TomorrowToday 04/2014 (english) by AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH

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02 04 TOMORROWTODAY QUARTERLY QUARTERLY 2014 2014

Developing the technologies, methods and tools of tomorrow

AIT PRESENTS WORLD´S FASTEST LINE SCAN SENSOR

ENERGY ENERGY ASPERN LIVING LAB – A GLIMPSE DIE LUFT ALS OF THE WÄRMEQUELLE ENERGY FUTURE HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT DAM MONITORING FOR FLOOD HAZARD MANAGEMENT SATELLITENDATEN GEGEN

RUTSCHGEFAHR

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MOBILITY SAFETY & SECURITY EFFICIENCY IN AUTOMOTIVE GESICHERTE LIGHTWEIGHT DESIGN ZUKUNFT INNOVATION SYSTEMS INNOVATION SYSTEMS RISIS – BUILDING A RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE KLÜGER

EINKAUFEN

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SAVE THE DATE

TEC 2015 August 27â&#x20AC;&#x201C;29, 2015 Congress Centrum Alpbach/Tyrol Information: claudia.klement@ait.ac.at

ORGANISATOREN

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➜ INHALT/EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL

FOCUS ON PERFORMANCE & SUCCESS 04 Successful AIT projects with high customer value.

ASPERN LIVING LAB: 14 A GLIMPSE OF THE ENERGY FUTURE

At aspern Vienna’s Urban Lakeside, AIT researchers are investigating the latest technologies and methods to implement a sustainable urban energy supply.

WORLD’S FASTEST SENSOR 18 QUALITY INSPECTION AIT and the Fraunhofer Institute have developed the world’s fastest line scan sensor for highly efficient visual inspection.

DAM MONITORING FOR FLOOD 22 HAZARD MANAGEMENT AIT has developed an innovative monitoring concept to survey the structural condition of flood control dams.

RISIS – BUILDING A 26 RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE

stitute of Bohmann _Gabriele e 1, 1220 @ait.ac.at, be_Alfred Frühwirth. alls nicht ain, Seite CR, Reinck, RISIS, bernahme 7 (Online).

As part of its research and development process, AIT analyses in detail the requirements and needs of all parties involved including public stakeholders, infrastructure providers and major industry players as well as RTI policy. Expertise in systems and technologies, knowledge of the latest scientific methods and excellent research facilities drive infrastructure innovation at AIT. By exchanging information with our customers – mainly industry partners, service providers and SMEs – we create innovative foundations for the research and development of next generation products and goods, optimise advanced technologies and processes and initiate innovative services. In this edition of Tomorrow Today, we once again showcase successful AIT projects with high customer value. Join us on a tour d‘horizon highlighting the performance and success of AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH.

The EU project RISIS takes a closer look at the European research landscape.

EFFICIENCY IN AUTOMOTIVE 30 LIGHTWEIGHT DESIGN

AIT‘s light metals experts in Ranshofen develop innovative concepts for highly energy efficient production processes.

Global factors, societal challenges, diverse stakeholders and key technologies all demand and continuously influence the development of innovative infrastructure systems. AIT creates system scenarios and strategic approaches for the development of these systems. Our employees’ knowledge about the individual markets, system requirements and technical possibilities are the basis for the high quality of our results in this field.

INNOVATION CALENDAR 34

Enjoy this information-packed issue! Michael H. Hlava Head of Corporate and Marketing Communications PS: Contact details are given at the end of each article: our communication team would be delighted to provide you with more information on any of the subjects covered.

SCIENTIFIC PAPERS 35

IMPRINT. The magazine Tomorrow Today is a media collaboration with the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology. Editorial responsibility rests with Austria Innovativ. Media owner and publisher_Bohmann Druck und Verlag GesmbH & Co. KG., A-1110 Vienna, Leberstrasse 122, phone: +43 1 740 95-0. DVR: 0408689. Management_Gabriele Ambros, Gerhard Milletich. Publisher_ AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Tech Gate Vienna, Donau-City-Strasse 1, 1220 Vienna, phone: +43 (0) 50550-0. Publishing manager_Patrick Lehnhart. Editors-in-chief_Michael H. Hlava, e-mail: michael.hlava@ait.ac.at, Norbert Regitnig-Tillian, e-mail: nrt@bohmann.at. Editors_Margit Noll, Daniel Pepl. Authors of this edition_ Alfred Bankhamer, Doris Griesser, Angelika Prohammer. Project management_Daniel Pepl. Graphic design_Anita Frühwirth. Layout_Peter Führer (REPROMEDIA). Print_ Druckerei Odysseus, Haideäckerstrasse 1, A-2325 Himberg. Photo credits_unless specified otherwise: AIT. page 3: Peter Rigaud c/o Shotview Photographers, pages 4–5: Armin Kübelbeck, public domain, pages 6–7: AIT/SL, Eichenberger-Szenografie, iStock, pages 10–11: Shutterstock, AIT/Michael Bösendorfer, pages 14–17: ASCR, Reinhard Brehmer, pages 18–21: Fraunhofer, pages 22–25: AIT/Skof, Michaela Sterl, pages 26–29: AIT/Krischanz, Shutterstock, RISIS, Benedetto Lepori, pages 30–33: Jürgen RoitherRoither. Publication_4 times a year. All copyrights reserved, including Section 44 paras. 1 and 2 of the Austrian Copyright Act. ISSN 1994-5159 (print), ISSN 1994-5167 (online). Free subscription via e-mail_cmc@ait.ac.at.

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➜ PERFORMANCE & SUCCESS

FOCUS ON PERFORMANCE AND SUCCESS Successful AIT projects at a glance

/// The AIT Austrian Institute of Technology conducts research and development on infrastructure themes with high customer value: Mobility, Energy, Health & Environment, Innovation Systems and Safety & Security. 14 examples of achievement that show how our customers benefit from our activities. ///

WOLFGANG LOIBL /// AIT Senior Scientist “Policy makers need suitable tools for urban development that can be used to estimate infrastructure costs quickly and easily. UESICC works particularly well in this respect.”

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PERFORMANCE & SUCCESS

ENERGY SMARTEST LABORATORY: EXTREME NETWORK TESTING In the coming years, an ever increasing number of distributed generators such as solar and wind power plants will supply the grid with renewable energy. A number of research-intensive development steps must be taken to upgrade the existing grids. With its new SmartEST Laboratory, AIT provides a worldwide unique infrastructure to develop and test the smart grids of the future. Here, for example, a wide variety of grid conditions can be simulated, or network components are put through their paces at full capacity under extreme conditions in a climatic test chamber. This research infrastructure allows the SmartEST Laboratory to join the Champions League of other research and testing centres for distributed power generation. The

If renewable energy harnessed from the wind and the sun is fed into existing grids, they can become unstable. In the SmartEST Lab, AIT staff are exploring how smart grids could be used to achieve maximum grid stability.

SmartEST laboratory is a member of DERlab, an association of leading European laboratories for distributed energy resources, as well as of its international counterpart, the Smart Grid International Research Facility Network (SIRFN) established by the International Energy Agency.

ROLAND BRÜNDLINGER /// AIT Senior Engineer “The great feature of SmartEST is that owerful laboratory facilities for grid and p environmental simulations are concentrated in one place and can be combined with one other. This opens up completely new possibilities for testing and simulation.”

UESICC PROJECT – CALCULATING THE COST OF URBAN GROWTH Rapid population growth is posing significant challenges for cities in Latin America and the Caribbean. Especially in infrastructure planning and provision, policy-makers need the appropriate tools and mechanisms to make informed decisions, for example, to identify target areas for urban development in the future. A digital tool for estimating the costs of such development was developed at AIT to support decision making. Using data from a medium-sized Latin American city, the „Urban Expansion and Infrastructure Calculator Simulator“ („UESICC“) can simulate and visualise a variety of (cost) scenarios for water and energy supplies. The project was commissioned by the Inter-American Development Bank. Project completion date: end of 2014.

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PERFORMANCE & SUCCESS

RELAXED CARE FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING The aim of the EU project RelaxedCare, coordinated by AIT, is to provide support for informal caregivers. This is made possible by an intelligent system, which informs the caregiver about how well the assisted person is actually doing. The basic elements of this system are easily integrated sensors that monitor certain daily activities of the assisted person and allow caregivers to draw conclusions about their well-being. The system informs the relatives if the data indicates a deviation from the usual routine. The way in which the caregivers are to be kept up-to-date is currently still under evaluation. Designers are developing ways in which the presentation of information and communication can be effected within the living environment as unobtrusively as possible, for example, using a lamp or a picture frame.

MARTIN MORANDELL /// Senior Engineer and Project Manager at the AIT Health & Environment Department

Sensors are used to evaluate the well-being status of the assisted person, which is communicated to caregivers in a variety of ways.

„With the RelaxedCare project, we are specifically trying to reduce stress in the lives of caregivers by providing them with information about the well-being of the assisted person. In addition, we offer simple means of communication by which they can send a request for support or simply say ‘I‘m thinking about you’.“

FILL LEVEL MEASUREMENT WITH MICROLITER PRECISION Most smartphone manufacturers are already using NFC

the pen using an NFC-enabled mobile phone. The

(near field communication). This wireless technology

experts and their teams at AIT and Seibersdorf Laborato-

allows data transmission over short distances, and so far ries have developed an NFC sensor that is applied to the has mainly been used for ticketing and cash-free pay-

glass body of the carpule and measures the fill level with

ments. Now for the first time, a new AIT invention has

very high precision. All it takes is to hold the mobile

enabled this technology to be used in insulin therapy or

phone to the carpule for a few seconds to measure the

other injection therapies. The NFC-based fill level mea-

fill level and display it on the mobile phone display. After

surement allows diabetics to measure and electronically

the injection, therefore, it is possible to check whether

document the injected insulin dose and the fill level of

the exact prescribed volume has been injected. The Austrian Patent Office praised the teams at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology and Seibersdorf Laboratories, headed by Manfred Bammer and Gernot Schmid, for their work on the rapid, reliable and simple measurement of insulin injections. The invention was selected by the Inventum Award jury as one of the top 10 patents of 2013.

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PERFORMANCE & SUCCESS

HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT INNOVATIVE SOIL REMEDIATION: BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL IN-SITU REMEDIATION Until recently, sites that were contaminated by industrial waste and oil were “remediated” using mechanical methods. The contaminated soil was removed and transported to landfills or encapsulated on-site. But now there is another way of dealing with contaminated soils. Pollutants can be broken down on-site using biological (microorganisms, plants) or chemical methods (e.g., iron particles or oxidants). These so-called in-situ remediation methods are used by AIT experts in particular on contaminated industrial sites.

THOMAS REICHENAUER /// AIT-Senior Scientist „Mineral oils can be broken down relatively easily by microorganisms because they use the mineral oil as an energy source. We also use constructed wetlands to purify contaminated groundwater. Because the pollutants and soil vary greatly from site to site, AIT develops individually tailored remediation concepts following careful analysis of the particular conditions based on state-of-the-art knowledge.“

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PERFORMANCE & SUCCESS

TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE – THE BASIS FOR MOBILITY OF THE FUTURE Availability, safety, cost efficiency, durability

longitudinal and transverse evenness or

and eco-friendliness - societal expectations

texture, new technologies are constantly

regarding road infrastructure are manifold.

being integrated, e.g. 3D laser scanning for

AIT Mobility helps infrastructure operators

surveying the road environment. This data

such as ASFINAG in road maintenance by

provides the basis for joint research projects

measuring high-precision road condition

focusing on topics such as increases in dyna-

data using the RoadSTAR system.

mic axle loads due to road surface irregulari-

In addition to standard systems for measu-

ties and their impact on the service life of the

ring parameters such as skid resistance,

road.

LIGHTWEIGHT CONSTRUCTION – LIGHT METAL TECHNOLOGIES RANSHOFEN The use of lightweight materials is one of the fastest growing trends in the automotive industry and is reflected in the increased use of this technology in vehicle design. The use of light metals instead of conventional materials means a huge reduction in weight, which in turn has a positive effect on the energy efficiency and CO2 emissions of vehicles. The research focus of the Mobility Department’s Business Unit Light Metals Technologies, based in Ranshofen, is centred on new aluminium and magnesium alloys and their combination with steel components and composites in vehicles. When developing new lightweight components, one of the main challenges lies in the ability to reduce vehicle weight while still ensuring the safety of vehicle occupants in the event of a crash.

CHRISTIAN CHIMANI /// Head of Mobility Department „The technical limits of the application of light metals in vehicle design, air and rail traffic are continually being extended and call for new approaches. High-performance materials are crucial for developments that will permit individual, efficient and eco-friendly mobility in the future. Progress within the automotive industry can only be achieved if suitable materials are available that are safe, sustainable and affordable.“

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PERFORMANCE & SUCCESS

MOBILITY BATTERY LABORATORY The most important component of electric and hybrid vehicles is the battery. In the AIT battery laboratory, the electrical, mechanical and thermal performance of newly developed batteries is thoroughly tested according to specifications provided by customers and partners. The test results provide the basis for further battery development, or ideally, the batteries are released for use. AIT customers include well-known vehicle manufacturers, and AIT partners range from research institutes to universities.

MANFRED HAIDER /// Head of Business Unit Transportation Infrastructure Technology “Accurate measurement of road infrastructure conditions based on parameters relevant to both operators and users, is a critical component of road maintenance and helps infrastructure operators achieve their goals. Future-oriented mobility also strongly relies on efficient and functional road infrastructure.“

HELMUT OBERGUGGENBERGER /// Head of Business Unit Electric Drive Technologies „Although battery performance has improved dramatically in recent years and the first electric and hybrid vehicles can be seen on the roads, there is still great potential for improving batteries in terms of reducing their costs and extending service life.“

PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY Numerous transport policy objectives, such as support for resource-efficient forms of mobility or traffic reduction, can only be achieved by changing prevailing mobility patterns in a sustainable way. Traffic control measures, however, often don’t turn out as expected because people react differently to „hard“ and „soft“ measures, resulting in unwanted side effects. It is therefore important to analyse the complex external and internal factors influencing human mobility patterns and develop strategies to achieve sustainable mobility styles through intrinsic motivation, moving beyond coercion or simple rewards.

ALEXANDRA MILLONIG /// AIT Scientist, Mobility Department „People are not rational creatures, but rather are driven by their habits, preferences, fears and values. Behavioural changes in daily mobility patterns, therefore, cannot be achieved through the use of rational arguments. Instead, the various emotional motives need to be addressed in order to encourage people to try new options and to increase the acceptance of mobility alternatives.“

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PERFORMANCE & SUCCESS

THE FUTURE OF RESEARCH & INNOVATION AND ITS CONSEQUENCES FOR RTI POLICY Research 2.0, Cyber Science, Big Data, Open Innovation, Citizen

look like in 2030. „Research and Innovation Futures 2030“ (RIF)

Science, and Crowd Sourcing - a broad range of concepts and

analysed trends and new forms of research and developed scena-

models are currently under discussion that are set to play a defining rios for future research, while the „Innovation Futures“ project role in the future of research and innovation. Two EU projects coor-

(INFU) developed 20 „innovation visions“ that describe innovation

dinated by AIT have investigated what research and innovation might patterns of the future.

MATTHIAS WEBER /// Head of Business Unit Research, Technology & Innovation Policy „The practices and forms of organisation in innovation and research are changing. To be prepared for the future, we have developed various scenarios for the European Commission and discussed policy options with various representatives in academia, industry, society and politics. It will be crucial to identify these challenges early on, and to realistically assess them and act accordingly while at the same time avoiding contributing to hypes or encouraging alarmism.”

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PERFORMANCE & SUCCESS

INNOVATION SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY EXPERIENCE – NEW FORMS OF INTERACTION AND TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE Technologies must be appropriately designed to be truly accepted by users. „Technology experience“ is, therefore, a key topic, which is currently being explored in great detail at AIT. By combining contextual experience tracking with the latest mobile eye-tracking technologies, researchers can analyse how people allocate their visual attention and investigate their perception patterns. Disadvantageous designs and display problems can be quickly identified and alternatives recommended, long before new developments come on to the market.

MANFRED TSCHELIGI /// Head of Business Unit Technology Experience „Users often have expectations of technology that differ from those predicted by developers. It is therefore important to keep user experience factors in mind right from the very beginning of the technological development and to examine the specific application in the relevant context using modern measurement methods and tools.“

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PERFORMANCE & SUCCESS

AUTOMATED BORDER CONTROL IN EUROPE Travellers today expect minimal delays and rapid

FastPass consortium includes all players throughout

customs clearance at border crossings, while border

the ABC value chain: system and component manufac-

guards need to protect Europe against illegal immigra-

turers, research institutions, infrastructure operators

tion and other threats. The „FastPass“ project aims to

and governmental agencies. Overall, AIT coordinates

develop an automated border control (ABC) system that

27 partners within the FastPass project.

meets user requirements, while also assuring the

Total project volume: 15.5 million euros.

protection of users’ civil rights and personal data. The

MARKUS KOMMENDA /// Head of Business Unit Video- and Security Technology „The EU project FastPass, coordinated by AIT, makes important contributions to the development and harmonisation of automated border control in Europe.“

TELEMEDICINE IN THE SERVICE OF HEALTH Today, diabetes mellitus is being diagnosed more and

data exchange and improves patients’ quality of life. The

more frequently. AIT has developed a telemonitoring

project originated as part of the „Health Dialogue on

system to support communication between doctors and

Diabetes Mellitus“, an initiative launched by the Insurance

patients in this area. The system enables easy and secure

Institute for Railroad and Mine Workers (VAEB) and AIT. The new technology was developed in close cooperation between patients, specialists, general practitioners, health insurance companies, academia and applied research.

ANTON DUNZENDORFER /// Head of Business Unit Assistive Healthcare Information Technology „The use of modern technology enables patients with chronic diseases to easily access medical support anywhere, anytime.“

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PERFORMANCE & SUCCESS

SAFETY & SECURITY MANFRED GRUBER /// Head of Business Unit Safe and Autonomous Systems “Our 3D sensor technology enables trams to autonomously identify various objects such as vehicles and people, assess the potential risk and respond accordingly. We are thus making a key contribution towards improving rail traffic safety.“

3D DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM FOR SMART TRAMS AIT has developed a new 3D driver assistance system that will enable trams to „see“. The new technology, which was presented at „VISION“ earlier this year, the world‘s leading trade fair for image processing, allows trams to automatically recognise various objects such as vehicles and people on the rails and in the surrounding environment. The system alerts the driver as soon as a dangerous situation is detected so that he or she can react quickly. The robust safety system was developed by AIT in collaboration with Bombardier Transportation in Vienna. Currently, a prototype of the 3D sensor system is being tested on a Bombardier tram in Frankfurt am Main in Germany. By the end of 2014, the assistance system will be used in all trams and suburban railways manufactured by Bombardier Transportation.

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➜ ENERGY

Research Area Smart Building

Local generation

Excess power Local storage

Control unit

A LIVING LAB FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY /// At aspern Vienna’s Urban Lakeside, AIT researchers are investigating, testing and optimising the latest technologies and methods to implement a sustainable municipal energy supply. ///

●● IN A NUTSHELL aspern Vienna’s Urban Lakeside was planned as a sustainable, environmentallyfriendly and convenient model town with a focus on sustainability and also acts as a living lab to investigate innovative approaches in the energy supply sector. In scientific collaboration with AIT, the ‘Smart City demo project’ includes exploring the use of renewable energy and new solutions to boost energy efficiency. How should our future energy systems be designed so that power generated from residential photovoltaics systems can be sold on the market for a profit? How can power grids be adapted to these new challenges? How can we persuade people to use energy efficiently? There is a long list of unanswered research questions relating to the future of municipal energy supplies which can now be addressed in a practical setting for the first time.

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AS A PIONEER in the future of municipal energy supplies, aspern Vienna’s Urban Lakeside is designed as a ‘smart urban district’ where the concept of sustainable living and business can be implemented on a large scale. An ambitious project which requires a fundamental redesign of the urban energy system. The ‘Aspern Smart City Demo Project’ has been allocated 3.7 million euros of funding from the Austrian Climate and Energy Fund to investigate the big issues in the future of urban energy using real data for the first time. AIT

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ENERGY

provides scientific support for this project led by the research company Aspern Smart City Research GmbH & Co KG (ASCR). “Aspern offers us the ideal conditions for research, demonstration, testing and optimisation of new technologies and methods in the smart city sector,” says Friederich Kupzog, Senior Scientist at the AIT Energy Department. “We will make use of the findings from this project to optimise the operating and control strategies for buildings and power grids and to devise new user interaction approaches to enhance energy effi ciency”.

FRIEDERICH KUPZOG /// AIT Senior Scientist, Energy Department “Aspern offers us the ideal conditions for research, demonstration, testing and optimisation of new technologies and methods in the smart city sector.”

agree that their (anonymised) data are used for research purposes,” Friederich Kupzog says by way of reassurance. Drawing on information about energy saving options as well as incentives and dynamic tariff models, it should be possible to guide users towards more energy efficient beha viour in the future. A smartphone or tablet, for example, could be used to inform residents when energy costs are low, thereby indicating the opti mal time to recharge an e-bike or electric car. ‘Home automation’ is the name for this future trend, which seeks to combine comfort with energy efficiency. One example already in exis tence is the use of remote control systems to manage lighting and heating via a smartphone. In the Aspern project, researchers want to find out which system solutions might be accepted. Do financial incentives actually work? Which control and communication interfaces are used and to what extent – from apps to email services and Internet portals? BUILDINGS AS COMMERCIAL ENERGY PROVIDERS

BALANCING SUPPLY AND DEMAND

Sustainable energy systems can only be developed by connecting buildings and low voltage networks via smart information and communications tech nology. The fact that this issue has gained in signi ficance is due to the expected changes taking place on the electricity market. While electricity generation can easily be controlled at present due to the dominance of large-scale power stations, this flexibility is declining due to an increase in renewable energy sources within the network. It is therefore anticipated that supply and demand will not remain in balance in the future. So how can a balanced system be achieved under these condi tions? “If renewable energy accounts for 50% of power, we can only achieve this balance by better adapting energy consumption to supply,” says Friederich Kupzog. TAILOR-MADE INCENTIVES

And how should individual energy consumption be managed? “In order to answer this question, we first need to identify user behaviour using smart power meters and data on room temperature, indoor air quality etc.” says the expert. In this way, the researchers can filter out the various types of energy user. “For data protection reasons, the households participating in this survey expressly

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In the smart cities of the future, buildings as well as residents need to operate in an energy-efficient manner. “Given their high level of electricity con sumption, buildings offer substantial potential for influencing energy demand”, says Florian Judex, AIT Scientist in the Business Unit for Sustainable Buildings and Cities. Smart building management systems are able to identify anticipated energy requirements during the course of the day and year, taking account of weather conditions and optimise energy consumption accordingly. Since buildings can also produce their own solar energy and store this energy until needed, they should be able to offer any surplus power on the market. The building therefore needs a ‘Building Energy Ma nagement System’ (BEMS) which communicates with a so-called ‘Energy Pool Manager’ – for example an energy utility. “This ‘Energy Pool Ma

FLORIAN JUDEX/// AIT Scientist, Sustainable Buildings and Cities “Given their high level of electricity consumption, buildings offer substantial potential for influencing energy demand.”

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ENERGY

nager’ forms the interface between the building and the electricity exchange,” Friederich Kupzog explains. The BEMS compiles energy consumption forecasts for the building at regular intervals and uses these predictions to calculate the building’s power reserves. LEAN AND VERSATILE NETWORKS

The fundamental pre-requisites for the involvement of these small-scale private suppliers on the energy market include variable time-dependent electricity tariffs, making the sale of surplus energy financially interesting, as well as smart power grids. But what does this mean specifically? “Since it has long been possible to predict consumer behaviour very accurately, energy networks have been planned in accordance with standard profiles,” the expert explains. “In future, the consumer side will become more dynamic, so that we will require a new planning approach for the networks”. While the networks were previously dimensioned for worst case scenarios, which rarely occurred, smart grids should be less elaborate yet still enable intervention as and when required – for example by managing the energy storage capacity of buildings to balance out peak loads. “This means that the network can be designed more efficiently,” says Kupzog.

Savings made in construction should be invested in network operation because the status of the network needs to be constantly monitored in order to implement any required measures. The great scientific challenge here is to reconcile the conflicting interests of the overall system and the local networks using an autonomous control algorithm and to integrate them into appropriate market

JOHANN SCHRAMMEL /// AIT Scientist, Innovation Systems Department “Acceptance of new technologies by residents is the fundamental pre-requisite for the lasting and sustainable use of these systems.”

odels. Information and communication technom logy naturally plays a key role in all of these complex network and digitisation processes. It is used to gather the measurement data and interpret this data using business analytics methods. “Assessing energy data using this approach is relatively new,” says Friederich Kupzog. “And during the A spern project, we will see whether it proves to be successful”. THERE FROM THE START

Research Area Smart User The Huber family charge the hot water tank based on electricity prices.

Margarete operates the heating system using remote control.

hot water tank

power storage

Stefan and Sophie check their current energy consumption.

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heat pump

One key factor in the success of the approaches outlined above is their acceptance by residents. The research project also addresses this fact: “Acceptance can only be achieved if the technical implementation reflects user requirements,” says Senior Scientist Peter Fröhlich of the AIT Innovation Systems Department. “Acceptance is the fundamental prerequisite for the lasting and sustainable use of these systems.” In order to adapt the new technologies and systems to user requirements, users are involved in the design process from the outset. People from the target group are constantly testing the concepts and ideas developed in order to identify problems as early as

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ossible. The new approaches are also subjected p to a comprehensive reality check as part of a oneyear field test and then optimised for practical use. “This ensures that user requirements are incorpo rated directly into the production development process and only those concepts with a high level of relevance and acceptance are implemented,” says Peter Fröhlich.

DI REINHARD BREHMER, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF AS PERN SMART CITY RESEARCH GMBH & CO KG (ASCR)

Further details: Energy Department, Michaela Jungbauer, Phone: +43 505 50-6688, E-Mail: michaela.jung bauer@ait.ac.at, Web: http://www.ait.ac.at/ energy

RESEARCH SERVICES The AIT Energy Department develops efficient, cost- effective and sustainable solutions for the buildings and cities of tomorrow. The research and development activities are based on a comprehensive understanding of the physical and functional relationships within and between buildings. The team investigates these complex interdependencies based on interdisciplinary expertise in physics, mathematics, architecture, urban planning, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and computer science. The services offered range from scientific analyses in preparation for decision processes through to the development and validation of new systems and concepts for the energy supply of the future. • Network analysis as a basis for decision processes related to grid planning and operation • Development support and validation of networked smart grid control systems • Analysis of building operation data for component, system and control optimisation • Development and validation of concepts and system architectures for demand side management

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What makes the Aspern Smart City Demo Project so exciting in research terms? aspern Vienna’s Urban Lakeside offers the unique opportunity to imple ment research projects using real building, grid and user data. The spe cially built infrastructure includes smart building control systems, various heat pump and solar systems as well as thermal and electrical storage units. The project also seeks to develop the basic information and commu nication technology architecture required to combine the various fields in an intelligent way. The smart building test bed consists of three construc tion sites (residential building, student residence, kindergarten and school building). Together with the smart grid test bed, which covers the entire southern part of this urban district, these buildings will provide data for research starting in 2015. What are the hopes and expectations associated with this project? The future research results will not just be limited to individual buildings or the power grid, but will also be applicable to entire urban districts. In addition to technical feasibility, the key question for the future will relate to the conditions under which investment in building systems and the management of low voltage networks becomes financially worthwhile for building and network operators. In terms of smart users, we hope that the research results will reveal information about which system solutions are accepted by customers. We thus need to clarify: are a sufficient number of customers willing to provide data so that meaningful conclusions can be drawn? And furthermore: what incentives are needed? What management and communication interfaces (apps, Internet portals, email services etc.) are actually used and ensure the required level of customer satisfaction? Why has ASCR selected AIT as its scientific project partner and how does this collaboration work? Over the last few years, we have acquired excellent experience as part of our collaboration with AIT, both during the submission and project development phases. AIT’s sound scientific expertise in the key fields of relevance to us and our demo project (smart grids, smart buildings and user experience) will play a significant role in project implementation. Of course, AIT has also carved a reputation for itself as a leading research company: in particular, we are anticipating exceptional initiative and commitment because the challenges we are facing require a combination of the very best skills.

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➜ SAFETY & SECURITY

AIT PRESENTS THE WORLD’S FASTEST LINE SCAN SENSOR /// At the beginning of November, the AIT stand at VISION in Stuttgart, the world’s leading image processing trade fair, attracted considerable attention. It was here – following several years of research – that xposure 1, the world’s fastest line scan sensor for highly sensitive visual inspection tasks, was presented to the public. /// ●● IN A NUTSHELL AIT, working in cooperation with development partner Fraunhofer IMS, has developed the world’s fastest line scan sensor for use in highly sensitive visual inspection applications. Featuring line rates of up to 200 kHz (full RGB) and 600 kHz (grey values), xposure 1 is twice as fast as other sensors currently available on the market. Used in metal surface inspection, it can detect objects as small as 0.002 mm in size at a speed of 4.3 km/h or identify the tiniest defects on rails at speeds of 300 km/h. A further innovative feature is the 60 line architecture. This enables a very broad wavelength spectrum – including UV and infrared light for example – or enables the surface to be examined from numerous different perspectives. As a “light-field camera”, xposure 1 offers a range of entirely new ways of reliably assessing special surface structures, tilt effects such as those used in security documents or holograms.

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THE AUDIENCE WAS CLEARLY IMPRESSED by the presentation of the fastest colour line sensor on the AIT stand at VISION in Stuttgart, the world’s leading image processing trade fair. At the trade fair, leading manufacturers of image processing components presented their latest developments in the field of high speed and high resolution sensors for high performance computer vision. There was great interest in the presentation given by the AIT research group in cooperation with development partner Fraunhofer IMS and an enthusiastic response to the high speed sensor for line scan

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c ameras with line rates of up to 200 kHz (full RGB) and 600 kHz (grey values), which is twice as fast as other sensors currently available on the market. The development of a completely new sensor not only involves many years of research but is also something of a high risk undertaking. Indeed, there are many new developments in sensor technology that never make it to a fully-fledged product because the behaviour of a chip under development cannot be fully simulated in advance and the actual usability of an image processing sensor only emerges at a late stage in the development process. Numerous projects thus end up being shelved. “Long development cycles demand considerable staying power”, explains project manager Ernst Bodenstorfer from the AIT research group HighPerformance Vision. Specialist know-how and research funding policy enabled two non-university research institutes in Europe to complete this state-of-the-art technological development within just six years. Industry also profits from such projects. The services of over 20 innovative regional suppliers were used in the development phase alone. Research activities of this kind create expertise as well as an important ecosystem, which are needed in order to stay ahead of the game in the face of global competition in the technology sector. EXTREMELY FAST

The new sensor xposure 1 particularly impressed experts from the sector with its extremely high speed in combination with very high image resolution. It enables, for example, inspection of rail tracks at speeds of 300 km/h with an image resolution of 0.4 mm – even provided in colour with 3D information about the height profile thus enabling any defects in the infrastructure, which may indicate for example an impending rail fracture, to be identified at an early stage. The sensor is extremely fast when used in single line monochrome mode. This would enable objects of 12 mm in size to be identified by a near-Earth satellite orbiting the Earth at a speed of 26,000 km/h. A completely different and comparatively slow application – pretty much the other extreme in fact – is to be found in the field of metal surface inspection. Here, the tiniest of objects measuring just 0.002 mm can still be detected at a processing speed of 4.3 km/h. These values illustrate the broad range of applications for the new line sensor from AIT. Line scan cameras do not capture the image like conven tional digital cameras with numerous area array

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SAFETY & SECURITY

sensors but instead the objects move under the camera (somewhat similar to a scanner) and are captured line by line. This is a process that occurs extremely fast with up to 200,000 images/s and exposure times of millionths of a second. The process is particularly suited to quality inspection applications in industrial manufacturing such as bank note inspection, for example, as line scan cameras operating in real-time are able to inspect the surface of materials very quickly and at very high resolutions. ERNST ● BODENSTORFER /// AIT Scientist, ● Research Group HighPerformance Vision “Long development cycles demand considerable staying power.”

MORE THAN JUST 3 COLOURS

What makes the new line scan sensor so unique is, however, not only its incredible speed when used for inspection purposes in real-time. The new sensor architecture is suitable for use in a whole range of novel applications. Unlike conventional colour line scan sensors, which generally use two lines of pixels for image capturing, the sensor uses 60 lines. This enables a very broad wavelength spectrum with numerous colour channels – such as UV and infrared light – to be detected across the entire line. The benefits are already clear in conventional RGB (red, green, blue) mode measurement. Line scan cameras using the standard Bayer filter configuration, which only features two lines, often produce colour artifacts, while xposure 1 offers full lines with red, green and blue sensitive pixels. The colour filters are fitted directly on the sensor surface and offer high quality colour reproduction (see diagram). As numerous additional lines are available for covering the wavelength spectrum in even more detail. This opens up a whole new range of applications. “The precise scanning of colour information, for example, makes the technology highly suitable for the recycling of plastics”, explains Ernst Bodenstorfer. Until now, plastic waste often had to be burned as it was not possible to properly separate the valuable raw materials. The new sensor can use the colour information to precisely identify the most diverse

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SAFETY & SECURITY

tion of objects from several different angles. This even enables the recording of holograms on bank notes, where xposure 1 can show its strengths. Bank notes with new security features or holograms produce very different images or colour tones depending on the viewing angle. This is something conventional cameras are unable to capture. The 60 lines of the sensor enable a surface to be inspected from a large number of different perspectives. The sensor thus also serves as a light-field camera. And light-field technology is suitable for a wide range of additional applications in the rapid and reliable inspection of special surface structures and tilt effects such as security documents or holograms. 3D stereo line camera images, as used in surface inspection for example, generate enormous amounts of data within a matter of seconds. Cutting-edge multicore computer platforms are needed to process this data – a ANDREAS VRABL /// Head of Business Unit High-Performance Image Processing and previously shredded types of plastics. “In high security printing applications, for example, the three colour components are insufficient when it comes to detecting special colours in the infrared range or authentication of holograms”, adds Andreas Vrabl, head of the research group HighPerformance Vision in the AIT Digital Safety & Security Department. 3D FOR SURFACE INSPECTION

The use of spatially separated line architecture is ideally suited for stereoscopic tasks such as detec-

“In high security printing applications, three colour components are insufficient when it comes to detecting special infrared colours or even holograms.”

r esearch area in which AIT’s High Performance Image Processing group has already gained extensive expertise. Visitors attending the VISION trade fair also had many interesting ideas for new applications for the world’s first line scan sensor with 60 lines.

FAST AND HIGH RESOLUTION SCANNING xposure 1 in 600 kHz monochrome mode Speed km/h

Resolution (mm)

Example

25920

Near-Earth satellite

3240

1,500

Moon around Earth

1080

0,500

Aircraft

324

0,150

ICE

0,017

Print inspection

4,320

0,002

Metal surface inspection

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Further details: Safety & Security Department, Michael Mürling, Phone: +43 505 50-4126, E-Mail: michael. muerling@ait.ac.at, Web: www.ait.ac.at

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xposure 1 offers three full lines with red, green and blue sensitive pixels. The colour filters are fitted directly on the sensor surface, enabling high quality colour reproduction. The conventional Bayer filter arrangement with only two lines may lead to colour artifacts.

RESEARCH SERVICES The „High-Performance Vision“ group addresses challenges for which the human eye is too slow. Our experts investigate image processing technologies with a focus on real-time capabilities at extreme data rates and high complexity. A carefully balanced overall architecture and sophisticated hardware/software co-design are essential in this context. New concepts for still more powerful cameras and hardware also require new concepts for software and algorithms. Especially in new multiprocessor and future many-core systems, the correct distribution of data and processing loads between the individual hardware components is the key to a successful high-speed image processing system. The research topics in this research service thus include both cameras as well as hardware and software, including their interaction in image processing, and user-friendly interfaces. There is a need for high-performance vision techno logies in high-speed production processes in which quality is a safety-relevant feature, but also in computer-supported inspection of our infrastructure, such as rails and roads. We offer contract research and innovations in the following fields of expertise: • • • •

Sensor technology Hardware technology Software technology High-speed systems ///

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WERNER BROCKHERDE, HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OF VISUAL SENSOR SYSTEMS AT THE FRAUNHOFER INSTITUTE FOR MICROELECTRONIC CIRCUITS AND SYSTEMS (IMS) ON THE CHALLENGES INVOLVED IN DEVELOPING THE FASTESTEVER LINE SCAN SENSOR. Mr Brockherde, in cooperation with Fraunhofer IMS, AIT has developed the fastest line scan sensor for highly sensitive visual inspection applications. What were the particular challenges involved? Working on this development took us to the limits of our technological possibilities. Not only the world record speed but also the extremely high light sensitivity and the great complexity, involving, for example 2,000 analog-to-digital converters, all needed to be achieved at the same time. We had to use highly sophisticated simulations to examine and minimise the risk of cross-coupling at high clock rates. Where do you see potential applications for this new sensor t echnology? There is a very broad field of application for fast trilinear colour sensors. In the field of surface inspection, there are ever increasing demands in terms of speed and resolution from modern manufacturing technology. Examples of this include quality inspection of print products or the production of sheet materials such as paper, textiles or steel. There are also applications in the surface inspection of flat-panel displays or solar cells, or in transport engineering where, for example, the tiniest hairline cracks in rails can be detected at maximum train speed. As well as in these classic applications the sensor could, however, also be used in innovative image acquisition methods such as light-field or hyper spectral cameras. What direction do you think research in the high speed sensor sector will take? The demand is for “faster – more sensitive – more pixels”. Yet the combination of speed and sensitivity means that you soon come up against physical limitations. So-called time delay and integration (TDI) sensors could be a possible solution here. The main benefit of TDI: longer exposure times despite higher line scan frequency. We at Fraunhofer are currently working to develop CCD-based TDI sensors in a standard CMOS process in order to combine the benefits of low-noise accumulation of CCD technology with fast parallel signal processing in CMOS technology. How would you describe the cooperation with AIT on this project? Right from the start, participants from both partner organisations enjoyed an excellent working relationship. That’s definitely a huge advantage in such innovative and high-risk projects as even in difficult situations communication remains open and the focus is on overcoming challenges rather than looking for someone to blame. We also work in close cooperation on the “marketing” of project results. I’m already looking forward to working on another project with AIT.

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➜ HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT

INSIGHT INTO FLOOD CONTROL DAMS /// AIT experts have developed an innovative monitoring system to survey the structural condition of flood control dams. The new method is considerably safer and more cost-effective than traditional processes. ///

●● IN A NUTSHELL Austrians will have to get used to extreme rainfall and flooding caused by climate change. This situation can only be managed with a consistent environmental policy and improved protective measures and structures. Given the considerable age of most flood control dams, ongoing monitoring of their internal structure is becoming increasingly important. AIT has developed a new method which uses ground penetrating radar (GPR) to gain a deep insight into the internal structure of these dams. Compared with traditional subsurface survey methods, the innovative geophysical approach in flood control supplies more reliable data in a significantly shorter period of time, and is much more cost-effective.

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THE GREAT FLOOD of 2002 was the harbinger of climate change in Austria. Longer periods of drought and shorter yet more frequent periods of extreme precipitation are no longer exceptions in our climate. The years which followed were characterised by a series of other flood events – some of which were worse than the flooding of 2002 in places. As a result, Austria is currently making intensive investment in flood protection. Many of our flood control dams are over 100 years old.

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Austria’s largest dam structure, the Marchfeld dam, was commissioned and officially opened by Emperor Franz Joseph I. “This dam is still in its original form in many places,” says Philip Leopold of the AIT Health & Environment Department. “Of course, this raises the question of whether these dams can stand up to the new climate conditions in the long term”. ACCELERATED AGEING

Since any flood impacts on the structure of a dam, its current state is not a reliable indicator of future performance. “During a flood, the dam is required to resist substantial hydraulic pressure,” Philip Leopold explains. “And since the inside of the structure becomes saturated with fast-moving water, the fine particles within the dam migrate during each flood”. The traditional method used to check whether an embankment dam has undergone significant damage is to drill a hole into the dam every few hundred metres. At a cost of a few thousand euros per hole, assessing a dam of 100 kilometres or more proves to be a very costly business. NEW AREA OF APPLICATION

In their quest for more cost-effective alternatives, AIT researchers have come up with an ingenious idea: AIT already uses a ground penetrating radar (GPR) for other applications so why not also use it to monitor the interior of flood control dams? This non-invasive geophysical method is already being successfully used in subsurface surveying, such as raw material exploration, tunnel construction and archaeology. Just like medical imaging processes which help doctors to identify and locate medical issues, GPR is a non-destructive and indirect method of exploring invisible structures. It operates based on high-frequency electromag netic waves sent into the underground from the surface. The propagation of these waves depends on the subsurface structures which reflect, scatter and refract these waves. Applying GPR to the length of a flood control system generates a cross-section image of the dam axis enabling the scientists to identify different structures within the dam. The system also includes a highly accurate GPS which records the positions at which the measurements were taken. TARGETED DRILLING

HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT

this section,” says Philip Leopold, explaining the fundamental principle behind this cost-saving idea. The ground penetrating radar made its debut in flood protection in 2004 when Leopold and his team explored the structure of the Marchfeld dam on behalf of the Danube Flood Control Agency (DHK), which owns and maintains the flood control dams along the Danube. “This is a very old dam and little was known about its internal structure or its current structural conditions. It is also an extremely long structure extending over almost 80 kilometres,” the researcher reports. “The classic method of drilling boreholes every few hundred metres would have led to costs spiralling.” The entire dam was surveyed using the innovative AIT concept – boreholes were only needed where the GPR identified a change in structure or weak nesses in the dam. AN ENORMOUS REDUCTION IN COSTS

“This enabled the company to significantly reduce the number of expensive boreholes required and make considerable cost savings compared to traditional surveying methods,” Leopold says. “This approach is extremely efficient when it comes to the usual embankment dams in Europe.” Since new dams are rarely built (instead existing dams are improved), the structure of these dams tends to be non-uniform, which favours the application of ground penetrating radar. GPR has already been successfully used to identify animal dens inside dams – a situation much feared by dam operators. “Beavers, for example, can undermine an entire dam with their tunnels,” the researcher explains. “Ground penetrating radar provides a fast and reliable way of finding out where and how deep these tunnels are so that the necessary measures can be implemented at the relevant points.”

PHILIP LEOPOLD /// AIT Scientist, Health & Environment Department “Climate change raises the question of whether old dams can stand up to the new climatic conditions in the long term.”

“If we know exactly where a specific structure starts and ends, only one borehole is required in

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HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT

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REGULAR MONITORING

A MATTER OF HOURS

Experts at the AIT have teamed up with the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) and the Vienna municipal department for water management (MA 45, Wiener Gewässer) to add another new aspect to the use of GPR – periodic dam monitoring. In order to identify any potential damage and weaknesses in good time and assess the overall condition of the dam, the structure is generally checked s everal times a year by an expert. As with anything based on human perception, this process is not a 100% reliable basis for ensuring the safety of a dam. This concern was also shared by the department head of MA 45 who developed a concept for using GPR for periodic dam monitoring in collaboration with the AIT team. What does this look like in practice? “At one year intervals, we carry out ground penetrating radar surveys along the entire length of the dam and compare the results with the crosssection from the previous year. We have also developed a special computer program with the ZAMG to ensure that any differences can be r eliably identified,” Philip Leopold explains. “In this way we can detect any changes to the structure over the year and point them out to the operators.”

Ground penetrating radar is designed not to show any irrelevant changes. “GPR only identifies parameters which relate to the geotechnical structure within the dam such as grain size, compaction and moisture. These are all factors which provide important information about the structural condition of a dam,” says the expert. The benefits offered by GPR in dam monitoring include a higher level of reliability and objectivity compared to the human eye as well as higher speed and lower costs. “GPR surveys can be carried out at speeds of 20 km/h. A 100 km long dam can therefore be checked in just a few hours,” Philip Leopold says. COURAGE TO INNOVATE

In view of these advantages, it was clear for both MA 45 and the DHK (represented by viadonau as the managing body) to commission AIT to monitor large sections of the flood control dams falling within their competence. The innovative concept will now be presented at both national and international level to demonstrate the possibilities offered by GPR monitoring to other dam operators. “While the advantages of the new method are undisputed, it takes great courage for many dam operators to commit to such an innovation,” says Philip Leopold from long-standing experience.

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Further details: Health & Environment Department, Zlata Kovacevic, Phone: +43 505 50-4406, E-Mail: zlata.kovacevic@ ait.ac.at, Web: www.ait.ac.at/ health_environment

MICHAELA STERL, PROJECT MANAGER FOR FLOOD MANAGEMENT AT VIADONAU, ON FLOOD CONTROL, THE MARCHFELD DAM AND COLLABORATION WITH AIT

RESEARCH SERVICES The innovative AIT monitoring system for flood control dams is designed to detect and visualise any weak nesses and structural changes in the dam body. This is achieved by carrying out (repeated) ground penetrating radar surveys using highly mobile sensors. The detailed geotechnical interpretation of these continuous measurements allows precise visualisation of the results. This research service is based on com prehensive geotechnical expertise in dam structures and decades of experience in measurement and data processing. • Ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey of the dam’s structural condition • Identification of existing structural damage and its causes using different frequencies from 100 MHz to 500 MHz • Detection of installations, inhomogeneities, cavities and anomalies through fully automated recording of measurement data and spatial information (GPS) • Visualisation of results in radargrams (2D, 3D) based on data processing and geotechnical interpretation • Periodic dam monitoring to identify weaknesses in good time (e.g. repeat measurements after flood events) • Semi-automatic comparison with follow-up measurements to detect structural changes Benefits of the new method at a glance: • Low costs through time-efficient measurement • High efficiency through fast measurement and high data density • High horizontal and vertical resolution of the subsurface image • Simple and clear documentation • Sound basis for prioritising repair measures based on hazard maps

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What contribution does viadonau make when it comes to protecting people from flooding? viadonau is the managing body of the Danube Flood Control Agency (DHK) and as such is responsible for the preparation and implementation of preventative and defensive measures to ensure the safe removal of floodwater and protection from damage caused by flooding. This also includes organising and implementing a flood service in cases of flooding. According to a law passed in 1927, the DHK’s area of activity extends along the Danube from the mouth of the Ysper river to the border at Theben – together with its tributaries located in the backwater areas of the Danube. The DHK has extended systems along the Danube in the Krems area and from Stockerau-Zeiselmauer to the border. This involves flood control structures extending over approx. 225 km in total, including 132 km of dams, 15 bridges and approx. 80 outlets, sluices and special structures. These are monitored and secured by viadonau flood service employees to ensure that all the necessary steps are implemented to guarantee the safety of people and goods in the event of serious incidents, together with the authorities and other rescue organisations. Why is it important to renovate the Marchfeld dam? The Marchfeld dam was built during the first river regulation at the end of the 19th century, based on the technology of the day (which was very simple by current standards). The existing flood protection to the east of Vienna, on the left bank of the Danube, comprises a dam system extending over around 90 km from Lobau’s oil harbour to Schlosshof, protecting parts of Vienna’s city area in addition to the neighbouring Marchfeld communities in Lower Austria. The Danube’s big floods of the last few years have highlighted the poor condition of parts of the Marchfeld dam and the associated backwater dams. The current deficiencies are partly due to the technology of the day and the fact that flood protection struc tures, like all technical structures, are subject to a natural ageing process. Renovation of the dams and adaptation to the current level of technology guarantee reliable protection. This ensures that some 19,000 citizens in nine different communities are protected from flooding. What is the most interesting thing about this collaboration with the AIT? I would like to emphasise the committed and solutions-oriented approach adopted by Dr. Leopold and his team, as well as their readiness to address the special requirements and issues associated with using ground penetrating radar in the repair and operation of DHK/viadonau flood control systems. The main aim of the researchers at AIT and ZAMG was to identify the possibilities and limitations offered by ground penetrating radar. This has led to an improved understanding of the methodology involved and better acceptance of the results by the viadonau employees.

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➜ INNOVATION SYSTEMS

EUROPE’S INNOVATION AND RESEARCH LANDSCAPE UNDER THE MICROSCOPE /// Just how many research institutions are there in Europe? How is the European high-tech sector evolving? These and other questions relating to Europe’s research landscape are the focus of the EU project RISIS (Research infrastructure for research and innovation policy studies). AIT plays a key role in this project. ///

●● IN A NUTSHELL Research and innovation are substantial to maintain competitiveness in Europe. Many questions relating to the European Research Area remain unanswered due to a lack of available data. The EU project RISIS (Research infrastructure for research and innovation policy studies) aims to close this gap and provide a sound knowledge base for Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) studies by creating a geographically distributed research infrastructure to support scientific research and innovation. AIT is intensively involved in the project in which 13 research institutions are taking part. The four-year EU project will combine distributed datasets and address initial questions regarding content to create the environment for research and development.

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RESEARCH AND INNOVATION are essential for the economic development of countries and regions. The EU consequently grants research and innovation policy a central role in order to maintain competitiveness in the long term. Targeted measures in this context require detailed knowledge of the innovation landscape, the research and education system, the effectiveness of research funding and the innovative capacity of companies. It has not been possible up to now to investigate many of

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INNOVATION SYSTEMS

these areas empirically in an integrated manner since the data simply did not exist or was not accessible. There is no shortage of datasets about innovative processes in the individual countries and regions; but these often cover only certain highly specific aspects. “Moreover the data is generally very diverse and available in a variety of different forms”, explains Thomas Scherngell, Senior Scientist at AIT’s Innovation Systems Department. Thus it is not possible to make comparisons or gain a more comprehensive overview of the entire European Research Area. RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE FOR EUROPE’S RESEARCH & INNOVATION

Consequently, early 2014 saw the launch of the four-year project RISIS (Research infrastructure for research and innovation policy studies). Thirteen research institutions have joined forces in this large-scale project which comprises a total of 25 work packages. The overall objective of RISIS is to THOMAS SCHERNGELL /// AIT Senior Scientist , Innovation Systems Department “We combine the distributed data about European research in order to give innovation research and STI studies a fresh impetus.”

build a distributed research infrastructure to support scientific and innovation research in Europe. This will permit comprehensive analysis and provide a basis for research, technology and innovation policy and its evaluation. “Our concern is firstly to integrate the datasets currently dispersed between Europe’s research institutions into one joint research infrastructure in order to give innovation research and STI studies a fresh impetus”, explains Scherngell. However, the project will not only create integrated databases and platforms accessible to all relevant stakeholders but also address specific thematic questions relating to the European Research Area. How well integrated is the European Research Area already? To what extent are research and innovation in Europe conducted across national boundaries? Or how is SMEs’ capacity for innovation evolving? The relevant data will be made available to the users via platforms accor-

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ding to clear rules. Universities participating in the project offer specific courses providing training on the systems. With its involvement in the RISIS project, AIT is engaged in a significant European infrastructure initiative. This is primarily due to the fact that the AIT’s Innovation Systems Department had already previously conducted empirical innovation studies with its own databases for various General Directorates of the European Commission. AIT is also represented on the project’s four-member Facility Coordination Board by Matthias Weber, head of the Research, Technology & Innovation Policy Business Unit. 13 DATA INFRASTRUCTURES AND 5 CENTRAL THEMES

In total the RISIS project will link 13 datasets covering 5 critical dimensions or central themes (see box): dynamics in the European Research Area, firm innovation dynamics, public sector research, research careers and a repository for policy instruments and policy evaluations. Two new platforms for researchers are also being launched to make new datasets accessible via the web and to consolidate and structure the datasets. AIT contributes the EUPRO database to RISIS which provides systematised information about the R&D projects carried out under the EU research framework programmes since 1984. It contains all the participating organisations – in total almost 64,000 with around 337,000 project participants, with corresponding information about the type of organisation and its geographical location. “This is an extremely valuable resource for all scientific studies on the European Research Area”, stresses AIT Scientist Barbara Heller-Schuh who is largely responsible for the continuing development of the database. It allows the development of R&D networking in the European Research Area to be traced accurately over the last 20 years.

BARBARA HELLER-SCHUH /// AIT Scientist, Innovation Systems Department “AIT contributes the EUPRO research database which contains information about 64,000 projects and 337,000 project participations.”

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INNOVATION SYSTEMS

The R&D project network of the 7th European Framework Programme (FP) aggregated at NUTS-2 region level. The node size corresponds to the number of partner regions, the line width to the number of R&D projects between two regions.

INITIAL ANALYSIS

With the help of EUPRO and together with the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), AIT has already conducted the first analysis within the RISIS project on university participation levels in EU framework programmes for research (see also interview). The University in Lugano developed the ETER database (European Tertiary Education Register) making MICHAEL BARBER /// AIT Scientist, Innovation Systems Department “Many problems need to be solved when combining different databases, such as using uniform designations and abbreviations.”

available a record of the current 2,673 higher education institutions (HEIs) in 36 countries. It contains details such as student numbers, data about graduates, international doctorates, staff, subjects, income and expenditure and many other important items of information. The two databases were combined for the analysis. “This is not straightfor-

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ward. Universities are often referred to and written in many different ways and there are numerous abbreviations,” explains AIT Scientist Michael Barber. He developed special algorithms so that the majority can be automatically aligned. This initial analysis investigated the influence that factors such as the universities’ size, international reputation, thematic orientation, etc. had on their level of involvement in EU-funded research projects. As Scherngell admits, “Actually this initial analysis was designed to demonstrate what we could do.” It was evident that, as previously thought, participation levels are directly propor tional to the size of the higher education institution. However two other factors, reputation and research intensity, reinforce or weaken this statistical connection to a significant extent. On the other hand, the characteristics of national research systems were shown to have far less influence than the characteristics of the universities. Similar analyses will also be possible in future, for example with the database of public research organisations in Europe currently being developed by AIT and research partners as part of the RISIS project. In the next few years the project will provide a wealth of new information about research

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and innovation in Europe – with the aim of continually enhancing the environment for research and development through appropriate measures.

Further details: Innovation Systems Department, Beatrice Rath, Phone: +43 505 50-4508, E-Mail: beatrice.rath@ ait.ac.at, Web: www. www.ait.ac.at/is

RISIS DATA INFRASTRUCTURE Data infrastructures for the integration, opening and analysis of current innovation research topics in 5 themes. I) Dynamics of the European Research Area – EUPRO: information on all projects under the European framework programmes – JOREP: data on research funding systems in European countries – Nano S&T Dynamics: patent database on nanotechnology development II) Dynamics of innovation in business – VICO: information on high-tech start-ups in 7 European countries – CIB: standardised patent database comprising more than 2,000 large firms – European mid-size fast growing firms: special SME database (under development) III) Research in the public sector – ETER: information about characteristics of higher educational institutions – Leiden Ranking: data about the research output of universities – European PROs: characteristics of research organisations (under development) IV) Careers of researchers in Europe – PROFILE: monitoring of research careers in Germany – MORE: survey of career paths and mobility of European researchers V) RTI policy evaluations – SIPER: repository of RTI policy evaluations The 13 data infrastructures are complemented by two platforms for data manipulation and big data handling (CORTEXT Manager) and for special integration of web-based data (SMS Platform).

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BENEDETTO LEPORI FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF LUGANO IS MEMBER OF THE COORDINATING TEAM OF THE RISIS PROJECT AND COLLABORATES CLOSELY WITH AIT.

What do you consider as the most significant contribution of RISIS to s cience and innovation research in Europe? RISIS will enhance the availability and facility of use by researchers of a number of databases which are central for studying research and higher education policies; this will significantly extend the empirical evidence we have on critical issues in this area, like efficiency of research organisations, training of human resources and impact of public policies in this area. What are the most important challenges in integrating different data infrastructures on research and innovation? Challenges are technical, related to different software tools adopted by each data infrastructure, legal, related to limitations to access because of confidentiality and, most importantly, taxonomical, related to the fact that datasets refer to different objects and therefore use different variable and classification principles (for example for scientific fields). RISIS will not merge these different datasets, but smooth the process of combining them for research purposes. What is the main purpose of the ETER database and how is it applied in RISIS? The European Tertiary Register is the first complete register of Higher Education Institutions in Europe, including key data like localisation, students, finances. It allows in-depth comparative work on European higher education; a major focus in RISIS will be to match this database with other types of data, like scientific publications, patents, European projects and to extend the ETER coverage into the past, to allow for longitudinal analyses. The combination of the ETER and EUPRO databases has been one of the first specific integration activities in RISIS. What do you consider as the most important outcomes of this combination? The analysis we performed confirms the high concentration of participation in European Programmes in the top research universities and demons trates that the number of participation is a function of size and interna tional reputation. It shows also that second-tier (non-doctorate awarding HEIs) have very limited participation. A key result is that European integration has gone so far that geography has now little impact on participation; a HEI from Belgium has a similar number of projects as one in Eastern Europe (given the same endowment of research and international reputation).

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➜ MOBILITY

ENERGY SAVING LIGHT METALS /// Metal casting is carried out at extremely high temperatures and involves energyintensive processes. Research staff at the AIT Business Unit Light Metals Technologies in Ranshofen are working on the development of innovative concepts to significantly increase the energy efficiency of these manufacturing processes. ///

●● IN A NUTSHELL Cars of the future should be environmentally-friendly, light-weight, safe and reasonably priced. This is quite a challenge not only for the automotive sector but also for the associated light metals industry. So how can extremely energy-intensive processes, such as metal casting be made more energy efficient and thus not only less expensive but also more environmentallyfriendly? Light metals experts at AIT in Ranshofen and external research partners are using the latest methods and technologies to lower casting temperatures, reduce manufacturing steps and avoid faults in the production process. These improvements in the manufacturing process provide significant energy savings, reduce emissions and thus enable companies to compete internationally.

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WHICH EVER FORM of power vehicles use in the future – be it electricity, hydrogen or fuel cells – one thing is for sure: they need to be low in energy consumption, cost-efficient and safe. And in order to consume less fuel or energy, such vehicles need to weigh less. This is primarily achieved by the increased use of light metals. The main challenges facing the automotive industry are thus also those facing the light metals industry – in particular here in Austria where the light metal industry is strongly focused on the automo-

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tive market. Today, the increasing focus in both sectors is on a holistic approach to the energy balance with a key role played by the development of sustainable, efficient manufacturing processes and the use of innovative materials. LESS WEIGHT, LESS POLLUTANTS

In line with the critical view taken in terms of the environmental impact and total energy balance of vehicles, demands have also increased with respect to the material properties of components and structures, as well as to manufacturing and production processes in the light metals industry. In fact today, materials only have any kind of chance of success on the market if they offer a good total energy balance and are safe and reasonably priced or at least less expensive than traditional materials. “One of the major challenges involved in the development of new light-weight components is ensuring a reduction not only in their weight but also in the amount of energy required in their production. Of course, product properties must also be retained or even improved in order, for example, to ensure enhanced performance in terms of the safety of vehicle occupants in the event of a crash”, explains Christian Chimani, Head of Mobility Department.

MOBILITY

AMBITIOUS AND WELL CONNECTED

The main research focus at the AIT Business Unit Light Metals Technologies Ranshofen is on new aluminium and magnesium alloys, as well as their combination with steel components and composites in vehicles. Due to the high demands placed on light-weight construction, the various materials are combined in such a way that the final component features the best overall properties. “Dealing with such a difficult issue requires intensive research efforts in materials science and in particular in applied research”, says Christian Chimani. “Networking and close cooperation with industry, universities and non-university research institutes have, therefore, become absolutely essential when it comes to successful developments of this kind.” CHRISTIAN CHIMANI /// Head of Mobility Department “Reducing weight and energy input in production, while also retaining product properties, for example crash safety – these are the major challenges of lightweight design.”

ENERGY OPTIMISED PROCESSES

In response to the increasing demands placed on the light metal industry, its products and working methods, AIT launched the research project MEEE-PRO-CAST (methods for the development of energy efficient process variants in light metal casting). The project aims to develop key theoretical principles for increasing energy efficiency of manufacturing processes in the light metals industry. “In this case, we’re not looking at improved insulation of smelting and casting units or waste heat recovery for infrastructure companies”, ex plains Salar Bozorgi, scientist at the AIT Business Unit Light Metals Technologies in Ranshofen. “In this particular project, our focus is actually on designing the process chain in such a way that energy savings can be made at the various different manufacturing stages – for example by reducing the number of times semi-finished products or castings need to be cooled down to room temperature before being reheated in the next processing stage.” This can considerably reduce energy consumption – provided of course that there is no negative impact on material quality.

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MOBILITY

the high volumes of castings processed in foundries, there is a considerable amount of energy to be saved here”, points out Salar Bozorgi. “This has important economic benefits for the companies themselves and also helps protect the environment.” TESTS BASED ON LASER ULTRASOUND TECHNOLOGY UNWANTED CRACKS

Casting is an inherently energy-intensive process. “Innovative concepts can, however, also help to ensure that even light metal alloys, which require highly specialised processing techniques, can be manufactured with less energy input and lower reject rates”, confirms the scientist. A major problem that persists in industrial practice is, however, crack formation in the product. This tends to occur in particular in the continuous casting process, which is at the beginning of the process chain and requires optimisation in many of the new alloys. One of the critical faults that tends to occur during this phase is what is known as a hot crack, which can develop during the solidification of the metal melt. “Although this type of fault has been extensively examined and is also generally understood, it still remains one of the biggest problems in foundries, in particular with regard to alloys susceptible to hot cracking”, explains Salar Bozorgi. AIT experts in Ranshofen aim to overcome what is an extremely challeng ing technical hurdle with systematic development work and synergistic cooperation. “This would represent huge progress for the industrial production of alloys with excellent light-weight properties”, says Bozorgi.

The necessary know-how about non-destructive testing of a wide variety of parameters in the manufacturing process was provided by project partner RECENDT GmbH (Research Center for Non Destructive Testing GmbH). More specifically, this internationally renowned research centre for materials characterisation and nondestructive materials testing used measurement methods based on laser ultrasound technology in the online measurement of certain process parameters during the on-going casting process. The contactless laser ultrasound method is used to generate and detect ultrasonic signals. As the measurements can also be performed at a considerable distance (unlike measurements performed using conventional ultrasonic techniques), this technology is particularly suitable for use with very hot samples such as molten metals. In the project, research staff used this technology in order, for example, to detect hot and warm cracks. “This method was indeed highly successful - not only in detecting faults but also in reducing defect rates through adjustments made to casting parameters”, explains Salar Bozorgi. This enables considerable energy and emission savings throughout the entire process chain. PRACTICAL APPLIED RESEARCH

ONE LESS PROCESSING STAGE

In the research project MEEE-PROCAST, AIT scientists together with colleagues from Johannes Kepler University Linz have used modern simulation methods and the latest knowledge about analytical calculation of metallurgical effects in order to optimise casting processes. Drawing on sophisticated methods, cutting-edge expertise and many years of experience in the field, research staff have been able to prove, for example, that the mechanical properties of castings which undergo heat treatment while still hot from the casting process demonstrate values equal to castings which are cooled down and then reheated during heat treatment. “Taking into account

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In the interests of cost-efficiency, the new findings will first be validated on a laboratory scale at AIT and subsequently under near-industrial conditions. With some 20 years of experience of working in cooperation with Austrian industrial SALAR BOZORGI /// Scientist AIT Light Metals Technologies Ranshofen “Energy savings in melting and casting can be achieved when analysing the entire process chain.“

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MOBILITY

companies in the field of lightweight construction and materials development, AIT research staff have built up a thorough understanding of the problems encountered in practice and provide targeted solutions. The scientific solutions developed address challenges encountered by a wide variety of users in the industry enabling the r esultant innovations to be transferred into industrial applications.

Further details: Mobility Department, Nancy Brandt, Phone: +43 505 50-6322, E-Mail: nancy.brandt@ ait.ac.at, Web: www.ait. ac.at/mobility

RESEARCH SERVICES Close cooperation between material development and structural design is required to be able to adapt processes both to costumer requirements and the constraints of the material. The Department‘s con siderable experience in materials science in relation to the light metals aluminium and magnesium forms the basis for optimum process solutions for project partners and customers. The focus is on casting and forming processes, which are based on numerical process simulation methods and validated by complementary experiments. AIT is currently investing in a range of equipment intended to improve the process infrastructure considerably while also forming the basis for a thorough understanding of processes. AIT also has state-of-the-art testing facilities to obtain a detailed understanding of metallurgical processes and any downstream heat treatment. • • • •

Development and improvement of casting processes Evaluation and optimisation of forming technologies Comprehensive process simulation technologies Process evaluation and optimisation of external product lines • Validation and prototyping

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DI DR. JÜRGEN ROITHER, PROJECT HEAD LASER ULTRASOUND AT RECENDT GMBH ON THE SEARCH FOR OPTIMAL MATERIALS AND MANUFACTURING PROCESSES FOR LIGHTWEIGHT DESIGN. What are the biggest challenges facing the light metal industry today? As materials testing experts we are familiar with a wide range of materials such as, for example, carbon fibre, steel or aluminium and know about their physical properties. Of course, weight reduction and therefore lightweight construction is a key issue nowadays. At the same time, we are fully aware of the fact that what may often be regarded as “heavy” materials may offer beneficial and desirable material properties for many applications. The challenge for the light metals industry is, therefore, to develop materials with properties that can be adjusted during the manufacturing process. Ideally, there would be an appropriate light metal with the relevant material properties for each practical application. Recycling and energy efficiency in manufacturing and processing are also key issues in our industry today. Aluminium of course plays a leading role in this respect. What contribution can non-destructive testing methods play with r egard to energy efficient manufacturing and production processes? Destructive testing is usually carried out on a finished product, which is tested with regard to its material qualities and destroyed in the process. Generally speaking, non-destructive testing does not necessarily have to be carried out on a finished product as such, as the product is in fact tested during the manufacturing process thus making it possible to control the process. In the case of continuous casting of aluminium, for example, quality can be tested by non-destructive means during the manufacturing process. If the quality is not sufficient the casting parameters can be adjusted in real-time. If necessary, the manufacturing process can also be interrupted, which enables some of the aluminium melt to be “saved” for another casting trial. In short, this means that non-destructive testing not only makes a major contribution with regard to quality assurance but also with regard to increasing energy efficiency. How does RECENDT benefit from working with AIT and what xperience has the company gained from this cooperation? e AIT, and in particular the Business Unit Light Metals Technologies in Ranshofen, has a wealth of valuable expertise and excellent contacts within the light metals industry. Indeed, being able to draw on these valuable contacts and experience has proved vital in enabling RECENDT to gain a foothold in this technology sector and establish itself as a centre for non-destructive material testing in the light metal sector. Although RECENDT and AIT are in fact active in different fields, i.e. materials testing vs. materials science, our collaboration was highly constructive. Both project teams successfully contributed their particular expertise and used their synergies positively and effectively. This collaboration enabled rapid progress towards achieving the common goal of increasing energy efficiency in the continuous casting of light metals without any modification of the existing machinery.

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➜ INNOVATION CALENDAR

INNOVATION CALENDAR 26.–29.1.: RISIS week International workshop as part of the RISIS project, which aims at investigating the European research infrastructure. Venue: Rome Information: http://risis.eu 7.–12.2.: Photonics West The number one conference for laser technology, photonics and biomedical optics, including product presentations. Venue: San Francisco Contact: Martin Stierle

16.–19.3.: DAGA 2015 The 41st annual meeting for acoustics organised by the German Acoustical Society is of high relevance for the entire German-speaking area and will for the first time take place in Nuremberg. Venue: Nuremberg Contact: Marco Conter Information: www.daga2015.de/de/ 16.–19.3.: Science & Technology Austria Showcase Washington Cooperation event of the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO): Austria showcase on science and technology in the aerospace and security sectors. Venue: Washington Contact: Andrea Nowak

4.–6.3.: Smart Cities Week 2015 The event focuses on the energy future of smart cities and how it can be achieved in an innovative, socially compatible manner based on integrated systems solutions. Venue: Salzburg Information: smartcities.at

18.–20.3.: EMIM Tenth annual meeting of the European Society for Molecular Imaging. Venue: Tubingen Information: www.e-smi.eu/index.php?id=2575

9.–11.3.: BIO Europe Spring Europe’s largest partnering conference of the global biotech sector. The event provides a meeting place for decision makers from biotechnology, pharma and finance and innovative start-ups. Venue: Paris Information: www.ebdgroup.com

14.–16.4.: conhIT The annual highlight in healthcare IT features four events – indus trial fair, congress, academy and networking – to encourage dialog between manufacturers, users and representatives from the poli tical and scientific communities. Venue: Berlin Contact: Peter Kastner

10.–12.3.: Passenger Terminal Expo The world’s leading conference and exhibition for the global aviation industry. The event is expected to attract over 4,000 participants from 90 countries. Venue: Paris Contact: Axel Weißenfeld

15.–17.4.: ESAFORM The 18th international ESAFORM conference will take place for the first time in Austria at Graz University of Technology. The conference covers various disciplines in the materials sector, including metals, polymers and ceramics. Venue: Graz Information: www.esaform2015.at/

15.–19.3.: TMS 2015 The annual meeting for international materials research serves as a platform for representatives from business, research and development. Over 4,000 participants are expected to attend this year‘s event. Venue: Orlando, USA Contact: Andreas Kraly Information: www.tms.org/meetings/annual-15/AM15home.aspx

22.–23.4.: International Road Meeting Research FIRM The FEHRL conference presents the latest developments in European road transport research. Venue: Brussels Contact: Manfred Haider

16.–12.3.: Maseltov Final Conference The results of the Maseltov project (Mobile Assistance for Social Inclusion & Empowerment of Immigrants with Persuasive Learning Technologies & Social Network Services) will be presented at this final conference. Venue: London Information: maseltov.eu

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18.–22. 5.: Smart Grids Week The annual conference brings together smart grids experts from across Austria. Venue: Vienna Contact: Wolfgang Hribernik 18.–19.6.: eHealth Summit Austria The Austrian international eHealth conference will be held under the motto “Personalised Health”. Venue: Vienna Contact: Günter Schreier

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➜ SCIENTIFIC PAPER

AIT TOP JOURNAL PAPERS /// Current research results of AIT scientists recently published in high-impact international journals. /// Renate Teppner1, Bernd Langensteiner2, Walter Meile2, Günter Brenn2, Sybill Kerschbaumer3 1 A IT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Energy Department, 1210 Vienna, Austria 2 Institute of Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria 3 Dr. Pfeiler GmbH, 8010 Graz, Austria AIR CHANGE RATES DRIVEN BY THE FLOW AROUND AND THROUGH A BUILDING STOREY WITH FULLY OPEN OR TILTED WINDOWS: AN EXPERIMENTAL AND NUMERICAL STUDY Energy and Buildings, Volume 80, September 2014, Pages 570–583 Air change rates (ACH) through open and tilted windows in rooms of residential buildings driven by atmospheric motions are investigated to evaluate natural ventilation concepts. Model experiments in wind tunnels, numerical flow simulations (CFD) and thermal building simulations are used. Pressure profiles are measured on the facade of a building model for selected wind directions and velocities. A separated sample storey and a sample single room in larger scales were used to measure air transport through window openings under the influence of the external pressure distribution. The ACH was obtained by velocity measurements in the window cross sections and by tracer gas measurements using the decay method. ACH from CFD computations of the wind tunnel environment agreed well with the experimental values. Therefore the numerical simulations were extended to real dimensions. The dependency of the ACH on the position in the external flow field and a scaling law for the ACH are presented. The wind-driven ACH obtained are much larger than the temperature-driven values prescribed in the Austrian standard Ö-NORM B 8110-3 on the prevention of high room temperatures during summer. A comparison of the impact of temperature-driven with wind-driven ACH, i.e. natural ventilation concepts, in thermal building simulations is presented.

Ivan Barisic1 Dieter Mitteregger2, Alexander M. Hirschl 2, Christa Noehammer1, Herbert Wiesinger-Mayr1 1 A IT Austrian Institute of Technology, Molecular Diagnostics, Muthgasse 11/2, 1190 Vienna, Austria 2 Medical University of Vienna, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Microbiology, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria HIGH DIVERSITY OF BETA-LACTAMASES IN THE GENERAL HOSPITAL VIENNA VERIFIED BY WHOLE GENOME SEQUENCING AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Infection, Genetics and Evolution 27 (2014) 408–417 The detailed analysis of antibiotic resistance mechanisms is essential for understanding the underlying evolutionary processes, the implementation of appropriate intervention strategies and to guarantee efficient treatment options. In the present study, 110 β-lactam-resistant, clinical isolates of Enterobacteriaceae sampled in 2011 in one of Europe‘s largest hospitals, the General Hospital Vienna, were screened for the presence of 31 β-lactamase genes. Twenty of those isolates were selected for whole genome sequencing (WGS). In addition, the number of β-lactamase genes was estimated using biostatistical models. The carbapenemase genes blaKPC-2, blaKPC-3, and blaVIM-4 were identified in carbapenem-resistant and intermediate susceptible isolates, blaOXA-72 in an extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-positive one. Furthermore, the observed high prevalence of the acquired blaDHA-1 and blaCMY AmpC β-lactamase genes (70%) in phenotypically AmpC-positive isolates is alarming due to their capability to

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become carbapenem-resistant upon changes in membrane permeability. The statistical analyses revealed that approximately 55% of all β-lactamase genes present in the General Hospital Vienna were detected by this study. In summary, this work gives a very detailed picture on the disseminated β-lactamases and other resistance genes in one of Europe‘s largest hospitals.

Korber, M., Paier, M. R&D NETWORKS AND REGIONAL KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION: AN AGENT-BASED SIMULATION OF THE AUSTRIAN COMPETENCE CENTRES PROGRAMME. Economy of Region, 2014, 38, 2, 264-275 Publicly funded competence centres have gained high recognition for improving science-industry collaboration. With the requirement for long-term and geographically concentrated R&D, competence centres provide an environment for joint learning and transfer of “sticky” knowledge. The objective of this paper is to investigate how a competence centres programme affects knowledge production in the regional innovation system in the long run. In order to address this issue, we draw on a simulation approach and develop an agent-based model of the Vienna Life Sciences innovation system. Companies, research organisations and universities are heterogeneous agents that create scientific publications, patents as well as high-tech jobs. Simulation runs refer to 30-year-scenarios with different levels and duration of public funding for competence centres. By addressing the complexities of knowledge interaction in the context of the “local buzz” versus “global pipelines” discussion, the results show the potential of empirically calibrated simulation models for exante impact assessment in R&D policy.

M. Kumar, N. Sotirov, C. M. Chimani INVESTIGATIONS ON WARM FORMING OF AW-7020-T6 ALLOY SHEET Journal of Materials Processing Technology 214 (2014) 1769–1776 7000 series aluminium alloys have greater strength than conventional aluminium alloys used in the automotive industry, but little has been reported on their formability. In this paper the strength and formability of agehardenable AW-7020 alloy sheet in the T6 temper condition was investigated at temperatures between 150 and 250˚C by warm tensile, Swift-cupping and cross-die deep-drawing tests. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) investigations were carried out to study the precipitation state of AW-7020 sheet in as-received, warm cross-die deep-drawn and postpaint-baked conditions. Formability was found to improve at temperatures above 150˚C and was sensitive to temperature and strain rate. There was also an onset of dynamic recovery from 150˚C. DSC results showed the presence of η´(MgZn2) precipitates in T6 temper and that these coarsen during the warm cross-die deep-drawing and paint baking processes with ~30% drop in ultimate tensile and yield strengths. D ynamic recovery and coarsening of η´(MgZn2)precipitates were found to contribute to the increase in formability at elevated temperatures.

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THE BEST WAY TO PREDICT THE FUTURE IS TO SHAPE IT. If your company is looking for cutting edge innovations, then AIT Austrian Institute of Technology is your partner of choice. Because in our institute the most acute minds in Europe are working today on tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tools and technologies, laying the ground for the solutions the future demands. Learn more about the future by visiting www.ait.ac.at

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