“Sustainability is not an option – it’s essential.”

With this guiding principle, TU Wien (Technische Universität Wien) and Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU Linz) are launching the new doctoral college Computational Sustainability.

With the start of this joint doctoral program, the two universities are sending a strong message in support of sustainability. The doctoral college—the first of its kind in Austria—offers 15 positions for PhD students to conduct interdisciplinary research at the intersection of computer science and sustainability. It launches with 15 interdisciplinary research projects and will run until 2030.

Research for a sustainable digital future

Solving economic, social, and environmental challenges through sustainable development has become essential, especially since the adoption of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Computer science, and more recently artificial intelligence, has been hailed as a key enabler of sustainability. However, energy efficiency and CO₂ reduction must also be considered to ensure fair and ecological use of resources. Computational Sustainability focuses both on the growing energy consumption of computational systems and on how computer science can address major global challenges.

“Sustainability means taking responsibility for the technologies we develop and for the society that benefits from them,” says TU Wien Rector Jens Schneider. “Through this joint doctoral college, TU Wien and JKU Linz are creating knowledge that helps us use energy more efficiently, conserve resources, and design fairer, more transparent digital systems. Our doctoral students are conducting research not just for science, but for a livable future—for all of us.”

Interdisciplinary collaboration between TU Wien and JKU Linz

Each university contributes complementary research strengths in machine learning, data science, mobility, and sustainability studies, enabling holistic approaches to urgent sustainability challenges.

JKU Linz Rector Stefan Koch emphasizes: “Sustainability and digitalization are among the greatest challenges of our time. With the doctoral college Computational Sustainability, JKU Linz and TU Wien are sending a clear signal for interdisciplinary and responsible research. The combination of computer science, artificial intelligence, and sustainability research offers the opportunity to design technologies that are not only more efficient but also more environmentally conscious.”

15 pioneering research projects

The fifteen research projects, which were evaluated by an independent panel of international experts, cover four key research areas: Sustainable Computing, Computing for Sustainable Material Science, (Hybrid) Quantum Systems, and Behavioral Change Management for Sustainable Computing. Each project is co-supervised by at least two researchers, one from TU Wien and one from JKU Linz, with a particular emphasis on interdisciplinary training.

The doctoral college promotes cross-disciplinary knowledge exchange aimed at developing scalable and impactful solutions with global relevance to the SDGs. A central goal is to demonstrate how sustainable solutions can integrate ethical, social, and ecological principles directly into computational systems.

Alois Ferscha, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Head of the Institute for Pervasive Computing and Lead Coordinator of the doctoral college at JKU Linz, explains: “With the doctoral college Computational Sustainability, JKU Linz and TU Wien present a clear scientific vision: to create a new generation of digital systems that don’t just support sustainability but truly understand it—systems that reflect on their ecological, social, and economic impact, that assess their own resource use, and that adapt to global challenges. Our mission is to educate a new generation of researchers who will write sustainability into the code of our digital future.”

Ivona Brandic, Professor, Head of the Research Unit Computational Sustainability and Lead Coordinator of the doctoral college at TU Wien, adds: “By establishing this doctoral college, TU Wien and JKU Linz are making an important statement: How can we make IT systems more sustainable—and at the same time use IT to create a more sustainable world? Only when research provides the foundation can industry follow. The creation of the Computational Sustainability research area at TU Wien is also a crucial step in this direction.”

Together for a responsible future

The new doctoral college strengthens international cooperation, promotes knowledge transfer, and equips young researchers with the skills to take responsibility for a sustainable future. In doing so, TU Wien and JKU Linz are laying the foundation for a science that consistently combines progress and sustainability.

Read the official press release on the Austria Press Agency OTS website (the press release is German-only).

Curious about the new Doctoral College?

Apply for a PhD position at TU Wien or JKU Linz, and become part of cutting-edge research at the intersection of informatics and sustainability. Detailed information about the 15 research projects can be found on the website of the doctoral college.

Curious about our other news? Subscribe to our news feed, calendar, or newsletter, or follow us on social media.