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Market disruptions and innovation strongly impact its stakeholders on a shortto mid-term perspective. In the particular case of the smartphone market, where new products are released in very short cycles, it becomes imperative to forecast and identify heavy shifts in market demand as soon as possible.

Researchers from TU Graz and the University of Graz present the new method of 3D-plasmon tomography in Nature Communications. Light as a carrier of information is indispensable to modern communication technology. The controlled manipulation of light quanta, so-called photons, form the basis for wireless transmission or data transfer in optical glass fibres.

Researchers at the Institute of Solid State Physics map out a radically new approach for designing optical and electronic properties of materials in Advanced Materials. Computational materials design is traditionally used to improve and further develop already existing materials. Simulations grant a deep insight into the quantum mechanical effects which determine material properties.

How EV batteries behave in detail during crash loads and what influence the previous life of the battery has on its safety is being investigated by TU Graz and partners in the K-project "SafeBattery". Further photographic material available at the end of this text. Safety, range and costs: these are the three big premises of electromobility.

The agent Atglistatin can reduce the level of fatty acid in the blood. Funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency, researchers at the University of Graz and TU Graz want to further develop the agent into a medicine to treat metabolic disorders. Worldwide, some 1.9 billion persons are overweight.

Scientists at the University of Graz and TU Graz have developed an active ingredient that reduces obesity and can prevent type II diabetes as well as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), around 1.9 billion people are overweight worldwide. 75 per cent suffer from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and 400 million have type II diabetes.

For the first time ever, researchers at TU Graz and the Medical University of Graz have managed to functionally characterise the three-dimensional interaction between red-light receptors and enzymatic effectors. The results, with implications for optogenetics, have been published in Science Advances.

TUGSAT-1 and UniBRITE have been in space since 2013. During this time 350 stars have been observed, new variable stars discovered, and 12 scientific papers published in international journals. The nanosats of the BRITE mission focus on the brightest, hottest and most massive stars in the immediate neighbourhood of the universe.

Air flow at the touch of a button. In the wind tunnels of TU Graz, aerodynamic tests are carried out on top athletes, automobiles and even building models. Austrian handcyclists Thomas Frühwirth and Walter Ablinger won silver medals at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. Earlier, they were guests of the Institute of Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer at TU Graz for aerodynamic tests of their bikes and themselves.

Microporous crystals (MOFs) have a great potential as functional materials of the future. Paolo Falcaro of TU Graz et al demonstrate how the growth of MOFs can be precisely controlled on a large scale. Porous crystals called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) consist of metallic intersections with organic molecules as connecting elements.

Structural health monitoring records the current "state of health" of structures and infrastructure. This allows "illnesses" to be diagnosed at an early stage and treated. Like people, structures and infrastructure age. To prevent serious illnesses such as a heart attack, we humans, for example, can undergo health screening at regular intervals.

How does seeing work? What is a good image, and what is a bad image? How do we filter out the essential information from an image - the information we need to recognise what we see? These are key questions for brain researchers as well as computer scientists, such as Thomas Pock, who is always looking for international cooperation to achieve progress in image processing.

Franz Viehböck took off 25 years ago - the one and only Austrian in space. Researchers at TU Graz performed pioneering work in extraterrestrial materials analysis and facilitated the first ever networked communication between several locations on Earth and in space. Friday, 4 October 1991: the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra played the Blue Danube by Johann Strauss as Franz Viehböck glided into the Soviet space station "Mir".

Breast milk contains the optimal mix of nutrients for a healthy development of the baby. Certain complex carbohydrates known as human milk oligosaccharides are among the most important contributors The Institute of Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering at TU Graz is researching in cooperation with the Austrian Center of Industrial Biotechnology ( acib ) how these might be produced industrially.

Electrochemists at TU Graz have managed to use monocrystalline semiconductor silicon as an active storage electrode in lithium batteries. This enables an integrated power supply to be made for microchips with a rechargeable battery. Photographic material available for download at the end of the text Small electrical gadgets, such as mobile phones, tablets or notebooks, are indispensable accompaniments of everyday life.

Grey on the outside, green inside: The production of "Öko²-Beton" concrete consumes up to 30 percent less CO2 than the production of standard concrete, and yet the "green" concrete is by no means less stable or less convenient to process. Photographic material available for download at the end of the text.

Gaining detailed knowledge about atomic structure and chemical composition is paramount for a deeper understanding of the properties of matter and their potential applications in technology. Electron microscopy thus represents a key tool for the comprehensive characterization of materials at highest spatial resolution in three dimensions.

Paper is an extremely versatile material and can be used for countless applications. To make the natural all-rounder suitable for its special tasks, it's necessary to know about its inner life. In the new "CD Laboratory for Fiber Swelling and Paper Performance", the individual fibres are measured and analysed in order to design the behaviour of the next generation of paper.

Knowing decisions before they are taken? Preventing stress before it occurs? Interesting new applications in the field of neuro-information systems are explored at TU Graz. Neuro-information systems ( NeuroIS ) investigates the neuro-physiological foundations related to the design, use and impact of information and communication technology.

Basic research on brown fat cells could open up more effective therapies for obesity. Juliane Bogner-Strauss and her team yield new findings at TU Graz. Fat cells are not all the same. We possess both white and brown fat cells, and they carry out different tasks in our body. Whereas white fat cells store fats ingested in our food and constantly grow in the case of excess caloric intake, brown fat cells are good "burners".