Once again this year, the CTS , opens an external URL in a new windowof TU Wien has expressed its focus on ‘Technology-Driven Social Innovation’ through renewed cooperation with the Arbeiterkammer Wien (AK Wien), opens an external URL in a new window. Under the motto ‘Exploring Deep Tech for a Fair and Sustainable World’, students, experts, and sociotechnology enthusiasts came together from 8 May to 10 May as part of the Tech Design Sprint 2025 to work together on pioneering solutions for a sustainable world. Organised by the cooperation partners, the event provided the ideal framework for developing creative ideas with social and technical relevance in a short space of time and thus actively operate at the interface between technology development and social responsibility..

6 Challenges, 8 Teams, 2.5 Days full of innovation

In interdisciplinary teams of students from various Viennese universities - supported by international guests from the University of Twente, opens an external URL in a new window (NL) - the participants worked on six specific tasks on socio-technical topics for greater social justice and ecological sustainability. Within just two and a half days, the groups went through the central phases of design thinking: from defining the problem to brainstorming and prototyping to the final presentation in front of an expert jury.

They were accompanied by methodological coaches from CTS. The sprint not only enabled solution-oriented work in a short space of time but also promoted reflective thinking about technological developments and their social implications.

High-calibre jury, clever ideas

At the end of the intensive innovation process, the teams presented their projects to a jury consisting of:

• Sylvia Geyer (Rector of FH Technikum Wien)
• Gudula Feichtinger (Head of Excellence Customer & Market Insights at Palfinger AG)
• Anna Raith (Head of the Professional and Adult Education Team, Education Policy AK Vienna)
• Helene Baumgartner (Office for Digital Agendas AK Wien)
• René Röpke (Assistant Professor for learning technologies and eDidactics at LTeD Research Lab at the TU Wien)

The projects ranged from concepts for inclusive mobility to ideas for upgrading social services and promoting climate-friendly education to solutions for a fair energy supply. Two teams particularly impressed the jury and were honoured:

• The prize for Social Relevance, presented by Anna Raith (AK Wien), went to the team of Challenge #3 ‘Social Services - Integrated Digital Support in Long-Term Care’. The prize was awarded for the app idea PRISM, a digital tool that supports carers in their day-to-day work with simple to-do lists, medication overviews and daily reports for documentation and organisation. The jury particularly recognised the holistic approach, which is both technologically sophisticated and socio-politically relevant.
• The prize for technical excellence, presented by Hilda Tellioglu (TU Wien), went to the team of Challenge #6 ‘Energy - Interactive, game-based exploration of the energy supply of tomorrow’. The prize was awarded to the innovative application Smooth Operator - an interactive educational game in which users take on the role of grid operators, set up their own electricity grid, and learn about the complex challenges of the energy transition in a fun way. The jury was particularly impressed by the technical implementation and the broad application of the solution.

Both winning teams received prize money of 500 euros per person.

Collaboration, reflection, and outlook

In addition to the intensive project work, there was also room for dialogue and reflection: the participants used the sprint to network, learn from each other and work together on visions of a fairer, more sustainable technological future. At the end of the event, they were able to review the past few days and deepen their discussions.

The CTS and AK Wien would like to thank all participants - from students and experts to the jury - for their commitment and inspiring contributions.

The diverse ideas and dedicated collaboration at the Tech Design Sprint 2025 showed how much potential there is in this format - ideas that will inspire further events in the future and represent a starting point for innovative follow-up projects.

Further information & impressions:

• Further information on the Tech Design Sprint 2025 and the resulting projects
• Report of the AK Wien: coming soon

contact

Dr. DI Anna Franzkowiak

TU Wien
Center for Technology-Driven Social Innovation
Gußhausstraße 27-29, 1040 Vienna, Austria

+43 664 60588 6617
anna.franzkowiak@tuwien.ac.at, opens in new window
https://cts.wien, opens an external URL in a new window