MCI as lead partner in the COIN research consortium

2014-11-05

Algae as the basis of valuable products for the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetics industries – Joint research project involving the MCI, ADSI and the Upper Austrian University of Applied Sciences

In collaboration with the Austrian Drug Screening Institute (ADSI), a company established by the University of Innsbruck, and the Upper Austrian University of Applied Sciences, the MCI is working to develop new processes for converting algae into high-grade raw materials and active agents with enormous potential for pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and the food and cosmetics industries. The MCI’s contribution to the project includes twelve years of experience in the field of algal biotechnology.

The purpose of the envisaged processes is to produce valuable active agents, additives and specific products from algae and micro-algae and to employ the residual biomass as a source of energy. The MCI’s departments of Biotechnology and Environmental, Process & Energy Engineering are providing their extensive expertise in research and development and are also acting as lead managers for the project.

Algae are a complex group of photosynthetic microorganisms which employ various mechanisms to protect themselves from bacteria, viruses, fungi, excessive UV radiation, etc. These properties make it possible to derive innovative products such as antifungal and antiviral agents, cosmetics and food additives.

This potential has so far remained largely unexploited. The research project called “Cooperation for Competence Building: Valuable Products from Algae – Screening, Cultivation and Downstreaming” (or (Co)-Operation SKD for short) has been established to offer targeted products and services to future industry partners.

Professor Christoph Griesbeck, Program Director in the MCI’s Department of Biotechnology, is very pleased with the latest developments: "The COIN project constitutes recognition for our long years of work with micro-algae. It will help us put our research on a broader footing and, especially in cooperation with our project partners, combine it with screening, process engineering and analytics. That will lead to faster results in the form of new products offering attractive opportunities for our industry partners.”

The project is scheduled to run for four years. Total costs of the project, which has been submitted to the FFG (Austrian Research Promotion Agency), amount to 1.3 million euros.

Other statements:

Professor Alexander Jäger, Vice-Dean of the Upper Austrian University of Applied Sciences: "With this project, our university is moving into a completely new field of Biotechnology and Life Science research. Our objective is to become an international player as a center for algal products.”

Professor Günther Bonn, Scientific Director Analytics at ADSI: “ADSI is a translational research operation at the University of Innsbruck. It is making its full analytical capacities available for this joint project with the MCI and the Upper Austrian University of Applied Sciences. This cooperative venture is of great importance, not just for us but for the complete Austrian research scene with all its universities and non-university research facilities.”

Professor Lukas A. Huber, Scientific Director Cell Biology at ADSI: “ADSI brings academic knowledge to the application and is therefore the ideal partner for this project, for which we are employing our unique analytical equipment and test bench.”

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Jubilee event at the MCI’s alumni club

250th platform session with leading speakers at the Entrepreneurial School® - The MCI success story with its academic lecture series continuesMCI Alumni & Friends recently celebrated a special jubilee: The talk given by H.E. Sergey Nechayev, the Russian Federation’s Ambassador to Austria, was the 250th platform event – with international speakers from the worlds of business, academia, politics and the arts – organized by the Entrepreneurial School®.These unique events deliver a useful stimulus, promote the exchange of knowledge and experience and help students, faculty, partners and visitors to the MCI build up their networks.The list of speakers is as varied as it is impressive and includes such famous names as President Vaclav Klaus, President Jean-Claude Juncker, EU Commissioners Franz Fischler, Benita Ferrero Waldner and Johannes Hahn, numerous ministers and undersecretaries from Austria and many other countries, and the CEOs of international corporations like Daniel Vasella (Novartis), Stefan Sommer (ZF), Michel Wurth (Arcelor Mittal), Helmut Maucher (Nestlé), Brigitte Ederer (Siemens), Helmut Rothenberger (Rothenberger), Peter Bettermann (Freudenberg), Martin Kind (Kind Group, Hannover 96), Mario Moretti Polegato (Geox) and Hap Klopp (The North Face) and of leading Austrian companies like Georg Kapsch (Kapsch), Niki Lauda (FlyNiki), Christian Kern (ÖBB) and Sabine Herlitschka (Infineon).And that is far from the end of the story: For the next few years, the MCI has succeeded in booking the prestigious speakers needed for such a high-powered program: preview“Along with the other offerings, our international lecture series puts our program in a class of its own,” says Bettina Stichauner, Director of MCI Alumni & Friends, and she continues, “which goes to show that it does matter which university you attend!”The MCI’s Rector Andreas Altmann has this to say about the MCI’s alumni club: “A lively service platform, MCI Alumni & Friends offers support in terms of contacts, careers and personal development and contributes to the international standing of the Entrepreneurial School®. The winners are our graduates and our common university and business location.”{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=921}Press contacts and queries:{mcicontact view=presse|id=18}

Strategic Management in the Tourism & Leisure Industries

The part-time MCI Executive Certificate course in Destination & Leadership is targeted at Entrepreneurs, managers and decision makers in the tourism and leisure industries, especially those responsible for destination management and development.The tourism, leisure and tourism-related service industry is one of the biggest industries worldwide and still has enormous potential for growth. Fascinating opportunities for destination development and international marketing call for managers with professional training. The special focus of the course on strategic destination management and a sound theoretical basis combined with practical applications, including study tours to selected destinations, are the key to long-term success in the field of destination development and an effective way to strengthen one’s own position within the industry.With this 14-day course in Destination & Leadership, MCI Management Center Innsbruck is offering its first executive education course explicitly designed for managers in the tourism industry. The course is being taught by highly qualified lecturers and trainers and organized in association with the Austrian Hoteliers Federation and in cooperation with the Federation of Austrian Tourism Managers and the Federation of Tyrolean Tourism Associations.The course starts on April 15, 2015 with a schedule tailored to the needs of the target group. The number of places on the course is limited.More Information:Registration & CounselingVictoria Lettenbichler+43 512 2070 2102victoria.lettenbichler@mci.edu{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=923}Press contacts and queries:{mcicontact view=presse|id=1}

2014 Science Award for MCI graduate Marco Rückl

Science Award of the Chamber of Commerce for innovative Master’s thesis in the field of Mechatronics-Mechanical EngineeringThe Mechatronics Department at the MCI has something to celebrate: professional recognition for the Master’s thesis submitted by Marco Rückl, BSc, MSc. In his work in the field of control engineering, he developed a dynamic and efficient position controller for geared drives. In comparison with conventional controller designs, the new solution offers faster error convergence and long-term stability and has great potential for use in a wide range of drive systems.The Tyrolean Chamber of Commerce first announced the Science Award in 1997. Since then the prize has been awarded on an annual basis for outstanding Diploma and Master’s theses and dissertations which display a high degree of innovation and have practical applicability for Tyrolean SMEs. For Dr. Jürgen Bodenseer as President of the Tyrolean Chamber of Commerce, the presentation ceremony for the Science Award is a special event signaling support for the young people and the future of the Tyrol.At the ceremony, the MCI’s Rector Andreas Altmann said, “I am particularly grateful to the Tyrolean Chamber of Commerce and President Jürgen Bodenseer for making this award. It is so important to build bridges between the academic and business communities. Academic research is a pillar of the economy in that the findings generate innovation. And innovation needs to be applied in trade and industry so that it can develop its potential and contribute to prosperity.”The other winners of the Science Award were Mag. Johannes Ager (LFU), Mag. Lukas Fischer (LFU), Magdalena Posch, M.A. (FH Kufstein), Irene Riccabona, MSc (LFU) and Dipl. Ing. Martin Peter Schwarz, MSc (LFU).Congratulations to all the prizewinners!{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=922}Press contacts and queries:{mcicontact view=presse|id=1}