David Gurtner, BSc MSc

Professional work experience

01/2022 - present
PhD student - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences | Management Center Innsbruck
01/2020 - 12/2021
PV technician - SYNECO tec GmbH
01/2018 - 12/2021
Project Assistant - Environmental, Process and Energy Engineering - Management Center Innsbruck
01/2013 - 12/2014
Thesis - KTM
01/2012 - 12/2018
Apprentice - SYNCRAFT Engineering GmbH, MIELE GmbH, Hörl GmbH, Step Four GmbH

Education

01/2022 - present
Dr. techn. - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences | Management Center Innsbruck
01/2019 - 12/2021
M.Sc. - Environmental, Process and Energy Engineering - Management Center Innsbruck
01/2017 - 12/2017
Chemical Engineering - Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea
01/2015 - 12/2018
B.Sc. - Environmental, Process and Energy Engineering - Management Center Innsbruck
01/2009 - 12/2014

Teaching (faculty internships etc.)

01/2022 - present
Management Center Innsbruck
Chemical laboratory incl. instrumental analytics

Competitive Research Award

06/2025 - 06/2025
European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Student Award
06/2025 - 06/2025
BOKU
Finalist BOKU Research to Market Award
01/2020 - 12/2020
Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research
Merit-based scholarship
09/2017 - 09/2017
Raiffeisen-Landesbank Tirol AG
Raiffeisen International Award 2017

Peer reviewed journal article

D. Gurtner, M. Kresta, M. Maurer, J. Haselwanter, A. Hofmann, C. Pfeifer, Self-sustained physical activation at pilot-scale integrated in a commercial wood gasification plant: A path to renewable activated carbon, PAH removal and electrical efficiency improvement, Fuel Processing Technology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuproc.2025.108235.
D. Bosch, J.O. Back, M. Spruck, L. Nohel, D. Gurtner, C. Margreiter, A. Hofmann and A. Bockreis, "Addressing Europe’s New Hunger for Sustainable Activated Carbon in Wastewater Treatment: Micropollutant Removal with Residual Wood-Based Adsorbents Using Different Activation Strategies," Chemical Engineering Research and Design, vol. 217, pp. 108–120, 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.cherd.2025.03.021.
D. Gurtner, J. O. Back, D. Bosch, A. Hofmann, C. Pfeifer. Renewable activated carbon from wood-based gasification char: A comprehensive study on physical activation, Carbon Resources Conversion, (2025), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crcon.2025.100310
D. Bosch, J. O. Back, D. Gurtner, S. Giberti, A. Hofmann, and A. Bockreis, “Alternative feedstock for the production of activated carbon with ZnCl2: Forestry residue biomass and waste wood,” Carbon Resources Conversion, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 299–309, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.crcon.2022.09.001

Supervised bachelor theses

Abele Alexander (2024): Verwendung von Altholz/Restholz aus dem kommunalen Umfeld für die Erzeugung von Pulveraktivkohle in einem Pilot-Reaktor
Götz Patrick (2023): Produktion von Pulveraktivkohle aus Vergasungsrückständen im Batch-Drehrohrofen
Schäfer Jonas (2023): Einfluss verschiedener Vergasungsrückstände als Ausgangsmaterial für die thermochemische Aktivierung
Maurer Matthias Robert (2022): Thermochemische Aktivierung von Vergaserkohle mittels Wasserdampf