Josef Ressel Center at MCI Concludes with Strong Results

Five-year research program on the production of powdered activated carbon from municipal residues successfully completed | Three doctoral degrees awarded

A significant milestone for applied research at MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®: With the successful completion of all three doctoral dissertations, the five-year Josef Ressel Center (JR Center) for the Production of Powdered Activated Carbon from Municipal Residues has officially concluded its research activities.

The research center focused on the high-value utilization of municipal residual materials, particularly waste wood, and developed innovative processes for the production and application of powdered activated carbon. The project addressed the entire value chain – from raw material preparation and the development and optimization of gasification processes to produce high-quality fuel gas, through to the activation of the resulting carbon materials.

Holistic Research Approach with Direct Practical Relevance

Over the course of the project, the JR Center successfully demonstrated that the powdered activated carbon produced can be efficiently applied in wastewater treatment. In addition, the research generated technological solutions for the cascading use of waste wood, combining ecological and economic benefits while opening up new opportunities for circular economy approaches in municipal infrastructure.

A key success factor of the Josef Ressel Center was the close collaboration between academia and industry. Research results were jointly developed and validated with leading industry partners under real-world conditions. Participating companies benefited from innovative technologies and robust scientific findings that can be directly transferred into industrial applications.

Project partners included SYNCRAFT GmbH, Innsbrucker Kommunalbetriebe AG, Stadtwerke Schwaz GmbH, and Gemeindewerke Telfs GmbH. The center was funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy, the National Foundation for Research, Technology and Development, and the Christian Doppler Research Association.

Three Doctoral Dissertations Successfully Completed

The research conducted by the three doctoral candidates covered a wide range of topics along the process chain – from the development of innovative activation methods and reactor concepts to the production of functionalized activated carbons and the optimization of novel waste-wood gasification technologies.

David Gurtner led the way with his doctoral dissertation at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), focusing on the activation of gasifier char and the development of an integrable activation reactor. At the University of Innsbruck, Dominik Bosch investigated the production and application of functionalized activated carbons for wastewater treatment. Michael Kresta, also at BOKU University, explored the optimization of a novel waste-wood gasification reactor across the entire process chain.

Statements:

Angela Hofmann, Head of the Josef Ressel Center: “The successful completion of the Josef Ressel Center and the three doctoral dissertations represents a major milestone for our team. I am extremely proud of the outstanding achievements of our researchers and doctoral candidates, whose work has not only generated valuable scientific knowledge but also delivered practical solutions for real-world challenges. My sincere thanks go to our industry partners, funding institutions, and academic collaborators for their trust and close cooperation.”

Martin Pillei, Head of Research & Development at MCI: “This project is an excellent example of how close cooperation between universities, industry, and funding organizations can generate innovative solutions to societally relevant challenges. The direct transfer of research results into practical applications creates sustainable added value for the region and strengthens the international competitiveness of Austria’s innovation ecosystem.”

Cornelia Hagele, Tyrolean Councillor for Education, Science, Research, Health and Care: “MCI demonstrates the crucial role Universities of Applied Sciences play in research, development, and innovation for both the economy and the scientific community. This project once again highlights the importance of granting independent doctoral awarding rights to Universities of Applied Sciences in Austria in order to further strengthen scientific excellence, research performance, and the education of highly qualified early-career researchers while preventing the loss of talent abroad.”

MCI Rector Andreas Altmann: “The results generated through these doctoral projects underline the impressive scientific quality and research excellence of MCI. They demonstrate the important contribution universities make to the development of future skills, innovation, and application-oriented research. It remains difficult to understand why Universities of Applied Sciences in Austria are still denied independent doctoral awarding rights, despite the considerable additional scientific and technological output that could be achieved.”

Oswald Wolkenstein, Chairman of the MCI Supervisory Board: “The outstanding research conducted by the Josef Ressel Center has answered key scientific questions while simultaneously laying essential foundations for future industrial applications in environmental and energy technologies. With independent doctoral awarding rights, the number of dissertations and the resulting research output could have been increased even further.”