The Medical University of Vienna cooperates with other universities and academic institutions in the areas of research and teaching. A few selected instances of cooperation will be described below.
National Cooperation
Knowledge Transfer Centers and IPR Exploitation
In this virtual center, coordinated as a consortium by MedUni Vienna, the focus lies on linking the technology transfer departments of the Vienna-based universities with non-university research institutions as well as increased networking with the business world.
An increased cooperation and coordination as well as a concerted setting of a focus and profile in the WTZ Ost (the partners in the consortium are: the Medical University of Vienna, the Vienna University of Technology, the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, the University of Vienna, the Vienna University of Economics and Business, the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, the University of Applied Arts Vienna) are meant to create ideal conditions for an efficient transfer of research results to the business world and society.
Apart from the classic transfer of biotech and medtech technologies, MedUni Vienna also focuses on involving those universities with experience in knowledge transfer in the domain of humanities, social sciences and cultural studies.
University of Vienna
Max Perutz Lab:
The Max Perutz Lab are a joint research and training center of the University of Vienna and the Medical University of Vienna on the Vienna Biocenter Campus. At the Max Perutz Labs around 500 scientists work on fundamental research in over 60 research groups in the field of molecular biology. The Max Perutz Labs also houses the joint Chair in Bioinformatics. Both universities operate a Campus Science Support Facility (CSF) GmbH called "Vision 2020" at the Biozentrum Bohrgasse.
Research Networks:
The two universities have set up a total of 6 research networks for the promotion of scientific cooperation. Research networks are especially useful to combine internationally recognised basic and patient-oriented research.
Joint Courses and Master's Degrees:
In addition, there is cooperation in the form of the joint university courses "Health Care Management", "Public Health" and "Patient Safety". Another cooperation takes place in the framework of the Master's degree programme "Medical Informatics". The jointly established regular Master's program "Molecular Precision Medicine" is dedicated to the development of diseases and their treatment at a molecular and mechanistic level.
Ethics and Law:
The MedUni Vienna is involved in the Institute of Law and Ethics in Medicine at the University of Vienna in the form of a cooperation agreement
VetMedUni Vienna | Messerli Research Institute
The members of this institute work on the relationship between humans and animals and its basis in the areas of cognition and behavior of animals, comparative medicine and ethics.
Vienna University of Technology
The collaboration with the joint focus on "medical technology" led to the founding of the inter-university cooperation centre "Vienna Center for Engineering in Medicine - ViCEM".
The University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences
Medical University Innsbruck | Medical University Graz
Austrian Comprehensive Cancer Network (ACCN)
In February 2024, the medical universities in Graz, Innsbruck and Vienna founded the Austrian Comprehensive Cancer Network (ACCN), which aims to pool the expertise of the Comprehensive Cancer Centres (CCC) in Graz, Innsbruck and Vienna and facilitate pioneering collaboration. The focus is on the goal of further improving the lives of cancer patients by promoting cancer research and optimising the care landscape.
Austrian Ever-Warm Clinical Trial Network for Pandemic Preparedness
The Austrian "ever-warm clinical trial network" for pandemic preparedness is based on the existing cooperation of clinical research centres in Austria on corona studies (since 2020). The cooperation is documented by the Austrian Covid-19 platform study Acovact and participation in the European Corona Vaccination Study Network "Vaccelerate". The Medical Universities of Vienna, Graz and Innsbruck also had established a network of coordination centres for clinical trials (KKS).
Further information
Children's Research Network of the three MedUnis:
Pharmig and the Fed. Ministry of Health (BMG initiated a network for the implementation of clinical studies on children (Children's Research Network, OKIDS). MedUni Vienna will establish a paediatric module in the framework of the Koordinationszentrum für Klinische Studien (Clinical Trials Coordination Centre). A study nurse funded by the network will be hired and made available to the paediatric clinics for projects.
Biobank Cooperation of the Austrian MedUnis with the Coordination Office for a National Biobank Network at the MedUni Graz:
The Austrian Biobank Network within BBMRI (BBMRI-AT) is administrated by all three MedUnis as a central national large research infrastructure. With the synergistic integration of the existing structures and those that need to be built in the area of Biobanking, the Austrian share in this infrastructure project that now consists of over 14 countries within the EU will become even more visible. Through the national integration, not only standardisation and synergies are being advanced, but the Austria or Europe-wide coordination of sample use will be optimised, which in turn generates an added value for the research based upon this.
FH Campus Vienna
Austrian Academy of Sciences | CeMM
Located right on the Campus of the Medical University of Vienna, the CeMM is ideally positioned for its mission called "From the Clinic to the Clinic". The research areas focus on the development of innovative diagnostic options and therapies in the area of cancer, immune diseases and infectious diseases.
In the area of myeloproliferative diseases a joint special research department is to be established together with the CCC, the CeMM and the LBI Oncology.
International Cooperation
The international cooperation activity, MedUni Vienna, shows a continuously growing trend. Currently, nearly 60% of all publications are based on international cooperation.