The PLUS will receive around 10 million euros from the State of Salzburg for the new Faculty of Digital & Analytical Sciences (DAS).

On 1 January 2022, the Paris Lodron University Salzburg (PLUS) implemented its structural reform with six faculties, among which is the new Faculty of Digital & Analytical Sciences (DAS). The DAS is part of the State’s comprehensive investment project focusing on research and innovation in the field of digitalisation. “We want to send a clear signal to raise Salzburg’s profile in the competition for talent, students, bright minds and skilled workers. In addition, we want to meet Salzburg’s economic demand to consistently expand digital competence in the region,” Governor Wilfried Haslauer states.

The State will provide 9.7 million of the 12.7 million euros total cost. This is the largest single research funding investment by the State of Salzburg to date.

“Digitalisation influences all areas of our lives – a specialist scientific approach to this topic, from different perspectives, will be essential for society and will enormously expand and enrich our opportunities for cooperation with key stakeholders from science and business, as well as establishing Salzburg as a hub for research,” says the Rector of the University of Salzburg, Hendrik Lehnert, confidently.

An overview of the key points

• New Faculty of Digital and Analytical Sciences at the Paris Lodron University Salzburg
• Largest single research funding investment in the State to date
• Million euro project to run for five years

New faculty for 1,000 students

The new faculty comprises about 140 employees in the departments of Artificial Intelligence and Human Interfaces (AIHI), Geoinformatics, Computer Science and Mathematics. About 40 professors and post-doctoral researchers work at the DAS. More than 1,000 students are studying at the new faculty.

Excellent research focus

Under the direction of Nicola Hüsing, Vice Rector for Research at PLUS, the concept for a digital faculty and for an excellent research focus has been developed over the last three years together with Innovation service for Salzburg (ITG) and the State of Salzburg.

The DAS is the structural basis for numerous other elements of the overall project:

• Flagship professorship in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Applied Computer Science from October 2022
• Two professorships in the field of AI/Data Science already implemented
• Creation of new degree programmes with Artificial Intelligence studies as of October 2022
• Establishment of 3 research professorships
• Establishment of a Research College
• Joint professorship in the field of cybersecurity
• Project and location development management as a pilot model

“The Faculty of Digital and Analytical Sciences strives to be a national leader in basic and applied research in both digital and analytical disciplines. Attractive degree programmes at the DAS provide the foundation for gaining further qualifications and entry into many modern professional fields that are in high demand, including teaching at schools,” emphasises the Dean of the DAS, Arne Bathke.

“Digitalisation with all its facets offers many opportunities, but also poses great challenges in all areas of society and business – and for this we need well-educated people, a wide range of skills and solutions. Beyond that, however, we need to engage in critical discourse, to which the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg can contribute in an outstanding way,” says Provincial Councillor Andrea Klambauer.