complexity of automation systems, extensive on-site engineering is required during installation, commissioning, and maintenance. Skilled engineers and…

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GuFeSc

GuFeSc

Predictive Maintenance for Products

Nowadays, customers require more and more specialised products adapted to their specific needs and circumstances. This results in a large…

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DRIWE

DRIWE

Dependable RF Communication Systems for In-Car Wireless Sensors

In order to establish new services and applications in the context of cognitive products and production processes, it is necessary…

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StreamingAI

StreamingAI

Föderierte Geräte-AI für die Digitale Transformation in der Industrie

StreamingAI is a basic research project with the aim of raising “perception” in the sense of artificial intelligence in federated…

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E-MANAGER

E-MANAGER

Energy Management for Industrial Production

To reduce CO2 emissions, besides the automotive industry, manufacturing industries are increasingly under pressure to optimize processes and procedures for…

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GenCon

Gender and Diversity Considerations for Responsible Research beyond AI Technology

The strategic project “Gender and Diversity Considerations for Responsible Research beyond AI Technology”, in short “GenCon” was intended to raise…

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DEVINE

DEVINE

Deviation in Evidence

In the dynamic landscape of modern industry, the integration of robotic systems into manufacturing processes has become increasingly ubiquitous. This…

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CompEAS-BSW II

CompEAS-BSW II

Compositional Embedded Automotive System Basic Software

Embedded systems in vehicles were traditionally implemented in a strictly static manner, where the integration of functions was largely manual…

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LineTACT II

LineTACT II

Cognitive Line Tacting Support

To participate in a highly competitive market, manufacturing companies today offer a wide range of product variants accommodating the increasing…

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DPA_inklusive

DPA_inklusive

Digitalisierung für Menschen mit Beeinträchtigungen

The project "DPA_inklusive" focused on the development, implementation, and evaluation of Digital Personal Assistants (DPAs) in selected workplaces at Team…

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SeeIT

SeeIT

Augmented Work Processes

Harsh industrial environments, where workers interact with machines, tools or other entities (such as robots or other workers) provide a…

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CompEAS-HW

CompEAS-HW

Compositional Embedded Automotive System Hardware

The execution of software has a significant impact on various runtime characteristics of the hardware. Software critically influences the energy…

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ASP 2

Adaptive Smart Production 2

The project MFP II 4.2.3‐2 Adaptive Smart Production 2 (ASP 2), deals with two use‐cases: fuel‐cell component assembly and high‐speed…

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ConMon

ConMon

Scalable Condition Monitoring System for Test Environments

The modern industry machines are endowed with multiple sensors producing huge amount of data. This also applies for automotive engine…

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AI2Human

AI2Human

Using AI for occupational safety and accident prevention

The technological revolution is rapidly transforming the work environment, subjecting workers to new challenges, such as collaborating with highly efficient…

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ASP

Adaptive Smart Production – Part DP 1

The rising share of e-mobility in the transport sector motivates this project. Electric vehicles, whether battery or hydrogen driven, are…

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HOP-ON

Cognitive Shopfloor Monitoring

Production Systems are systems-of-systems and very specific and unique systems. Here Production Systems address machines composed of mechatronic systems and…

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ShuttleTrack

ShuttleTrack

Technology agnostic Precise and Federated Localization of Intralogistic Shuttles

The ShuttleTrack project dived into technology-agnostic localization systems for intralogistics shuttles, addressing the critical need for precise and reliable positioning…

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SmartCoEx

SmartCoEx

Smart extrusion blow molding

An important process for the production of plastic products such as packaging, pipes, etc. is the extrusion process. In this…

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AI-Flight

AI-Flight

AI-Enabled autonomous flight of indoor drones

In the last decade, drones are showing a great potential as data acquisition platforms, which can support industrial systems in…

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KInd

KInd

Kognifizierte Industrie

Austrian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) exhibit a mid-range performance within the European Union regarding product and process innovations. This…

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AssE

Opportunistic Awareness in Assistive Environments

The purpose of "Opportunistic Awareness in Assistive Environments" was to support scientific work on the following topics: – Feedback and…

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SmartCom

SmartCom

Smart Compounding

To tailor the property profiles for their respective applications, almost all plastic materials undergo a compounding step as a part…

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OnDaA

OnDaA

Online Data Analytics @ voestalpine

This project focuses on data analytics and visualisation for the continuous casting process in large-scale steel production. In modern steel…

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WorkIT

WorkIT

Workflow and Tool Process Modelling

The vision of WorkIT is to establish cognitive capabilities in today’s conventional products (e.g. power tools or machines). To achieve…

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RedUsa

Predictive Maintenance for Production Environments RedUsa

The power of the predictive maintenance lies on providing immediate assistance in situations where human judgment disregards the reactions times…

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QA_HEdge-2

QA_HEdge-2

Quality Assurance using High-Frequent Edge Technology

The adoption of automation, connectivity, and data analysis in data-driven industries and shop floors has resulted in improved efficiency, productivity,…

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3D-RECON III

3D-RECON III

Novel methods for 3D models from camera shoots

The focus of this research initiative is to advance the field of multi-view stereo (MVS) by addressing key challenges and…

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APS.net

APS.net

Adaptive Production Systems

This SFP investigates models, architectures, techniques, and algorithms for increasing the flexibility and adaptability of industrial production systems. Software, and…

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AIDE

AIDE

AI for the Detection of Endometriosis

This project focused on developing and evaluating AI-based approaches to support the diagnosis and risk prediction of diseases, using publicly…

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DERELE

DERELE

Deep Learning Based Reconstruction for Linear Edifices

Machine learning-based detection of geometric shapes has emerged as a rapidly expanding research field, with significant attention currently directed towards…

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EPCOS 1

EPCOS 1

Maintenance 4.0 @EPCOS OHG, Preparation & Ex-Post Analysis

The predictive maintenance systems are built upon is a clear definition of defects and the corresponding approaches to address them.…

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ZEWAS

ZEWAS

Zeitreihenanalyse zur Erkennung von Wartungsarbeiten an Schweißgeräten

The Perfect Welding division of Fronius International offers welding devices and services to customers on five continents. Data analytics and…

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TrustInLLM

TrustInLLM

Trustworthy Digital Systems Assisted by Large Language Models (LLMs)

Modern Society increasingly relies on complex digital systems. It is crucial that such systems are trustworthy when Artificial Intelligence is…

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X-AMINOR

X-AMINOR

Cross sensor PlAtforM for lifecycle-moNitORing of Transformers

The current developments in the energy system pose new challenges to grid operators, as the increased integration of renewables and…

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UNSUDET

UNSUDET

Understanding and Supporting Users in Decision-Making Tasks

This project aims to facilitate a harmonious collaboration between human expertise and AI advancements, acknowledging the growing integration of AI…

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RTEAS

RTEAS

Cognitive Rail Track Error Analysis Support

RTEAS will provide support in rail track error analysis based on the data from rail track machines. Along with company…

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AI-Gran 2

AI-Gran 2

AI based smart optimization of underwater granulation

The manufacture of plastic products is closely related to the use of plastic pellets. There are numerous influencing factors in…

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TWIN

Digitale Zwillinge für zukunftsfähige Gebäude

Digital twins are virtual replicas of physical objects or processes that are synchronized with the real thing and kept up-to-date…

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HumanAI

HumanAI

Human Focused AI for occupational safety and accident prevention

Work environments, particularly within the industrial sector, are undergoing swift and dynamic technological transformations. Employees are increasingly confronted with new…

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REWAI

REWAI

Reduced Energy and Waste using AI

The REWAI project aims to enhance sustainability through cognitive decision-making, utilizing explainable AI techniques to augment human intelligence with machine…

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VERICOMP

VERICOMP

Verifiable and Compositional Processor Architecture for Real-Time Systems

The strategic project VERICOMP successfully addressed the central challenge of modern embedded systems: creating architectures that are both highly flexible…

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3D-RECON I

3D-RECON I

Cognitive Assistance

The aim of 3D-Recon is the research and development of methods for high quality 3D reconstruction from images in two…

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Enhance UWB

Enhance UWB

Benchmarking and advancing localization and communication performance UWB

The rapid digitalization across all industrial sectors has fostered an increased need for connectivity in heterogenous application environments. As a…

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CSG

CSG

Cognitive Smart Grids

Due to the ongoing integration of distributed energy resources such as domestic photovoltaics into the existing distribution grid, conventional –…

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CAVL-SD

CAVL-SD

Cognitive AVL: Smart Development

Whether manufacturing physical products or delivering virtual services, corporations engage in a variety of sub-processes which are interrelated both within…

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CompEAS-BSW

CompEAS-BSW

Compositional Embedded Automotive System Basic Software

Embedded systems for vehicles are still implemented in a strictly static way: The individual functions are first implemented and tested…

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CORVETTE

CORVETTE

Cognitive Sensing for Vehicle Fleet Driven Data Services

The CORVETTE project aims to establish a robust software infrastructure for cognitive vehicle fleet monitoring, enabling comprehensive datadriven services. The…

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Simatic Failsafe 4.0

Simatic Failsafe 4.0

Development Processes and Tools for Cognitive Products

The proliferation of industrial monitoring and control systems has led to the generation of a huge amount of data. It…

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SUPCODE

Supporting Cognitive Decision Making

Industry 4.0 is considered as the “fourth industrial revolution” that either fully automatizes the production in the manufacturing industry or…

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EBRAIN Ensembles

EBRAIN Ensembles

Holistic and Sustainable AI Development for Global Changes

Neuroscience provides a rich source of inspiration for new types of algorithms and architectures, independent of and/or complementary to the…

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PreMoBAF

Data-driven methods for predicting and monitoring the behaviour of Blast Furnace and Electric Arc Furnace

Blast furnace (BF) and electric arc furnace (EAF) are key processes in iron and steel production. The complex dynamics within…

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SUPRA-2

SUPRA-2

Sustainable Production and Assembly 2

The project “SUPRA-2” is motivated by company partner AVL. Sustainable production and assembly (SUPRA) are critical aspects in the development…

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SmartWell

SmartWell

Smart corrugated pipe production

Corrugated pipes provide both higher stiffness and higher flexibility while simultaneously requiring less material than rigid pipes. Due to rising…

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SUPRA-1

SUPRA-1

Sustainable Production and Assembly 1

SUPRA refers to efficient and sustainable production strategies in batch production, namely peak power reduction. In it, – existing KPIs…

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KAL-GISS

KAL-GISS

Klassifizierung der Spritzgießverfahren

To achieve technological advancements in production machines, gaining a comprehensive understanding of their inherent processes is crucial. Data analytics plays…

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CORVETTE 2

CORVETTE 2

Cognitive Sensing for Vehicle Fleet Driven Data Services

The CORVETTE 2 project advances the cognitive collection and processing of vehicle and environmental data to enable real-time detection and…

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ENERMAN-1

ENERMAN-1

Cognitive Energy Management Systems for Industrial Production

The research vision of the strategic project ENERMAN-1 deals with decreasing the energy consumption in continuous as well as batch…

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CEPS

CEPS

Cognitive Engineering Process Support

The automotive industry is developing complex, interdisciplinary systems, containing a multitude of software and hardware components that have to work…

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ACTION II

ACTION II

Adaptive Cobot Integration

The complexity and demands of assembly tasks in production have been found to increase cognitive load in assembly workers. This…

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GAP

GAP

Cognitive Guidance for Assembly Processes

Human Activity Recognition (HAR) holds immense significance in computer vision, offering benefits in diverse scenarios. In industrial settings, manufacturing assembly…

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E-Minds-1

E-Minds-1

Embedded Intelligence for wireless communication services

The objective of this project is to provide techniques and toolchains that make it possible to train and deploy AI/ML…

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P2D2

P2D2

Power Processing for Defect Detection

The P2D2 project is dedicated to advancing sustainable manufacturing by revolutionizing quality checks. Traditional end-of-line testing, where only a few…

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CONVENIENCE

CONVENIENCE

Cognitive building automation infrastructure and services

Increased automation can be observed in many application domains. One good example for concepts stemming from digitalization and the domain…

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GUIDE

GUIDE

Guidance and Assistance

GUIDE will investigate novel worker context recognition, assistance and guidance technologies for use in the manufacturing- and production setting. The…

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SERAM

SERAM

Supporting users in exploring and reasoning anomalies in multivariate timeseries

The increase in large and complicated data sets across various industries has led to a growing need for data analytics…

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All Projects

Key Facts*

320+

Publications

45+

Finished & running PhD Theses

140+

Nominations in international Boards

43+ M€

Cumulated project volume

20+

Patents & Patent filings

90+

Scientific & Industry Partners

*as of March 31, 2025

Team

Gerd Hribernig

Gerd Hribernig

CEO
Alois Ferscha

Alois Ferscha

Scientific Director, Key Researcher
Sandra Neuhold-Pauer

Sandra Neuhold-Pauer

CFO, Finance & Human Resources
Michael Haslgrübler

Michael Haslgrübler

Area Manager, Key Researcher
Ouijdane Guiza

Ouijdane Guiza

Area Manager, Key Researcher
Belgin Mutlu

Belgin Mutlu

Area Manager, Key Researcher
Amer Kajmaković

Amer Kajmaković

Area Manager, Key Researcher
Philipp Eisele

Philipp Eisele

Area Manager, Key Researcher
Markus Jäger

Markus Jäger

Assistance Scientific Director, Center Communications Manager, Senior Researcher
Christina Pichler

Christina Pichler

Finance, Office Management
Thomas Martetschläger

Thomas Martetschläger

Marketing & Public Relations, Office Management
Atifa Fusko

Atifa Fusko

Office Management
Gernot Klimascek

Gernot Klimascek

Controlling
Judit Balogh

Judit Balogh

Senior Funded Research Manager
Fiona Wolf

Fiona Wolf

Assistance Scientific Communication & Dissemination
Gabriele Kotsis

Gabriele Kotsis

Key Researcher @ Scientific Partner
Alois Knoll

Alois Knoll

Key Researcher @ Scientific Partner
Kay Römer

Kay Römer

Key Researcher @ Scientific Partner
Paul Lukowicz

Paul Lukowicz

Key Researcher @ Scientific Partner
Bernhard Anzengruber-Tánase

Bernhard Anzengruber-Tánase

Senior Researcher
Michael Siegl

Michael Siegl

Researcher
Ekaterina Sysoykova

Ekaterina Sysoykova

Researcher
Alexander Egyed

Alexander Egyed

Key Researcher @ Scientific Partner
Paul Grünbacher

Paul Grünbacher

Key Researcher @ Scientific Partner
Manuel Wimmer

Manuel Wimmer

Key Researcher @ Scientific Partner
Alois Zoitl

Alois Zoitl

Key Researcher @ Scientific Partner
Wesley Klewerton Guez Assunção

Wesley Klewerton Guez Assunção

Key Researcher @ Scientific Partner
Nour Oulad Moussa

Nour Oulad Moussa

Researcher
Jan Holzweber

Jan Holzweber

Research Assistant
Tobias Schreck

Tobias Schreck

Key Researcher @ Scientific Partner
Roman Kern

Roman Kern

Key Researcher @ Scientific Partner
Marc Streit

Marc Streit

Key Researcher @ Scientific Partner
Johannes Fürnkranz

Johannes Fürnkranz

Key Researcher @ Scientific Partner
Jörn Kohlhammer

Jörn Kohlhammer

Key Researcher @ Scientific Partner
Niklas Elmqvist

Niklas Elmqvist

Key Researcher @ Scientific Partner
Josef Suschnigg

Josef Suschnigg

Researcher
Matej Vukovic

Matej Vukovic

Researcher
Thomas Kristan

Thomas Kristan

Researcher
Richard Hohensinner

Richard Hohensinner

Researcher
Niccolo Filipas

Niccolo Filipas

Researcher
Sophie Schmidleitner

Sophie Schmidleitner

Researcher
Jakob Zethofer

Jakob Zethofer

Research Assistant
Srijan Shakya

Srijan Shakya

Researcher
Jasmin Grosinger

Jasmin Grosinger

Key Researcher @ Scientific Partner
Marcel Baunach

Marcel Baunach

Key Researcher @ Scientific Partner
Olga Saukh

Olga Saukh

Key Researcher @ Scientific Partner
Daniel Kraus

Daniel Kraus

Senior Researcher
Katarina Petrovic

Katarina Petrovic

Researcher
Amel Jelidi

Amel Jelidi

Researcher
Aimen Medjek

Aimen Medjek

Researcher
Andreas Kappel

Andreas Kappel

Researcher
Elias Andrieu

Elias Andrieu

Researcher
Tobias Walter Rutar

Tobias Walter Rutar

Research Assistant
Sandro Lic

Sandro Lic

Research Assistant
Franz Haas

Franz Haas

Key Researcher @ Scientific Partner
Gerald Berger-Weber

Gerald Berger-Weber

Key Researcher @ Scientific Partner
Bernhard Löw-Baselli

Bernhard Löw-Baselli

Key Researcher @ Scientific Partner
Rudolf Pichler

Rudolf Pichler

Key Researcher @ Scientific Partner
Hanny Albrecht

Hanny Albrecht

Researcher
Florian Lackner

Florian Lackner

Research Assistant
Chiara Zwickl

Chiara Zwickl

Research Assistant
Katharina Weingartshofer

Katharina Weingartshofer

Research Assistant
Remo Eisath

Remo Eisath

Research Assistant
Nina Pichler

Nina Pichler

Research Assistant