In a climate chamber measuring 1.3 x 1.5 x 2.2 m, accelerated life cycles of industrial products such as photovoltaic modules, synthetic materials and electronic components are simulated in order to be able to assess their degradation in performance over the course of their expected useful life.

The laboratory is working on characterising biofuels and optimising energy production processes resulting from biomass. The lab offers a service for both pilot plants and full-scale plants where the chemical-physical characterisation of fuels, catalysts and residues is analysed. In addition, the lab also carries out the analysis and optimisation of combined heat and power plants and filter systems as well as the monitoring of pyrolysis and gasification plants.

In the laboratory, the energetic performance and the dynamic behaviour of building envelopes and building facilities such as ventilation systems are analysed with the aim of optimising the comfort, healthy atmosphere and energy efficiency of a building.

This flexible facility allows the operating principles of district heating and cooling systems to be recreated on a small scale: from heat production to distribution and consumption. This allows the investigation of optimal system management and heat supply from multiple sources.

In this open-air laboratory, the energetic efficiency of façade and surface heating systems can be examined under real-life and dynamic conditions. It recreates true-to-scale living and working spaces and enables the targeted investigation of the effect of façade and surface heating systems on indoor climate.

The G-Value Lab measures the solar factor, a value that indicates the amount of solar energy transmitted through a glazed component, allowing to refine prototypes and develop new solutions. The solar factor can be measured through transparent, semi-transparent and integrated shielding components.

In a climate chamber measuring 12 x 5 x 5 m heat pumps and cooling pumps along with heat pump systems with a heating capacity of up to 300 kW can be tested and certified. In addition, companies are given support in the laboratory for the development of new products.

Innovative materials can be developed in this laboratory with a focus on their hygrothermal behaviour. In addition, the performance of building materials can be tested in accordance with the requirements of the appropriate industry standards and a full characterisation can be carried out with regard to density, thermal conductivity, vapour permeability, water absorption coefficient, hygroscopic absorption function and hydraulic conductivity.

The thermal and energetic performance of transparent and opaque façade elements with a maximum size of 3 x 3 x 0.5 can be analysed in this test rig. Equipped with a solar simulator and a water circulation system, tests on prototypes for active systems and G-Value (Total Solar Energy Transmittance) measurements can also be carried out here.

Both free-standing photovoltaic modules and systems as well as those integrated into architectural structures can be tested for their electrical performance under real-life conditions in this open-air laboratory. In addition, photovoltaic systems can be combined with storage systems, allowing their impact on the power grid to be monitored.

The electrical power output of photovoltaic modules and systems can be measured in the flash solar simulator. The tests allow comparisons of different technologies under stable and controllable conditions and verification of the manufacturers’ specifications with regard to guaranteed performance.

Specific experimental techniques and advanced numerical simulation systems are employed in this laboratory to optimise the fluid dynamics of gaseous and liquid fluids as well as granular matter in industrial processes, mainly in hydropower production, in energy conversion processes and in all other sectors which are dependent on fluidic phenomena.

Laboratory for emission characterisation of building materials and sensor testing.

The laboratory houses a state-of-the-art infrastructure for conducting cellular and molecular biology experiments to understand the genetic mechanisms of health and disease, with a strong focus on neurological and cardiovascular diseases.

The laboratory conducts experimental tests in cellars and further experiments for the improvement of oenological technologies. Moreover, the laboratory offers consulting and professional training.

The group examines fermentation processes for the production and processing of food and beverage, and carries out tests on distillates, fruit spirits, and liqueurs. On demand of companies, it carries out experiments to create new fermented and distilled products, such as beer, mead, and cider.

Using MALDI-TOF (Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation, Time Of Flight) mass spectrometry, the laboratory characterises the microbial state of food products. With consolidated experience in wines, beers and other beverages obtained from fermentation processes, it now also investigates fruit, meat and dairy products. 

The laboratory is divided into two areas. The first area is used for examining food quality, undertaking studies into food stability and shelf life, and measuring the impact of the manufacturing process on the final quality of the products. The second area deals with recovering high nutritional value compounds from wastage during production by means of innovative extraction processes.

The group is concerned with product development and the improvement of food quality and safety, especially for processed fruit and vegetables. The aim is to improve the processing and shelf life of these foods. To this end, pilot plants are used for homogenisation (even under high pressure), drying at low temperature and for the production of juices and purees. The chemical-physical and microbiological stability of the food as well as the thermo-physical and mechanical properties of the individual ingredients and the end products are also examined.

In this experimental kitchen measuring 50 m2, new food products can be developed or produced for test markets. A wide variety of high-tech appliances, a modern cooking area and a workshop area are available for the use of clients here.

The laboratory analyses the substances contained in hay, silage, and animal feed to ensure a balanced diet and promote optimal animal productivity. In addition to classic chemical analysis methods, researchers also use near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS).

The laboratory examines the nutrients contained in agricultural soils, plant organs (leaves, shoots, branches, roots, etc.), fruit, soil and substrates, compost, organic fertilisers, manure, mineral fertilisers, and irrigation water. These analyses ensure that the plants have the necessary nutrients at their disposal in the optimum quantity.

This laboratory performs tests on wines, grape must, distillates, fruit juices, and grapes. Thanks to a FT-IR spectrometer ("Fourier Transformation Infrared") it measures the most important parameters in a very short time and with reduced sample preparation. In the future, it will extend the analysis to beer and spirits.

Investigations in the topic areas of food quality and plant health are carried out in the Laboratory for Flavours and Metabolites. Naturally occurring ingredients are identified and quantified in agricultural products and plant parts using technologies such as gas and liquid chromatography, near-infrared spectroscopy and ion chromatography amongst other methods.

In the laboratory, the origin of agricultural products is tested and authenticated by means of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy ‑ from the characterisation and determination of the origin of various foodstuffs to clarification of the molecular structure of new, previously unknown compounds and ingredients.

This laboratory carries out analysis on agri-food products to verify the possible presence of residues of phytosanitary products. Any residues (fungicides, insecticides, herbicides) are extracted, purified, and then analysed through different laboratory tools operating based on mass spectrometry combined with gas chromatography (GC-MS) or liquid chromatography (LC-MS).

The laboratory investigates the transformation process of foods, in particular bakery and dairy products, fruit and vegetables, and how this process can be managed, its sustainability improved, its waste put to better use and its nutritional and functional properties improved. Specific appliances as well as pilot installations for the production of fermented foodstuffs and microbial biomass are available for use in six interconnected laboratories.

The laboratory offers commissioned research and consultation in the field of wine production as well as technologies for the production of other alcoholic beverages. High-resolution instrumental chemical analysis is used to assess the quality of raw materials, intermediate products and finished products (grape must, wine, additives, materials and packaging) with respect to the technologies used for production, conditioning and storage.

The laboratory studies the sensorial and instrumental characterisation of food. It combines the results of sensory perception by qualified tasters (appearance, smell, taste, palate sensation) with physical-chemical analyses and consumer tests. The aim is to improve production processes in the food sector and create products that are increasingly responsive to consumer demands.

The group develops technologies allowing the consumer to buy high-quality fruit and vegetables long after they were harvested. The laboratory has a leading position in the latest developments worldwide, such as the development of DCA (Dynamic Controlled Atmosphere) preservation technology or the study of active inhibition of the ripening process and deferment of the harvest window.

On the premises of the Free Software Lab, software development teams acquaint themselves with new processes and technologies for the preparation of innovative products and R & D projects. Equipped with the latest technologies such as LoRaWAN, Beacon or 5G and instruments such as virtual assistants, software prototypes can be developed here.

The Sensor System Technologies lab (SST) is a laboratory jointly run by the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Sensing Technologies Lab) and Eurac Research (Center for Sensing Solutions). This is where technologies are developed, devices and sensors are manufactured and integrated solutions for the acquisition of monitoring data are developed. In particular, the SST offers services in the following areas: the development and characterisation of devices based on printing technologies and microfabrication technologies (sensors, actuators, batteries, energy collectors, conditioning electronics), the integration of these electronic components into integrated solutions, as well as the development of applications for accessing, analysing and exchanging data. In this way, the SST is able to offer to a wide range of users (researchers, public administrations, companies) solutions and analysis tools for various fields of application, such as environmental monitoring, the Internet of Things (IoT) or precision agriculture.

The laboratory offers consultancy and commissioned research in the field of data processing and data science, including monitoring and diagnosis of existing software systems, prototyping of intelligent systems, data management as well as data mining, process analysis and knowledge analysis.

Fraunhofer Italy ARENA develops cutting-edge topics in the field of digitisation and advanced automation: the role of humans in semi-autonomous systems, efficient use of collaborative and mobile robotics, artificial intelligence in manufacturing, and modular and reconfigurable robotic assistance systems. The platform offers a wide range of technology demonstrators that can represent the potential and challenges of the smart digital factory as well as the building site of the future.

The laboratory develops new technologies for agricultural, forestry and environmental applications. The main areas of interest are: the environmental effects of agricultural operations, with a focus on the use of plant protection products in orchards; the development of technological solutions for the automation of agricultural and forestry processes and for computerised management in all types of agri-environmental enterprises; the study of the safety conditions of machinery on extreme slopes; the energy efficiency of agricultural engines, including those powered by alternative fuels.

The FIRST Lab - Field Robotics South Tyrol Lab - is the natural link between the research activities of mechatronic engineering, industrial automation, and agroforestry engineering. The team researches and implements applications the field of mechatronics and mobile robotics for outdoor activities and, therefore, in dynamic and unstructured environments. In particular, it develops machines and (semi-) autonomous robots, technologies for monitoring, inspection, automation, harvesting, and field experimentation in typical South Tyrolean contexts such as slopes, apple orchards, greenhouses, rivers, lakes, ice, and snow.

The Human-Centred Technologies and Machine Intelligence Laboratory studies methods and develops technologies of embodied artificial intelligence both autonomously and in interaction with humans. Embodied artificial intelligence makes it possible to undertake intelligent decisions based on sensory and contextual information and translate them into actions through a physical body. The lab aims to develop innovative, reliable, and ethically justifiable solutions by bridging the fields of artificial intelligence, robotics, automation, and human-system interaction.

The workshop, equipped with high-tech machines, offers suitable premises for the rapid and cost-effective production of prototypes and small-scale batches. The Maker Space consists of a wood workshop, a metal workshop, an electronics area and a textile area and offers a 3D printing service in addition to the use of the premises and equipment.

This research facility can simulate the most extreme climatic conditions on earth. One large (12 x 6 x 5 m) and four smaller climate chambers can be used to explore how humans and ecological processes react to environmental stress and how extreme climatic conditions affect the performance of materials and technical products.

The laboratory specialises in the extraction and analysis of highly degraded ancient DNA ‑ with the aim of gaining insights into the genetics and history of past populations, as well as investigating the development of ancient diseases.

In the laboratory, human skeletal and mummy remains from archaeological excavations from diverse historical periods are scientifically examined. Bio-anthropological data such as gender and age at death, anthropometric data and paleo-pathological investigations of diseases help to reconstruct the "biological profile" of earlier populations.

The laboratory is dedicated to the research and implementation of systems for the preservation of mummies, in particular special tailor-made display cases for preserving and displaying mummies and exhibits in museums, churches and warehouses.

Molecular methods for the study of modern DNA are developed and optimised in this laboratory. It offers the opportunity to work with a high copy number of molecular products and to test new procedures before they are applied to bio-archaeological material.