digital ilab
The digital innovation lab is a programme at the University of Vienna where participants work in interdisciplinary teams on innovative ideas – from identifying real-world challenges to developing, testing and refining creative solutions.
In this unique and rewarding course, participants will acquire the tools and methods helpful for identifying, evaluating and realising business ideas. They will immediately put theory to practice through, for example, interviews with potential customers, building prototypes, developing financial plans, building a pitch deck etc. At the end, teams will pitch their ideas at our demo day to a panel of experts and peers. Outstanding projects will have the opportunity to apply for our u:seed programme to develop their idea further.
The course is fast-paced with an expected workload of approximately 100 hours in class, plus additional work to prepare the deliverables between sessions. Participants will learn how to work and perform under pressure, work effectively in teams, and how to look at the different aspects of an entrepreneurial venture. Given the high demand, we will select prospective participants in an assessment center where their skills and motivation will be tested.
Application deadline: 30/12/2024
Dates: 3/3 – 27/6/2025 (Mondays & Fridays)
Credits: 8 ECTS (subject to approval by the respective SSC)
Location: Creative Innovation Space (Apostelgasse 23, 1030 Vienna)
Language: English
During the digital innovation lab, you will:
- understand the principles of innovation and its connection to entrepreneurship
- collaborate in interdisciplinary teams
- apply observation techniques, develop prototypes, and design user-centered solutions
- explore human-technology interaction and digital entrepreneurship
This course includes continuous assessment based on:
- attendance and active engagement in workshops and teamwork
- project deliverables at various stages, including research, prototyping strategies, and peer feedback
- final presentation at the demo day
Ready to apply?
Don’t miss your chance to apply to the digital innovation lab – applications close on 22/12/2024. Collaborate with students across disciplines, get access to our creative innovation space and unlock up to 10.000Є in seed funding at the end of the programme. Find more about the process on our application page or read our FAQs below.
schedule
03/03/2025
9:00 – 16:00
Barbaros Oezdemir, Nathaniel Boisgard, Marco Masia, Clara Conrad-Billroth, Markus Peschl
Welcome to the programme, introduction to emerging technologies, team bonding, and introduction to innovation.
07/03/2025
9:00 – 12:00
Marco Masia & Clara Conrad-Billroth
Teams work on case studies.
10/03/2025
9:00 – 12:00
Peer learning
Each team presents their finding about a specific digital technology and its business application.
14/03/2025
10:00 – 13:00
Emmanuella Plakogiannaki
Learn how to look for unmet needs or problems that potential customers face in the context of emerging technologies.
17/03/2025
9:00 – 12:00
Peer learning
Each team presents their finding about the value proposition and business model of businesses based on digital tech.
21/03/2025
9:00 – 12:00
Marco Masia & Clara Conrad-Billroth
Presentation of entrepreneurial ideas. Teams form around those selected by the participants.
24/03/2025
9:00 – 15:00
Team work
Teams work on the value proposition canvas and on the business model canvas of their entrepreneurial idea.
28/03/2025
9:00 – 16:00
Eugenia Stamboliev, Nicholaus Forgo & Legal Mentoring Team
Learn the basics of ethical and legal consideration when developing a value proposition with emerging technologies.
31/03/2025
9:00 – 12:00
Clara Conrad-Billroth
Use generative AI as a first validation approach of the value proposition.
01/04/2025
9:00 – 13:00
Barbaros Oezdemir & Nathaniel Boisgard
Teams interact with technology experts from IBM to optimise technology implementation.
07/04/2025
9:00 – 16:00
Markus Peschl & Katharina Rötzer
Learn the basics of innovation and about observation and perception. Work in teams on the observation strategy.
11/04/2025
9:00 – 12:00
Arushi Jain & Clara Conrad-Billroth
Understand market and competition. Identify strenghts, weaknesses, and differentiators.
28/04/2025
9:00 – 15:00
Markus Peschl & Katharina Rötzer
Introduction to presencing and practical work with presencing and observation.
05/05/2025
9:00 – 15:00
Markus Peschl & Katharina Rötzer
Learn how to validate ideas through prototyping and improve the value proposition based on the outcome.
09/05/2025
9:00 – 16:00
Markus Peschl & Katharina Rötzer
Second prototyping iteration to further improve the value proposion.
12/05/2025
9:00 – 12:00
Legal & Technology Mentors
Teams interact with their mentors to understand how to tackle legal and technology constraints in their business model.
16/05/2025
9:00 – 15:00
Marco Masia
Learn the basics of value creation and how to prepare a sustainable financial model coherent with the business model.
19/05/2025
9:00 – 12:00
Darshini Waibel
Learn how to develop a sustainable product under the EU green deal.
23/05/2025
9:00 – 16:00
Markus Peschl & Katharina Rötzer
Third prototyping iteration to further improve the value proposion.
26/05/2025
9:00 – 12:00
Legal Mentoring Team
Teams interact with their mentors to address important legal aspects of their business model.
02/06/2025
9:00 – 15:00
Teamwork
Teams bring together everything they developed during the programme, draft a pitch deck, and present to their peers.
06/06/2025
9:00 – 15:00
U-Shin Kim
Learn how to pitch one’s business.
16/06/2025
9:00 – 16:00
U-Shin Kim
1-on-1 sessions with each team to improve their pitch and their presentation.
17/06/2025
9:00 – 16:00
U-Shin Kim
1-on-1 sessions with each team to improve their pitch and their presentation.
27/06/2025
17:00 – 22:00
Sky-Lounge (Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz)
Teams present to a jury of experts. The best teams will receive an award.
FAQs
The program is open to master students, PhD candidates, and postdocs from all disciplines. Fully taught in English, it is designed to be accessible to all students from diverse academic backgrounds.
Complete the online application form on this page by 22/12/2024. If selected, attend one of the assessment sessions scheduled in January 2025. Upon acceptance, commit to full attendance. University of Vienna students should also register via u:space and contact their SSC to receive 8 ECTS.
If interested in acquiring 8 ECTS for the course, students should first talk to their SSC to check if the ECTS will be recognised. Then, they will have to register to the university course on u:find.
No prior experience is required. The program is designed to provide foundational knowledge in entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology while supporting participants throughout the process.
The course involves regular sessions, workshops, and team-based work. Full attendance is mandatory. Additional time will be required for project development and deliverables.
The innovation atelier is a hands-on workshop format where participants work on their innovation projects, applying theoretical insights to develop prototypes. It includes brainstorming, observation, prototyping, and iterative design activities.
Projects focus on the future of human-technology relations, incorporating interdisciplinary approaches that address societal, technological, and ethical challenges. Teams will identify real-world problems and create sustainable, impactful solutions.
Yes, projects presented on Demo Day may receive financial and mentoring support through the u:seed program, helping teams bring their innovations to reality.
contact
Have questions about the digital innovation lab? Need more information about the program, application process, or schedule? Don’t hesitate to reach out—we’re here to help! Simply write a message to entrepreneurship@univie.ac.at and we will get back to you as soon as possible.