Over 30 degrees Celsius in the shade, cool drinks, a relaxed atmosphere and lively conversations: The Cluster Connections – The Summer Edition yesterday we went to the beautiful setting of the Aiola in the castle The event was a great success. The atmosphere among the Styrian life science community was almost familial – and that was precisely the point of this summer evening.
As cluster head Lejla Pock As she emphasized in her welcoming remarks, a community is more than just an Excel spreadsheet or an email list. A community thrives on personal exchange, encounters, conversations, and the willingness to develop new ideas together. All of this was clearly evident on the terrace of Aiola im Schloss.
A particular highlight of the evening was the eagerly awaited finale of the CLAUS Awards 2026Six strong collaborative projects were put to a vote by the cluster community. In the end, the winning project was the one that impressed the judges. LIPOTrace, presented by Reingard Raml by JOANNEUM RESEARCH and Karin Kornmüller from the Medical University of Graz. The project was voted into first place by the community.
Second place went to OnkoMobil, presented by Gerald Sendlhofer, third place to SiMed, presented by Magdalena Hoffmann.
We extend our warmest congratulations to all the finalists and winners! The evening once again demonstrated what makes the Human Technology Cluster so special: openness, exchange, cooperation – and a community that is shaping the future together.
