With IT:U becoming the eleventh member, CSH now extends its network. The collaborative research will center on Computational Economics.
The current crisis at VW sheds a revealing light on the economic difficulties facing Europe. It highlights once again the structural weaknesses burdening Europe’s economy—from a lack of competitiveness and a shortage of skilled workers to stagnating economic growth.
Against this backdrop and the need to understand the complex interactions at the systemic level, CSH is launching a collaboration with IT:U Interdisciplinary Transformation University Austria. The shared research focus will primarily be in the area of Computational Economics, an interdisciplinary field that combines methods from computer science and economics to address and solve complex economic problems.
“Modern economies are forced to adapt at an ever-increasing pace—to climate change, new technologies, especially with the rise of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), and current events like supply chain disruptions,” says CSH President Stefan Thurner. “To cope with these changes, we need to understand early on what triggers shifts at different levels. We need to understand the interconnections and dependencies.”
Through this collaboration with IT:U, CSH aims to strengthen its long-standing and in-depth research in the field. This includes analyzing billions of interactions between millions of companies to understand the dynamics of supply networks and examine their resilience, sustainability, and productivity. Additionally, research will focus on how economies distribute tasks and expertise among individuals, organizations, and locations to better respond to the impact of AGI on the labor market.
INTERDISCIPLINARITY AND DIGITALIZATION WILL BE ESSENTIAL
Founded in 2023, IT:U is one of the first European universities to focus specifically on the digital transformation of science, business, and society—a goal it shares with CSH. IT:U conducts research and education at the interface of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and various disciplines. What distinguishes a ‘Digital Transformer’ is not only expertise in digital technologies and ‘Data Thinking,’ but also the ability to analyze complex problems interdisciplinarily and create innovative solutions across diverse industries. We are especially pleased to be a member of CSH to jointly research in the area of Computational Economics at the interface of computer science and economics,” emphasizes Stefanie Lindstaedt, Founding President of IT:U.
“We are not interdisciplinary for the sake of interdisciplinarity. Rather, I see it as a necessity to address the complex challenges of our time—whether it’s climate change, supply security, or the application of Artificial Intelligence,” says Thurner. That’s exactly why CSH is so broadly structured, with members whose expertise spans diverse scientific disciplines.
CSH members include AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, BOKU University, Central European University (CEU), IT:U Interdisciplinary Transformation University Austria, Medical University of Vienna, TU Vienna, TU Graz, University for Continuing Education Krems, Vetmeduni Vienna, Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU), and the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKÖ).
IT:U Interdisciplinary Transformation University Austria is one of the first public universities in Europe dedicated to digitalization and digital transformation of science, business, and society. Based in Linz, Austria, IT:U offers a new form of learning in a digital world. Its project-based, integrative approach to technical education equips students from a variety of disciplines with the digital skills necessary to tackle global challenges.
IT:U drives an interdisciplinary and international research agenda. Its students come from diverse fields and many different countries. At IT:U, they learn to use technology to transform the work in their disciplines. They become transformation architects in industry, business, and research, responding to the challenges facing society and the environment.
