Research café "Nature as a source of ideas" (November 13)

This time the Research Café, a special edition of the TU Forum series, took place in a special setting: In the Kuppelsaal of TU Wien it was the content supporting program for the mercur'18, the innovation award of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce. With the topic of "Nature as a source of ideas", the discussion group approached the topic of bionics, which is a very broad field. How can one imagine laboratories that can be placed on a microchip? Why should one plan the construction of factories in such a way that they resemble honeycombs or snail shells? How is it possible that the waste from citrus fruits can be used as the basic material for fabric fibers?  And is there really such a thing as natural superglue?

The experts on the podium: Ilse Gebeshuber, Julie M. Rosser, Philipp J. Thurner and Florian Rudroff (all TU Wien)

Moderation: Viktoria Raz

Photos: © Florian Wieser

Opening of the TU Forum by Vice Rector Fröhlich
General view of the domed hall from the back row with podium and audience.
Ilse Gebeshuber stands with a radio microphone leaning against a high table.
On the bottom left you can see a metal box with a torn off butterfly wing. On the bottom right is a snail shell. In the middle above is a cardboard coffee cup with the inscription "TU Wien Forschungscafé".
The presenter and the entire podium are seated on chairs on a raised platform. From left to right: Viktoria Raz, Florian Rudroff, Julie Rosser, Philipp Thurner and Ilse Gebeshuber.
The presenter and the entire podium are seated on chairs on a raised platform. From left to right: Viktoria Raz, Florian Rudroff, Julie Rosser, Philipp Thurner and Ilse Gebeshuber.
Close up of Julie Rosser speaking into the microphone. Florian Rudroff can be seen on the left, Philipp Thurner on the right.
Close up of Florian Rudroff speaking into the microphone

25th TU Forum: Innovation Engine University? (May 29)

Entrepreneurial University, the university with a view to entrepreneurial activities, has been around as a term for some time. But can this really be seen as the core business of a university? And should universities promote innovation, or should they rather concentrate on teaching and pure research? Is the bridge between scientific idea and economic implementation still missing or is the gap getting smaller and smaller? And how do you decide whether a topic is suitable for exploitation?

The experts on the podium: Stefan Harasek (Patent Office), Birgit Hofreiter (TU Wien), Ludovit Garzik (Council for Research and Technology Development) and Peter Karg (TU Wien)

Moderation: Norbert Fiala, knowledge mediator & former television editor

Vice Rector Fröhlich opens the TU Forum
Close up of the podium. On the left you can see the moderator. The podium sits on high chairs in front of bar tables. On top of them are drink glasses.
Close up of the podium. In the background you can see roll-ups of the i2c and the TU Wien.
View of the audience. In the foreground four people are sitting at a table. In the background two more groups are lively discussing.
Close-up of the podium and the moderator.
Close-up of the podium and the moderator from the side.
View of the audience. Several people sit at tables, which are arranged in a restaurant-like manner.
Another shot of the podium and the presenter, this time from a completely new angle.

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25. TU Forum: Innovationsmotor Universität?

24th TU Forum: Waste - Raw Materials of the Future? (March 22)

In many cases, raw materials are a rare and finite commodity. Does it therefore make sense to see supposed waste as a source of raw materials? Where are the limits of recycling or should all materials be returned to the cycle? And is it worth the effort to see urban areas as mines whose secondary raw materials are collected and mined? What about the product life cycle of relatively new technologies such as photovoltaic systems, which are full of valuable materials? Or does the opportunity lie more in biological raw materials that could act as environmentally friendly alternatives to mineral oil-based plastics? Many questions that revolve around a common theme: urban mining.

The experts on the podium: Werner Brenner (Institute of Sensor and Actuator Systems, TU Wien), Johann Fellner (Institute of Water Quality and Ressource Management, TU Wien) und Florian Rudroff (Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry, TU Wien)

Moderation: Norbert Fiala

View of the audience.
The moderator and the podium are centrally located. The audience sits in front of them. On the left is a roll-up of the Research Field Energy and Environment.
From left to right: Norbert Fiala, Johann Fellner, Werner Brenner and Florian Rudroff
From left to right: Norbert Fiala, Johann Fellner, Werner Brenner and Florian Rudroff

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24. TU Forum: Abfälle - Rohstoffe der Zukunft? (22. März 2018)