Six outstanding submissions – a collaboration between TU Wien, TU Graz, and the Technical University of Leoben enhances the international visibility of cutting-edge technical research.
TU Austria has made a decision regarding the first joint TU Austria Doctoral School. This was announced last year as a joint initiative of TU Wien, TU Graz, and the Technical University of Leoben. In the future, there are plans to establish TU Austria Doctoral Schools in collaboration with new associate partners: BOKU University, the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences at JKU Linz, and the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Innsbruck.
Out of a total of six consortia that submitted proposals, the project “TU-BRIDGE – TU Austria Doc School for BatteRy Imaging, Durability, Aging & Recycling” was selected.
The decision was made following a multi-stage selection process by the rectors of the three universities. The basis for the decision was the project’s strategic alignment with TU Austria’s research priorities, scientific excellence, a compelling training and supervision concept, and the added value of cross-university collaboration.
Exceptionally high quality of the submissions
The selection process presented the decision-making bodies with a challenging task: All six proposals submitted stood out for their high scientific quality, innovative research approaches, and strong consortia of researchers from the TU Austria universities.
“All six consortia submitted outstanding proposals and impressively demonstrated the scientific potential inherent in cooperation among the TU Austria universities. The decision was very difficult for us. With TU-BRIDGE, we ultimately chose a project that combines scientific excellence, strategic relevance, and a particularly compelling training and collaboration concept,” said TU Austria President Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jens Schneider.
Common strengths of the three universities
With the TU Austria Doctoral School, the university consortium is further expanding its collaboration in doctoral education. The goal is to systematically combine the complementary strengths of TU Wien, TU Graz, and the Technical University of Leoben, along with those of the associated partners (BOKU University, the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences at JKU Linz, and the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Innsbruck) in the field of engineering and to leverage new scientific synergies.
In all submitted consortia, researchers from the three universities worked very closely together on the applications and were able to contribute their respective institutional areas of strength—ranging from materials science and energy technologies to digitalization and artificial intelligence.
Doctoral students will be jointly supervised by researchers from all three universities within the framework of the Doctoral School. The research is complemented by a structured education and training program, international collaborations, and interdisciplinary qualification opportunities.
Battery technology as a key issue
The selected TU-BRIDGE project addresses key challenges in modern battery technologies. Its focus includes the analysis of batteries using imaging methods, aging and degradation processes, service life, and innovative recycling strategies.
In doing so, the program addresses a key issue for the energy transition, the mobility transition, and sustainable industrial development. At the same time, the Doctoral School strengthens the position of the TU Austria universities and European industry in a rapidly growing international technology field.
Wide range of topics covered by the submissions
A total of six consortia were submitted for the first TU Austria Doctoral School:
- TU-BRIDGE – TU Austria Doc School for Battery Imaging, Durability, Aging & Recycling (Principal Investigator: Stefan Radl, Graz University of Technology)
- TU-AtMiRe – Towards a Better Understanding of Anthropogenic Mineral Resources in Austria (Principal Investigator: Jakob Lederer, Vienna University of Technology)
- CircMetAL – Innovative and Resource-Efficient Circular Manufacturing for Metals: The Case of Aluminum (Principal Investigator: Sebastian Schlund, TU Wien)
- GENESIS – Guided Engineering of Efficient, Sustainable, and Interface-Controlled Materials (Principal Investigator: Paul H. Mayrhofer, TU Wien)
- GreenAI – AI for Green Energy (Principal Investigator: Rene Hofmann)
- PROSPECT – Profitable and Secure Sustainability through Trustworthy Autonomous AI-based Systems (Principal Investigator Bettina Könighofer, Graz University of Technology)
The wide range of topics covered by the submissions underscores the strength of the TU Austria universities in the strategic future fields of GreenTech and digitalization.
International recognition for the research hub
With the establishment of the first TU Austria Doctoral School, the university consortium is taking an important step toward further internationalizing technical research in Austria. The structured collaboration among the three universities creates an attractive environment for international early-career researchers and establishes a visible, unified research profile for TU Austria—both nationally and internationally.
About TU Austria
TU Austria is an alliance of Austria’s technical universities founded in 2010 by the Vienna University of Technology, Graz University of Technology, and the Technical University of Leoben. Since 2025, BOKU University, the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences at JKU Linz, and the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Innsbruck have joined TU Austria as associate members.
Under the motto “feel. tech. europe.,” the universities of TU Austria are joining forces and leveraging synergies to achieve more together in research, teaching, and higher education policy, and to act as a reliable partner for industry and business with their combined expertise. TU Austria is a strong, internationally networked forum and stands for scientific excellence, economic relevance, and sustainable development in Austria.
For further information
TU Austria
Dr. Elke Standeker, Secretary-General
+43 3842 402 7013
office(at)tuaustria.ac.at
https://www.tuaustria.at
