RESEARCH STRATEGY AT MU
We aim to foster independent and original research and in turn, bring the benefits of innovation to the research community and the public.
Research is determined to be the prerequisite of high-quality teaching and Modul University Vienna pursues a research-led teaching approach. As a result, researchers at our University are committed to conducting contemporary, as well as future-oriented basic and applied research. The University’s research profile is characterized by a dynamic development of research activities, where researchers of various disciplines are highly innovative and meet the criteria for cutting-edge research. Interdisciplinary research activities shape the research profile of the institution.
Today, the University is organized into four academic Schools, each of which contributes to teaching and research in their fields of expertise (School of Tourism and Service Management, School of International Management, School of Applied Data Science, School of Sustainability, Governance and Methods) and one research center (Research Center of New Media Technology)
The Schools and the Research Center focus on 17 different core areas of research that form the basis for an exceptional output of more than 1500 publications with almost half being peer-reviewed journals, 100+funded research projects, and 300+ conference contributions.. Importantly, this research provides the essential foundation for new and innovative approaches that will contribute to society for decades.
The 17 core research areas are summarized in five research focal areas:
Digitalization and business transformation
Big Data analysis, artificial intelligence, and blockchain
Governance for innovation and sustainable development
Socioeconomic aspects of climate change
Travel behavior, trend, and competition analysis
The University aims at further strengthening its interdisciplinary research activities and balancing basic and applied research. Many of the 17 research areas are joint interests and activities of researchers from different disciplines. In order to provide a conducive environment for cutting-edge research, a few of our development steps are as follows:
Further support, especially to young researchers in developing their own research areas and provide guidance to them. This particularly includes PhD candidates, as well as young PostDoc researchers, especially female faculty members.
Continue building-up a research support infrastructure at the University in order to support researchers in submitting high quality project proposals. This includes funding support in the form of personal consultation and project controlling support.
Expanding the interconnectedness between schools and research centers and the future foundation of a second research center, so that the organizational anchoring of research is further developed.
Collaborations with other universities in Vienna to leverage PhD training opportunities
Research seminar series
Modul University Vienna invites international scholars to share their expertise and present latest research. Presentations and subsequent discussions last for about 30 minutes each. All sessions are live-streamed, free to attend, and open to the public. No registration needed.
Rony Flatscher
Modul University Vienna, Austria“Successfully Teaching Business Administration Students Programming in a Single Semester"
Date: June 9th 2026 13:00-14:00 (Vienna local time)
Location: Modul University, Austria, 1190 Vienna, Am Kahlenberg 1, Room no. 2.09
Abstract: Business Informatics (BI; German: Wirtschaftsinformatik, WI) has been a specialized field of Business Administration (BA) for about 70 years in German-speaking countries and covers all aspects of applying information systems to business administration processes. One fundamental knowledge and skill set taught is programming, which, in an information system-driven world, can be regarded as the fourth cultural technique (alongside reading, writing, and arithmetic). As more and more information system-related technologies have entered specialized fields in BA, the need to interact with them programmatically has emerged, and in the context of innovative AI-related developments, has become almost a must for all of them. A key in BA education, therefore, is to teach efficiently and comprehensibly the cultural technique “programming” in a way that empowers the BA students to immediately apply the acquired ability to exploit all information system related applications, services and tools relevant to the specialized field of BA, including programming MS Office/OpenOffice and the like, automate (program) interactions with web services including AI-related services and much more. At WU, over the course of more than 30 years, the presenter has developed an innovative concept for teaching the cultural technique of programming that focuses on learning fundamental programming concepts and applying them to the most important information systems on modern PCs. This presentation will introduce a few important success factors identified for teaching newbies programming in a single semester with zero dropouts! Furthermore, if members of Modul University from academia and administration are interested in quickly acquiring the cultural technique of programming through this innovative concept, a few possible formats for achieving this are suggested.
Maja Radosavljevic
University of Padua, Italy (PhD Alumna); International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO)“Why Evidence Fails: Lessons from EU Environmental Governance"
Date: May 28th 2026 11:00-12:00 (Vienna local time)
Location: Modul University, Austria, 1190 Vienna, Am Kahlenberg 1, Room no. 2.09
Abstract: Despite a strong knowledge base and comprehensive environmental legislation, gaps persist between policy ambition and implementation across the EU. Why does evidence sometimes fail to translate into effective outcomes, and when does it succeed? This presentation examines how knowledge is used in EU environmental governance, with a focus on natural resource management. Drawing on applied research and international policy experience, it explores how expertise interacts with political and institutional dynamics. The discussion highlights the conditions under which evidence is taken up, contested, or ignored, and reflects on how to better align policy design with implementation realities.
Oliver Hödl
University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria & University of Vienna“INSIEME - Towards a Common European Energy Data Space"
Date: May 11th 2026 11:00-12:00 (Vienna local time)
Location: Modul University, Austria, 1190 Vienna, Am Kahlenberg 1, Room no. 2.07
Abstract: INSIEME is a European flagship initiative under the EU’s Digital Europe Programme that pioneers the Common European Energy Data Space (CEEDS), creating the digital backbone for secure, interoperable, high-quality energy data sharing and accelerating the shift to a user-centric, data-driven, net-zero economy. The INSIEME project enables residential, industrial, and business consumers to control their energy data while helping system operators manage networks and integrate renewables; it also empowers innovators to launch new services across the EU Digital Single Market. Designed with a strong user-centric approach, INSIEME makes participation simple, seamless, and affordable: within minutes, stakeholders can contribute digital solutions, and customers can access services as easily as making an online payment. By prioritising quick time-to-market, it scales flexibility through large numbers of small-scale contributors—from prosumers and innovators to service providers and system operators. A consortium of 50+ partners validates the foundations via use cases and deployments in 15+ Member States, including electromobility, renewables integration, and grid flexibility. INSIEME runs from April 2025 to March 2028 with an overall budget of over €16 million.
RESEARCH REPORT
Modul University Vienna is at the forefront of groundbreaking research. For the past 10 years we have been a center of excellence for research in sustainability, consumer behavior, digital trends, tourism and hospitality, as well as socioeconomic sciences.
Here we are proud to present a comprehensive reflection on 10 years of insightful research at MU Vienna.
This report delves into the cutting-edge topics explored by five departments across the university, showcasing the remarkable work of 27 Modul University Vienna researchers, both past and present. It also encompasses the contributions of our third-party researchers and associate researchers, highlighting our collaborative and multidisciplinary approach.
Discover a rich tapestry of research topics, insights into our publication output, and innovative approaches applied by our researchers when searching for answers in their diverse fields.