Med Uni Innsbruck

Between test tube and society: The new role of the medical University of Innsbruck

It wasn't a loud start. No grand gesture. More like a pause for reflection. A moment of clarity. That it is no longer enough to simply conduct excellent research. Because excellence without impact is not enough. At the Medical University of Innsbruck, this realization sparked a revolution. An institution rooted in cutting-edge medical research asked itself a fundamental question:

How can we make the leap—from scientific discovery to innovation, from the laboratory to society?

At the same time, external pressure grew. With the new national spin-off framework (2024), the call for more innovation, more impact, and more "third mission" grew louder. While many were still poring over papers, four people took action: Vice Rectors Birgit Hochenegger-Stoirer and Christine Bandtlow, together with the innovators Elisabeth Stiegler and Martin Ellmerer.

Their vision was bold: to create a place where medical innovation is not merely administered, but where enthusiasm for innovation is sparked. An innovation hub that builds bridges between research and entrepreneurship, between science and industry, between scientific theory, application, and social impact. This is how MedLifeLab came into being. And with it came a promise: that the university would not only provide answers and excellent basic research, but actively shapes the future, society, and the health care system.

theLivingCore comes into play

But such a transformation requires more than structures and processes. It requires a change in thinking and attitude. That is why theLivingCore was called upon. Not as classic consultants, but as co-architects of a cultural new beginning. Working closely with the MedLifeLab team, we accompanied this change from the outset: as process architects, as strategists, but above all as cultural shapers (innovation is a question of attitude).

Working closely with the management team, technology transfer, and external partners, the foundations of MedLifeLab were laid step by step, deeply anchored both structurally and culturally. The groundwork was laid in workshops, interviews, and sprints:

Purpose, mindset, and vision: What is the deeper meaning of MedLifeLab? Why do we exist at the Medical University of Innsbruck? What do we stand for, and what and which mindsets guide our actions?
Team integration and conflict resolution: Two previously separate teams with different working cultures grew together into a single unit. It was about trust. About conflicts. About breaking old patterns. Because where innovation is to grow, common ground must first be prepared.
Innovation processes and offer design: For whom are we there? What services do we offer, and how do we design the "journey" from ideas to applications and social impact?
Kick-off event with over 100 guests: An inspiring keynote speech by Markus Peschl ("Innovating from the Future") made the new direction palpable: full of energy, vision, and depth.

The result: an innovation hub with attitude

Today, MedLifeLab stands not only as a new institution (GmbH), but above all for a new spirit at the Medical University of Innsbruck:

Innovation ecosystem: anchored in Tyrol, Austria and beyond that, with concrete cooperations such as the Westachse Initiative.
Professionalized tech transfer: Individual support and guidance for researchers, from basic research to patents to scaling.
A commitment to societal impact.
Culture of cooperation: Researchers, investors, industry partners, and startups meet on equal terms.
A new mindset: Innovation as a guiding attitude – starting already with basic research.

Impact: Why MedLifeLab is more than just a new limited liability company

MedLifeLab is changing how a university thinks about innovation and how it works:

It makes the Medical University of Innsbruck more attractive to talent, academic appointments, and partners.
divides between (basic) research, application, industry, and society.
a medicine that not only heals, but shapes.

What began as a bold vision became a powerful transformation process through the interventions and co-creation by theLivingCore. And perhaps MedLifeLab is exactly the place where ideas truly learn to fly. It still has to prove itself, the foundations have been laid.