Erzähl mal, Arno…

Ein Blick hinter die Kulissen von V-Research
In unserer Interviewreihe „Erzähl mal,…“ geben unsere MitarbeiterInnen persönliche Einblicke in ihren Forschungsalltag, erzählen von internationalen Erfahrungen und teilen ihre kulinarischen Lieblingsrezepte. Ob spannende Projekte, kulturelle Vielfalt oder der Geschmack von Heimat – hier wird sichtbar, was V-Research ausmacht: Innovation, Teamgeist und Leidenschaft.
Die Interviews veröffentlichen wir im Originalton – oft auf Englisch –, um die persönlichen Geschichten authentisch und unverfälscht erlebbar zu machen.

„Die Vielfalt an Technologie in einem kleinen Raum –
und die Lage mitten in Europa, wo die schönsten Orte nur einen Katzensprung entfernt sind.“
Arno Grabher-Meyer, Head of Department Computational Sustainability

What is Computational Sustainability and why is it so important for industry?
Computational Sustainability means to apply any innovative computational method from simulation to artificial intelligence to improve sustainability in the widest possible sense – so, it addresses both economy and ecology. It may be applied in industrial research as well as in business, technologies or nature sciences. With its approaches, CS may speed up product development without compromising business and environment, helps lower costs, gives quick insight in circularity and new business opportunities and makes your business decision fact- and data driven.

Can you give an example of how your work contributes to resource conservation in industry?
While there are some, maybe the most impressive is modelling a crane with all relevant parameters to figure out the best solution of reducing welding effort and using the minimum of steel-plates without compromising statics and stability of the crane. For each custom crane, an optimized solution is calculated and reduces effort and material usage by approx. 10-20% compared to conventionally engineered cranes.

What role do data and modelling play in sustainable product development?
Today’s data volumes are so large that we can hardly comprehend them with our minds. Only with extensive experience, often spanning decades, can we estimate the positive or negative effects of even a minimal change in one of these parameters. Not to mention that we could specify a clear formalism for this. Modelling and data science help immensely here as it can find such an algorithm. Nowadays, product development can only reliably strike a balance between cost, environmental compatibility, and functionality, thus creating a truly sustainable product.

What motivates you to work at the intersection of AI and Data Science?
Short and simple – I am always curious to discover and explore new things, and AI is a fascinating topic that – I am convinced – can be of great benefit to humanity when applied correctly.

What is your personal motto or slogan?
Only the best is good enough

Which person (dead or alive) would you like to meet for coffee, tea or beer?
Leonardo da Vinci, because I would like to see how he would analyse today’s achievements and how he would use them in his creativity.

What do you particularly appreciate about Vorarlberg—both professionally and personally?
Professionally, I am impressed from the broad range of branches and technology leaders in such a small area. Personally, I love the scenery and the position in Europe, as many of the most beautiful places are easy to reach.

If you were to invite your team to a meal from your home country, what would you serve?
As a “Vorarlberg-aborigeny” certainly “Käsköpfle”

What is your favourite spice?
Chili

What is your favourite drink or cocktail?
Any nice wine

What is your favourite fruit or vegetable?
Jackfruit