Lower Austria is investing 1.5 million euros in AI for health!

Lower Austria is investing 1.5 million euros in AI for health!

On September 2, 2025, the state of Lower Austria announced the establishment of a new foundation professorship with a focus on "Artificial Intelligence in Health" at the University of further training in Krems. This initiative was presented by Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner and governor Deputy Stephan Pernkopf during a press conference. A total of 1.5 million euros will be provided for the professorship over the next five years in order to promote research in the field of AI in the health sector. Gerald Gartlehner from the University of Krems and Sepp Hochreiter from the Johannes Kepler University Linz were also present and support this important project.

A recent study shows that 83% of people in Lower Austria have already had experience with artificial intelligence. Of these, 59% AI technologies use privately and 36% in a professional context. Despite this high distribution, only 20% of those surveyed stated that they have good knowledge in this area. This illustrates the great potential for educational work and training, which are to be initiated by the new professorship.

Research and goals of the professorship

The focus of initial research will be on diseases of the musculoskeletal system. The aim of the professorship is to improve the evaluation of therapies, to promote understanding of health issues and to use the data of the healthcare system sensibly. Stephan Pernkopf emphasized the need to strengthen science and research in Europe, especially with regard to the application of AI to improve diagnoses and treatments. This is in accordance with the statements of Sepp Hochreiter, who sees the possibilities of AI in the health system as crucial for progress in medicine.

In Lower Austria there is already a research focus on KI with a total budget of 6 million euros. A total of 21 courses at universities of applied sciences in the region deal with topics related to artificial intelligence. In addition, a new AI laboratory is set up in St. Pölten, which should give research and the practical application of AI technologies another boost. The professorship is to be filled by mid -2026.

Artificial intelligence in healthcare

Artificial intelligence not only represents progress for research and development, but also revolutionizes healthcare itself. According to [Health.ec.europa.eu] (https://health.europa.eu/eHealth-digital-health-and-care/artificial-intelligence-intellige- Healthcare_de, KI is considered that Resource assignment in health care optimized and reduces the susceptibility to errors in diagnostics. From automation of administrative tasks to early detection of diseases - applications are promising.

Examples of AI applications include the early detection of sepsis in intensive care units and AI-supported breast cancer detection in mammography screenings. These technologies not only increase the efficiency of the diagnoses, but also enable more precise treatments. At the same time, it is emphasized that challenges such as access to high -quality health data, the development of trust in the artificial systems and the sustainability of the financing must be mastered.

The EU also presented the aicare@EU initiatives that aim to support and promote the integration of AI into clinical practice.

In summary, it can be said that the new professorship in Lower Austria is not only a significant step in the promotion of AI research, but also into a broader development that could fundamentally transform the health system. Artificial intelligence is viewed as a key technology of the future in the health sector, which can improve the communication between doctor: inside and patient: inside and monitoring diseases. The change happens quickly, and it remains to be seen what progress is made by these initiatives.