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The Department of ITM carries out individual research and development projects, which are predominantly started and managed under the direction of the integrated degree programmes. As soon as thematic focuses can be derived from the research projects (and their results), independent research centres are established within the department.
One such centre is the CCPSS - "Research Center for Cloud & Cyber Physical Systems Security". The centre deals with the topics of digitalisation, Industry 4.0, and management & technology. Example projects that are currently being researched include critical infrastructures, autonomous driving, digitalisation, smart farming and smart building.
Michael Zeiller heads the Bachelor's Programme Information, Media & Communication.
His research focuses on e-collaboration, information visualisation and augmented reality. Current publications deal with the application possibilities of augmented reality in libraries, interactive infographics and visual storytelling, among others.
"In the flood of information we are confronted with, information visualisation offers a powerful tool to represent and communicate complex information. With the support of students, we are investigating, for example, how interactive infographics and visual storytelling are used in online journalism and accepted by readers."
Prof.(FH) DI Dr. Michael Zeiller, Director of Studies
Robert Pinzolits is an interdisciplinary researcher in brand and marketing communication, digital media production and e-collaboration with digital tools. The focus of his current research is on the interplay of qualitative content production for digital media and the development of contemporary communication measures for organisations in the voluntary sector.
"Contemporary communication practice requires the interdisciplinary use and interaction of mostly digital tools. In the course of my dissertation (PhD), I am investigating the organisational and communication practices of rural-communal political organisations as well as civil society-organised initiatives in Austria in a case-comparative organisational analysis - against the background of the currently experienced political change. The qualitative data to be collected on the interrelationships of the fields of action will serve as a basis for the elaboration of a generic maturity model for volunteer-structured organisations of this kind. The product of my research should help volunteer-led organisations to professionalise their own communication practice."
Robert Pinzolits, university lecturer
Prof. Silke Palkovits-Rauter is head of the Business Process Engineering & Management Master's programme and focuses her research on digitalisation solutions in the area of process optimisation. Leading projects in the field of digitalisation and teaching in this area are currently the main topics of her research activities. Her publications also deal with the topics of process and project management, but also with supply chain management in the circular economy or factors influencing future developments in business process management (dissertation).
"Striving for optimised processes and their digitalisation are two inseparable tasks that almost come naturally with expertise and years of experience. I try to perfect this skill in research and pass it on to my students."
Prof.(FH) Mag.Silke Palkovits-Rauter, PhD, Director of Studies
Andreas Krölling is a university lecturer in the field of IT infrastructure. His focus is on Windows technologies, where he deals with the provision of infrastructure at different scales. Special attention is paid to virtualisation, automation, infrastructure deployment, monitoring and location-and-mobile-based computing (IoT).
"Current infrastructure projects mainly revolve around moving on-premise infrastructure to the cloud. A multitude of factors, far beyond operation, must be taken into account. For example, the DSGVO plays just as important a role as legal requirements for the operation of cloud solutions. Furthermore, the trend towards "software-defined everything", i.e. the "replacement" of hardware with software-based scalable solutions, has long since arrived at SMEs.
Andreas Krölling, BSc, MSc, university lecturer
Robert Matzinger is a university lecturer in the field of IT architectures and IT technologies with a focus on Linux and open source projects. His hobbies are security and new technologies such as blockchains and smart contracting.
"Computer science has rarely been as exciting as it is today - new challenges are emerging that require new technologies and architectures, which in turn lead to new challenges and await solutions. In addition to my research activities in the area of these new technologies, it is also important to me to take our students on this journey. I want to instil in them the thirst for knowledge and curiosity, but also the pride of being able to help shape this development."
Prof.(FH) DI Dr. Robert Matzinger, university lecturer
Michael Roither heads the Master's Programme Digital Media and Communication. His research focuses on crisis communication on the social web, quality, ethics and reality construction in journalism as well as theories and models of communication science on the web. Current publications and studies deal, among other things, with the forms of presentation of investigative journalism on the web, the language of crisis communication on the social web, the competences for PR 4.0 and digitalisation in regional media.
"The social web was a so-called disruptive technology in the communication industry. Many phenomena are still not or too little studied, also because the conditions are permanently changing. Especially socially critical areas like investigative journalism or business-critical areas like crisis communication need intensive research in this context. Due to the apparent dissolution of boundaries, it is important to keep a permanent eye on both mass and market communication, their dynamics and interdependencies.
Prof.(FH) Mag. Dr. Michael Roither, Director of Studies
Wolfram Rinke is an university lecturer at the Department of Information Technology and Information Management. His research focuses on topics from the research field of Artificial Intelligence, in particular the areas of automated knowledge (expert systems), machine learning and modelling with artificial neural networks as well as data mining and data analytics.
"The world we live in is not linear. Artificial intelligence, and in particular the field of artificial neural networks, takes particular account of this fact and makes it possible to depict correlations that are not possible with the accuracy and level of detail using classical means. One focus is the development of models in the wine industry or the influence of our climate on viticulture. These models are developed by me within the framework of an international collaboration with research partners at the Ruhr University Bochum (D), the University of Agroscience in Bordeaux (F) and San Francisco State University (USA)."
DI Wolfram Rinke, university lecturer
Igor Ivkić heads the Master's programme Cloud Computing Engineering and focuses his research on cyber-physical systems (CPS) and the Internet of Things (IoT). Leading research projects and teaching in the areas of engineering, security, Industry 4.0, digitalisation, performance optimisation and automation are currently the main topics of his research activities.
His latest publications deal with the topic of how much extra effort it costs to provide IT security in cyber-physical systems and how the costs of IT security can be measured and optimised.
"Today, the cloud forms the basis for many services and applications and surrounds us in both our professional and private lives. In order to be able to optimally use the cloud as a technology, cloud engineers with an all-round view are needed who can both use the advantages for themselves and assess the risks. The cloud properly tackled can serve as a basis for other current topics, such as: Cyber-Physical Systems and Internet of Things (Industry 4.0). My big goal is to drive research around the cloud and to feed the knowledge gained back into teaching."
Ing. Igor Ivkić, BSc, MSc, Programme Director
Barbara Geyer is head of the Master's programme in E-Learning and Knowledge Management. Her research focuses on knowledge transfer, blended learning and instructional design. Current publications deal with instructional videos, the development of knowledge management and various teaching methods, among others.
"Digitalisation does not stop at education and training. On the contrary, time and place-independent learning is becoming an increasingly important part of the education sector. I am researching how the combination of face-to-face teaching and e-learning can best succeed, which teaching concepts are necessary, and how the technical implementation can succeed. And of course it is my concern to pass on my findings to teachers, preferably in a combination of face-to-face teaching and e-learning."
Prof.(FH) Mag.(FH) Barbara Geyer, Director of Studies
