Fields of Expertise

The expanding timber construction sector is in need of new technological and design solutions. The modern 3-dimensional planning methods available today pose new challenges to manufacturing and the interface with timber production, thus opening up new areas of research.

The focus of research in the field of glass construction lies in determining the flexural tensile strength of various types of glass, as well as developing structures and supporting structures in thin glass.

Sustainability, the conservation of resources and energy efficiency are all receiving increasing attention in the construction sector. Consequently, a lifecycle approach is essential both for new and existing buildings.

Smart cities require interdisciplinary solutions for dealing with the core areas of energy, mobility and urban development. Due to the extensive quantities of data available, it requires state-of-the-art simulation programs to produce meaningful analyses which reveal the actual dynamic processes and complex relationships within cities and regions. The Institute of Energy, Transport and Environmental Management is taking on these challenges.

Socioecological research is transdisciplinary. It takes as its starting point new and complex challenges, involves urban ecology, socioecology and environmental sociology, and recommends means of optimising people's urban or local environment – their home base.

Inclusion means giving people at the margins of society, or in particularly precarious situations, access to relevant social systems such as education, work, homes, energy and mobility. The Institute of Social Work examines forms of social inclusion and the innovations on which they rely.

Research activities at the Institute of Journalism and Public Relations focus on online communication and its prerequisite – web literacy. We explore digital communication processes, journalism, PR and social media, and develop prototypical content strategies for organisations.

This research area examines how transport means and systems can be intelligently designed in order to reconcile ecological objectives, industrial process requirements and regionally differing mobility needs to create new and smart integrated concepts.

Eco-innovative design research at the Institute of Industrial Design examines the design of products and systems which combine ecological objectives and industrial process requirements to form a new and successful integrated concept.

The Institute of Biomedical Science is researching the impact of various environmental influences on the human organism as well as developing medical devices for use in molecular diagnostics. Interdisciplinary research is carried out in close cooperation with clients in industry and business.

The institutes at the Department of Health Studies develop innovative evidence-based diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, as well as evaluating existing ones. They consider physical, psychological and social influences. Their focus is on activity, functionality, nutrition and participation in a variety of settings.

The various occupational groups of the Department of Health Studies work together in close, interdisciplinary cooperation to develop and evaluate public health strategies for health promotion and preventive healthcare. Current focuses include healthy aging and obesity research.