Academic Honors and Master’s Thesis Awards 2026 at UAS Technikum Wien

Two FH professorships, one honorary professorship, and four outstanding master’s theses: On October 19, 2026, UAS Technikum Wien recognized exceptional scientific and academic achievements. The spotlight was on individuals who help shape research and teaching at the university, as well as graduates whose master’s theses provide innovative answers to current technical and societal challenges.

As part of the celebrations surrounding the 2026 Teaching Awards, the program in the grand ballroom at UAS Technikum Wien also included academic honors and recognition of the achievements of emerging researchers. Two university professors and one honorary professor were honored, and four graduates received Master’s Thesis Awards for their research projects.

The range of honored achievements spanned from user experience and quantum technologies to European industrial policy, sustainable mobility, data protection, artificial intelligence, and rehabilitation technology.

Sylvia Lingo, director of the Teaching and Learning Center, hosted the event. The academic honors were presented by the faculty of UAS Technikum Wien, and the awards were formally conferred by Rector Sylvia Geyer.

Two New UAS Professors

By conferring a UAS professorship, the Faculty Council of UAS Technikum Wien honors individuals who distinguish themselves through their academic qualifications, professional expertise, and commitment to research and teaching.

During the ceremony, Andreas Sackl and Hermann Detz were awarded the title of UAS Professor.

Andreas Sackl – Research at the Interface of People and Technology

Andreas Sackl heads the Digital Enterprise & User Experience research cluster at the UAS Technikum Wien. His professional and academic focus lies particularly in the areas of user experience and virtual reality.

Sackl earned his Ph.D. from the Technical University of Berlin and has extensive experience in both research and industry. His academic publications and international conference papers document his work at the intersection of technological development and human use.

Among other things, his research explores how digital technologies can be designed and evaluated to meet the requirements and needs of their users. This perspective plays a particularly important role in new digital and immersive applications.

Through his academic work and practical experience, Sackl contributes to the advancement of research and teaching in the field of digital technologies at the UAS Technikum Wien.

Hermann Detz – Research in the Field of Quantum Technologies

Hermann Detz is the Program Director of the Master’s program in Quantum Engineering at the UAS Technikum Wien. His academic work focuses on the study of micro- and nanostructures and their potential technological applications.

Detz has international research experience and has been recognized for his scientific work with awards from the CEITEC Research Center, among others. In addition, he is actively involved in the Austrian Physical Society.

He directly incorporates his research experience into academic education, thereby combining current scientific developments in the field of quantum engineering with well-founded, research-driven teaching.

Honorary Professorship for Roman Stiftner: Bridging Science, Industry, and Europe

By conferring an honorary professorship on Roman Stiftner, the UAS Technikum Wien recognized his long-standing commitment to bridging the gap between higher education, industry, and European institutions.

Stiftner has been a lecturer at the UAS Technikum Wien since 2018 and teaches courses in areas such as International Business & Engineering and Renewable Energy Engineering. His areas of expertise include European industrial and regulatory policy, the circular economy, sustainability, and decarbonization.

A graduate of the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien) with a doctorate in engineering, he has many years of leadership experience in industry and European associations. As Director General of EUMICON and President of the European Shippers’ Council (ESC), he brings an extensive international network to his work at the university.

His commitment is also evident in research and innovation projects such as Biochar4Metallurgy (FFG), AUTOSUP (Horizon Europe), VITAL-5G, and ENTRANCE. These projects provide professional inspiration for teaching, practical case studies, scientific collaborations, and topics for master’s theses.

One example of international collaboration is the presentation of robotics research results from UAS Technikum Wien during the European Commission’s Raw Materials Week in Brussels.

By appointing Roman Stiftner as an honorary professor, the university specifically recognizes his contribution to knowledge transfer between academia and industrial practice, as well as to the international networking of UAS Technikum Wien.

Master’s Thesis Awards 2026: Four Award-Winning Theses from Four Faculties

The achievements of emerging researchers were also highlighted during the ceremony. With the Master’s Thesis Awards 2026, UAS Technikum Wien honored four graduates for outstanding scientific theses—one from each of the four faculties.

The award-winning theses address different research questions but have one thing in common: they combine scientifically sound methods with concrete technical developments or application-oriented solutions.

Markus Dangl – Assessing Mobility Emissions in Urban Areas

Faculty of Industrial Engineering | Master’s in Renewable Energy

To what extent does one’s place of residence influence the emissions from our daily mobility? Markus Dangl explored this question in his master’s thesis “Development of a Model for Location-Based Forecasting of Emissions from Daily Mobility in Urban Areas”.

He developed a model that assesses the mobility emissions of private individuals based on their place of residence and access to public transportation. The resulting metric can be incorporated into the evaluation of urban neighborhoods and thus support decision-making in urban and transportation planning.

The thesis was recognized in particular for the timeliness of its topic, its transparent scientific methodology, and its direct practical utility. The model is also generally applicable beyond Vienna.

Advisor: Elisabeth Kerschbaum
Co-advisor: Daniel Bell

Alexander Sallmann – Privacy-Friendly Solutions for Digital Government Procedures

Faculty of Computer Science & Applied Mathematics | Master’s in Business Informatics

In digital government procedures, much of the same information must be re-entered repeatedly. Alexander Sallmann investigated how such processes can be simplified without compromising data privacy.

In his master’s thesis “A Privacy-by-Design Architecture for the Reuse of Citizen Data in Municipal Online Forms”, he developed a technical architecture that allows personal data to be stored in encrypted form—following explicit consent—and reused for future applications.

The solution was implemented as a prototype in a real municipal form and successfully tested. Supplementary interviews with experts and citizens confirmed its practical benefits.

The thesis was recognized for its scientific foundation, its independent technical implementation, and its concrete contribution to the digitization of public administration.

Advisors: Peter Seifter and Christian Schucan

Nermine Agban – Artificial Intelligence for Greater Safety in Industry

Faculty of Electronic Engineering & Entrepreneurship | Master’s in Internet of Things and Intelligent Systems

In her master’s thesis, Nermine Agban explored the use of artificial intelligence to improve workplace safety in her thesis titled “Development and Optimization of an Edge-Based Industrial Hazard Detection System Using Object Detection and Embedded AI Hardware”.

She developed and investigated a camera-based system designed to use AI to detect whether workers in industrial settings are wearing required protective equipment, such as safety helmets and protective vests.

To this end, she compared various YOLO-based object detection methods and hardware configurations, particularly direct processing on edge devices and support from specialized AI processors.

The thesis stood out for its meticulous engineering approach, systematic measurements, and quantitative analyses. The results are relevant both from a scientific perspective and for potential applications in industrial occupational safety.

Advisor: Stefan Paschek

Daniela Kalchbrenner – Virtual Reality in Rehabilitation with Arm Prosthetics

Faculty of Life Science Engineering | Master’s in Health and Rehabilitation Technology

What possibilities does virtual reality offer for learning to use arm prostheses? Daniela Kalchbrenner addressed this question in her master’s thesis “Virtual Reality in Upper-Limb Prosthetic Rehabilitation: An Evaluation of Usability and User Experience with the Myo-Hand XP”.

She investigated the usability and user experience of the VR-based training system Myo-Hand XP from the company Virtetic.

Nine actual prosthesis users participated in the study, including individuals with congenital limb differences and those with acquired amputations. By combining standardized usability assessments, interviews, and observations, Kalchbrenner was also able to identify issues that would not have been apparent from questionnaire results alone.

The thesis, developed in collaboration with Ottobock and Virtetic, provides concrete insights for the further development of virtual training systems. It also highlights the phases of prosthetic fitting in which VR-based applications can be particularly beneficial.

The scientific methodology, the involvement of actual users, and the direct practical relevance were particularly noteworthy.

Advisor: Johannes Martinek

Research and Teaching in Synergy

The academic honors and master’s thesis awards highlight the breadth of expertise at UAS Technikum Wien. The honorees represent many years of scientific work, dedicated teaching, and successful collaborations with industry and research institutions. The master’s theses, in turn, demonstrate the scientific and technical achievements students are already making during their education.

Both awards highlight how important the interplay of research, teaching, and practice is for a university of applied sciences. Current research findings are incorporated into the curriculum, while new ideas and solutions emerge from the students’ work.

The gala evening provided an opportunity to celebrate these achievements together. Accompanied by music from the vienna strings, the event concluded with a reception and informal conversations.

Photo credit for all photos: Alek Kawka / UAS Technikum Wien

Further Information:

Teaching Award 2026: UAS Technikum Wien Honors Outstanding Teaching

Honorary Professorship For Roman Stiftner: A Strong Boost For Research, Teaching, And Industry Partnerships

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