Salzburg Research is supported by a top-class advisory board, which advises us on scientific matters. Vanessa Borkmann from Fraunhofer IAO in Stuttgart has now been appointed to this four-member committee. The new expert advisor in the Short Interviewe:

„Motion Data Intelligence“ is:

This is an exciting field in urban system design and tourism, because in these application areas everything revolves around the movement and location of people. Mobility of people and logistics of goods initially require insights into the actual situations, which become possible with the help of Big Data and AI in real time. However, 5G and quantum computing allow us to look at new scenarios and possible use cases in the future. The mobility of people and goods can be supported and controlled in real time, coordinated according to demand, and thus an important contribution can also be made to sustainability (for example, reduction of food waste, overtourism, demand-oriented supply, etc.). There is still a lot of untapped potential in this field, which is why motion data intelligence is a future field for research and development.

This is what connects Fraunhofer IAO and Salzburg Research:

At Fraunhofer IAO we work in application-oriented research on behalf of companies, in network projects with several partners and consequently develop solutions that find their direct use in the market. On the one hand, we have a strong connection to market needs and research their changes in order to identify new opportunities and potentials; on the other hand, we develop important theoretical foundations in research work, often in cooperation with universities. Due to the diversity of topics and the high demand for innovation, we at Fraunhofer work in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary teams. Project teams are put together based on the individual skills and experience of the employees. There are many parallels here to Salzburg Research in terms of organisational approaches and goals. However, the overlaps in the research topics are particularly exciting. I myself work in the department of urban system design. Here, in addition to innovations for smart urban spaces, we also deal with solutions for the future of rural areas, e.g. the future of Alpine tourism. Key topics are digitalisation, sustainability, mobility and health. In large collaborative research projects, we develop new concepts and solutions for the hotel industry (FutureHotel Innovation Network), for the cultural sector (The Museum Innovation Network), for neighbourhoods (Future District Alliance) and for cities (Future Public Space and Morgenstadt Initiative). All our considerations start with people, be it users, employees or stakeholders – their requirements and needs guide innovation development. At the same time, we keep an eye on existing and new business models, which often only emerge from new application scenarios. As a transformation companion for companies, we also work on testing new concepts in real-life contexts within the framework of real laboratories.

As an expert advisor, I contribute:

Interest in innovative topics and concrete solutions, as well as in the development and evaluation of initiatives, strategies and partnerships. Enjoy innovation, research and the exchange on new concepts and solutions and their application potential.

I recommend this book/website:

The Network State: How To Start a New Country https://thenetworkstate.com/

You are also welcome to visit the Fraunhofer IAO and the project pages: FutureHotel Innovation Network, The Museum Innovation Network and Future Public Space I Innenstadt 2030+

Thank you very much for the interview!