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As part of the Long Night of Research 2026, the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology will present the latest technological developments and their concrete benefits for the economy and society.
On Friday, April 24, 2026, from 17:00 to 23:30, visitors can experience research up close at multiple locations across Austria – with a special focus on digitalization, sustainability, and resilient infrastructure.
“The Long Night of Research demonstrates the power and impact that research can have. As AIT, we aim to work with all stakeholders to further strengthen the importance of research – through communication and through formats that make research visible and tangible. Perhaps a visitor today will soon become a researcher of tomorrow”, emphasizes Brigitte Bach, Managing Director and Spokesperson for the Management Board of the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology.
Research at the heart of the city: Experience future technologies in Vienna
At its Vienna location on Maria-Theresien-Platz (“Research at the heart of the city”; between the Natural History Museum and the Museum of Art History, 1010 Vienna), AIT showcases key future technologies that visitors can experience firsthand.
In the quantum communication section, visitors can see how physical principles enable new security standards – from data transmission using light beams (photonics) to tap-proof video communication via quantum key distribution.
Visitors can experience the energy transition through a demonstration system for air-source heat pumps, which shows how environmental energy is used efficiently for heating and cooling.
The AI Foresight Tool allows visitors to interactively explore future scenarios: specific decisions lead to different development paths, which AI translates into images and stories.
A special highlight is the virtual reality station on aluminum recycling, which offers an immersive experience of the journey from scrap to new product and demonstrates how digital technologies optimize circular processes.
AI Factory Austria (AI:AT) demonstrates how AI is put into practice – from concept to application. A robot draws portraits based on AI-generated lines, while at the “Nukuki Live Story Showcase,” spoken ideas are transformed in real time into multimedia stories that can be downloaded via QR codes.
Sustainable Materials and Industrial Innovation in Ranshofen
At Ranshofen Castle (Wertheimerplatz 9, 5282 Ranshofen), the focus is on industrial transformation – with a clear goal: to make production more efficient, sustainable, and resource-efficient.
Digital applications such as virtual scrap sorting and alloy development demonstrate how the use of data can improve industrial processes. DATA BRATA makes this particularly tangible: The solution analyzes sensor data in real time, immediately detects production errors, and vividly demonstrates its potential through the manufacturing of small keychains.
In the recycling section, the journey of materials is made understandable – from melting down chocolate Easter bunnies to real-world aluminium processes. This is complemented by insights into forming technology, welding, and additive manufacturing, which use demonstrators and components to bring modern production processes to life.
Interactive stations on metallography also explain how microstructures determine the properties of materials.
A Healthy Environment and Resilient Food Systems in Tulln
In Tulln (Tulln University and Research Center, Konrad-Lorenz-Straße 24, 3430 Tulln), the AIT demonstrates how biological research contributes to securing our livelihoods – for example, by promoting healthy soils and stable food systems.
The focus is on microorganisms and microbiomes, which play a crucial role in soil fertility, plant growth, and thus food production. Visitors gain insights into how these invisible helpers can be specifically harnessed to make agriculture more sustainable and resilient.
Another focus is on the development of climate-resilient crops. Research projects demonstrate how plants can better cope with drought stress and changing environmental conditions – a crucial factor in light of climate change.
Interactive formats highlight how closely the environment, health, and nutrition are interconnected. This illustrates how applied research develops concrete solutions to make food systems stable, sustainable, and crisis-resistant in the long term.
“Our research makes a real impact by translating scientific findings into concrete applications that drive sustainable progress in business and society,” emphasizes Andreas Kugi, Scientific Director of the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology. “The Long Night of Research highlights exactly that and shows how ideas become innovations and how innovations lead to tangible benefits.”