About the Lab
The WKO Lab for Innovation is a hands-on learning and project space where students explore digital technologies in direct connection with real-world business questions. Located at the WIFI OÖ campus in Linz, it gives students the chance to work on practice-oriented projects, support workshops and demonstrations, and experience how research, teaching, and regional business collaboration come together.
Students and regional SMEs use the lab to explore, test, and communicate emerging technologies in an accessible way. For students, it combines academic learning with external visibility: they develop solutions and learn to communicate, demonstrate, and contextualize technology for real organisations.
- Location: WIFI OÖ campus, Wiener Straße 150, Linz
- Size: approximately 120 m²
- Partners: WKOÖ, WIFI OÖ, IT:U (operated by IT:U)
- Audiences: students and SMEs
Hands-On with Emerging Technologies
The lab covers about 120 m² and brings together four technology areas: robotics, extended reality, digital fabrication and AI. It is used by at least two student groups per semester for project work, and it hosts demonstrations for SMEs and external visitors, workshops, evening events and presentations.
The lab is organized into five areas.
- Design Thinking: A whiteboard workshop set is available for collaborative idea development and visualization.
- Robotics: The equipment includes a robot arm, a mobile wheeled robot, and several programmable educational robots. Tablets and a laptop are provided for programming and control.
- Mixed Reality: VR headsets, an AR headset, a motion capture system, and a 3D scanner are useable. A high-performance PC are available for running applications.
- Digital Production: A 3D printer and a laser cutter are available for prototyping. In addition, there are measurement tools such as an oscilloscope and multimeter, as well as various Arduino and Raspberry Pi kits for electronics projects.
- Artificial Intelligence: The AI area includes a high-performance AI computer, AI cameras and sensors, Raspberry Pi AI kits, and a dedicated workstation. Locally hosted large language models can be used for experiments and projects.
Project-based Learning
Students work on practice-oriented projects in digitalization and applied innovation. They turn technology topics into concrete use cases, often for external partners and regional industry. Projects are interdisciplinary, connected to workshops and demonstrations, and aimed at making emerging technology understandable for SMEs.
Imagine a business student, a computer scientist, and a design student building a predictive maintenance demonstrator for an SME. The computer scientist develops a sensor-based monitoring prototype, the business student maps its operational value and adoption barriers for a regional company, and the design student creates an interface and demonstration flow that non-technical visitors understand quickly.
Graduates apply this experience in SMEs across Upper Austria, manufacturing and production, automation and robotics, training and workforce development, digital product and service innovation, applied research and industry collaboration, and technology outreach.
Meet the Expert
Viktor Weichselbaumer is the Lab Expert and Manager for the Digital Business Innovation Lab. He supports lab operations, student mentoring, workshops, safe technology use, and practical demonstrations across robotics, digital manufacturing, XR, electronics, AI-supported ideation, and prototyping. His previous work includes co-founding Yokai Studios for applied robotics and innovation projects and contributing to interdisciplinary research project.
“For me, the lab is a place where complex technologies become practical, testable, and understandable. By combining robotics, digital manufacturing, XR, AI, and hands-on prototyping, we help students and companies move from abstract ideas to real applications they can experience, question, and develop further together.”