Infineon Austria and IT:U agree on strategic cooperation

Business & Financial Press

Feb 16, 2026
  • Infineon Austria and IT:U launch interdisciplinary collaboration in research and education
  • Focus on project-based learning in small groups as an innovative teaching model
  • Joint laboratory setup on the topics of "smart electronics," "digital prototyping," and "space technologies"  

Linz, February 16, 2026 – The aim of the partnership is to familiarize students with various digital technologies through specific learning projects and to connect and train them across disciplinary boundaries with experts from business and industry. To this end, Infineon and IT:U will jointly set up specialized laboratories directly at the Infineon site in Linz. The official opening will take place in late summer 2026 and will provide space for up to 60 students. The cooperation agreement was signed by Sabine Herlitschka, CEO of Infineon Austria, and Stefanie Lindstaedt, founding president of the Interdisciplinary Transformation University (IT:U).

Sabine Herlitschka, CEO of Infineon Austria: "Progress often emerges where digital technologies intersect with interdisciplinary learning. This approach, combined with genuine hands-on methods, is particularly essential for addressing challenges in the climate, energy, and life sciences sectors. We have been working with a wide range of educational organizations for many years, and our motivation has always been the same: to bring innovation into education and to design learning experiences that empower people to truly understand and apply technologies.

This also reinforces the 70-20-10 approach, according to which 70 percent of learning takes place through practical experience, 20 percent through interaction, and 10 percent through formal education. The collaboration with ITU is another step in this direction. At our Infineon site in Linz, we are creating space for modern learning and research. As a global semiconductor company, we contribute our expertise and key technologies while also benefiting from new perspectives. This is an important signal for the high-tech location and for comprehensively trained specialists."

Stefanie Lindstaedt, IT:U Founding President: "At IT:U, we use interdisciplinary approaches in research and teaching to address the pressing challenges of our time. To do this, we need people who can look beyond the boundaries of their own discipline and translate between domains. In the Interdisciplinary Computing master’s program, we combine digital technologies with fields such as environmental technology, medicine, psychology, and electronics – within a learning model that emphasizes teamwork, personal responsibility, and design thinking. This enables students to acquire precisely the skills they need to actively shape the digital transformation.

We are delighted to have gained Infineon as a long-term partner on many levels. This partnership creates concrete projects, opens up attractive career opportunities, and equips our students to become true shapers of the future."

Thomas Bründl, President of the Upper Austrian Industrial Association, adds: "The use of artificial intelligence is driving a comprehensive transformation of industry and of Upper Austria as a business location. For this reason, the Upper Austrian Industrial Association has developed an AI excellence strategy. In this context, close cooperation between companies and universities is of enormous importance in order to jointly research current developments relevant to industry. Infineon’s cooperation with IT:U is therefore very welcome and will further strengthen Infineon’s Linz site."

Three specialized laboratories as IT:U “LearnLabs” at Infineon

The focus is on project-based learning as well as collaborative, interdisciplinary research and development closely linked to real-world applications. The “LearnLabs” create an ideal environment for students to work with the latest technologies in small interdisciplinary teams and to understand, design, and implement intelligent systems. This modern approach is realized in Infineon’s joint research facilities on Donaufeldstraße in Linz. The necessary foundation and equipment for this are provided in three specialized laboratories: the “Smart Electronics Lab”, the “Digital Prototyping Lab”, and the “Space Technology Lab”. State-of-the-art technologies and assembly stations enable the creation and testing of initial prototypes. The Smart Electronics Lab uses hardware and software components from Infineon, such as the PSOC Edge AI Evaluation Kit, which allows students to develop their own AI models and integrate them into prototype designs. The Digital Prototyping Lab also offers digital manufacturing methods such as 3D printing systems. The Space Technology Lab focuses on satellite research, quantum encryption technologies, and robotics for use in space. The three labs will be available to students in the Interdisciplinary Computing master’s program starting in late summer 2026.

Innovation incubator with added value

This innovation-oriented, interdisciplinary approach to university teaching - combined with access to the latest semiconductor systems, where digital technologies are tested in small group settings -creates significant added value for learning, teaching, and the development of future skills. Students not only acquire technological expertise, but also the ability to work on real-world problems in an interdisciplinary manner, manage projects, communicate effectively, and collaborate in a goal‑oriented way. The cooperation thus makes an additional contribution to an attractive educational and business environment and helps to create forward‑looking career profiles.

 

Contact and inquiries IT:U:

Daniela Scharer

Phone: +43 676 851 307 237, daniela.scharer@it-u.at

Interdisciplinary Transformation University (IT:U), Teamlead PR and Social Media

IT:U Research Campus, Freistädter Straße 400, 4040 Linz, Austria

 

Contact and inquiries Infineon Austria:

Birgit Rader-Brunner

Phone: 051777-17178, birgit.rader-brunner@infineon.com

Infineon Technologies Austria AG, Corporate Communications

Siemensstraße 2, 9500 Villach, Austria

About Infineon Austria

Infineon Technologies Austria AG is a subsidiary of Infineon Technologies AG, a global semiconductor leader in power systems and IoT. Semiconductors are essential for mastering the energy-related challenges of our time and helping to shape the digital transformation. Infineon's microelectronics drive decarbonization and digitalization and enable groundbreaking solutions for green and efficient energy, clean and safe mobility as well as a smart and secure IoT.

Infineon Austria pools competencies for research and development, production as well as global business responsibility. The head office is in Villach, with further branches in Graz, Klagenfurt, Linz, Innsbruck and Vienna. With 5,787 employees (including around 2,500 in research and development) from 80 nations, the company generated revenue of EUR 4.7 billion in the 2025 fiscal year (ending 30 September). With research expenditure of 721 million euros, Infineon Austria is the strongest research company in Austria.

Further information at www.infineon.com/austria

About the Interdisciplinary Transformation University Austria (IT:U)

The Interdisciplinary Transformation University Austria (IT:U) is one of the first public universities in Europe dedicated exclusively to the digital transformation of science, business, and society. Based in Linz, Austria, it offers a new way of learning in a digital world. Its project-based and integrative approach to technical education equips students from a variety of disciplines with the digital skills needed to tackle global challenges. The goal is to train experts who work at the intersection of their field of study and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies. IT:U currently operates at two locations in Linz: the first master's program in Interdisciplinary Computing started in October 2025 at the IT:U Education Campus, while research and administration are located at the IT:U Research Campus.

Link: www.it-u.at

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Sabine Herlitschka, CEO Infineon Technologies Austria AG and Stefanie Lindstaedt, Founding President IT:U

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Manfred Ruhmer, Infineon Austria R&D Ecosystem; Sabine Herlitschka, CEO Infineon Technologies Austria AG; Michele Magno (ETH Zürich), IT:U Fellow Professor and Stefanie Lindstaedt, Founding President IT:U

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Birgit Rader-Brunner

Austria

+43 5 1777 17178

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