Growth at the Life Sciences Hub: MedUni Vienna Opens Two Research Centers

With the opening of the Center for Translational Medicine and the Eric Kandel Institute – Center for Precision Medicine, the Medical University of Vienna adds two state-of-the-art facilities, strengthening Austria’s position in clinical research.

On October 1, 2026, the Medical University of ViennaMedical University of Vienna () (MedUni Vienna) and Vienna General HospitalVienna General Hospital () (AKH Vienna) took an important step in advancing Austria’s life sciences ecosystem with the opening of the Center for Translational Medicine (CTM) and the Eric Kandel Institute – Center for Precision Medicine (CPM). Both facilities form part of a comprehensive expansion of the campus’ research and teaching infrastructure, adding more than 90,000 m² of space. 

Connected directly to AKH Vienna via dedicated bridges, the new buildings bring research and clinical practice closer together, both organizationally and physically. The CTM was funded with approximately EUR 120 million by the Austrian federal government and the City of Vienna, while the CPM was built with around EUR 90 million from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility and private donations.

The aim is to translate scientific discoveries into medical applications more rapidly and give patients earlier access to innovative therapies and drug candidates. At the same time, new research questions arising from clinical practice can be fed directly back into the research process. Among the guests attending the official opening ceremony at the MedUni Campus AKH were Austria’s Minister for Women, Science and Research, Eva-Maria Holzleitner, and Vienna’s Mayor Michael Ludwig.

Center for Translational Medicine: Bringing Research to the Bedside

The new CTM brings together research, education and early-stage clinical development under one roof across approximately 14,000 square meters of floor space. At its core is the concept of translational medicine: scientific findings generated in the laboratory are transformed into new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for patients as quickly as possible. Through its close collaboration with AKH Vienna, innovative therapies and drug candidates can be evaluated earlier in clinical trials and made available faster.

Its infrastructure includes a center for Phase I and Phase II clinical trials, modern laboratory and research facilities, bioinformatics and biobanking resources, as well as GMP units for cell therapy, radiopharmacy and biological products. The center is complemented by specialized core facilities that provide researchers with access to cutting-edge technologies. The largest lecture hall at MedUni Vienna’s new Center for Translational Medicine has been named after Austrian-American cardiologist Eugene Braunwald.

Eric Kandel Institute – Center for Precision Medicine

With the CPM, Vienna gains a new center dedicated to personalized and data-driven medicine. Around 200 researchers will work across approximately 6,100 square meters on new approaches to prevention, diagnosis and treatment that take individual biological and molecular characteristics into account. Named after Vienna-born neuroscientist and Nobel Prize winner Eric Kandel, the institute brings together expertise in the field of precision medicine. Internationally renowned geneticist Josef Penninger, professor of personalized medicine at MedUni Vienna, is now helping to shape the academic focus and build up the newly opened Eric Kandel Institute. Florian Krammer, an expert in vaccine development and a professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (U.S.), has also assumed the professorship in Infectious Diseases at MedUni Vienna and, in his role as director of the Ignaz Semmelweis Institute, will work closely with the Eric Kandel Institute in his capacity as director of the Ignaz Semmelweis Institute.

Its research focus ranges from genomics and bioinformatics to digital technologies, biomedical research and clinical trials. Advanced methods such as genome sequencing, molecular imaging and artificial intelligence are expected to improve the understanding of disease risks and mechanisms while enabling the development of highly individualized treatment approaches.

Austria as a Hub for Clinical Research

As part of a dedicated event organized by the Austrian Business Agency (ABA) together with MedUni Vienna during the opening, company representatives were among the first to gain insights into the centers’ future activities, including clinical research, cell therapies and high-throughput screening. ABA also presented Austria’s life sciences sector, which today comprises more than 1,100 companies employing over 73,000 people.

At the same time, MedUni Vienna, with around 8,600 students, is the largest medical training institution in the German-speaking world and one of Europe’s leading medical universities. AKH Vienna and MedUni Vienna were also ranked among the world’s best hospitals, placing 20th worldwide in the Newsweek World’s Best Hospitals Ranking 2026World’s Best Hospitals Ranking 2026 ().

For international companies, the opening represents far more than an expansion of infrastructure. The new centers strengthen Austria’s research landscape across the entire innovation chain, from basic research and early-stage clinical trials to the development of new therapies.

Learn more about Austria’s Life Sciences HubLearn more about Austria’s Life Sciences Hub ()