A behind the scenes look at the creation of the Faculty of Digital and Analytical Sciences (DAS)
With the establishment of the Faculty of Digital and Analytical Sciences (DAS), the University of Salzburg made a clear commitment to future-readiness, digital innovation, and structural transformation. Since January 1, 2022, the DAS Faculty has brought together key competencies in research, teaching, and digitalisation – and is now considered a pioneer in Austria’s higher education landscape.
The vision emerged early, shaped by strategic foresight and bold reform efforts. One of the driving forces behind this initiative was the rectorate led by Hendrik Lehnert, which recognised the signs of the times: digitalisation, data science, and artificial intelligence were no longer purely technical disciplines – they had become the core of societal transformation. The University no longer wanted to merely react, but to actively help shape these developments.
From Idea to Institution
As early as 2020, a strategic leadership team – including Rector Hendrik Lehnert and vice-rectors Martin Weichbold and Nicola Hüsing – began developing the plan to establish a faculty that would be structurally and thematically dedicated to these future-oriented fields. Starting in summer 2020, regular, constructive, and respectful exchanges were held with representatives of the departments that would become part of the new faculty, as well as with Dean Arne Bathke. The challenge was to consolidate existing strengths in a meaningful and sustainable way.
Many of these developments had emerged bottom-up: committed faculty members had initiated innovative study programmes, including Austria’s first Master’s programmes in Data Science and in Human-Computer Interaction, the interdisciplinary Bachelor’s programme “Digitalisation – Innovation – Society,” as well as international programmes like the Erasmus Mundus Copernicus Master in Digital Earth. However, without an appropriate structural framework, these initiatives risked remaining isolated.
Itzling as a Science Campus of the Future
A second impulse came from spatial development: the Itzling campus was to be positioned as a vibrant scientific hub. Departments such as Computer Science, Geoinformatics (Z_GIS), the Human-Computer Interaction division (HCI), as well as Chemistry and Physics of Materials in a newly built lab facility were already located there. A previous attempt to establish Itzling as a “Science & Technology Hub” had not been sustainable without proper structural backing. The new faculty aimed to address this – creating a connected scientific space with a coherent thematic direction.
The Founding Process
The official launch process began in summer 2020. Through digital workshops and meetings, the academic and organisational concept was developed. The name captured the vision: DAS – Digital and Analytical Sciences. On January 1, 2022, the faculty was officially established – bringing together four departments: Artificial Intelligence and Human Interfaces, Geoinformatics, Computer Science, and Mathematics.
Stefan Lang, now Dean of the DAS Faculty and successor to Arne Bathke, was also a central figure in the founding process. As a Professor of Geoinformatics and later Vice-Rector for Digitalisation and Internationalisation, he played a strategic and scientific role in shaping the faculty. With his experience in building research capacity at Z_GIS, numerous European and global collaborations, and particularly his leadership of the Christian Doppler Laboratory GEOHUM, he brought valuable international perspective and long-standing expertise. Alongside Arne Bathke and Stefan Lang, the initial deanery team included Günter Maresch (Mathematics). Later, Verena Fuchsberger-Staufer (AIHI) and Sebastian Forster (Computer Science) joined the team.
Lang emphasises that the success of the faculty’s creation rested on two pillars: strong commitment and innovative ideas from the departments, and a clear vision backed by strategic support from the rectorate. Without this political and institutional backing, the faculty would not have been possible.
National Impact – International Visibility
Today, the DAS Faculty is considered the first of its kind in Austria with a clear thematic focus. It was externally evaluated early on and received highly positive reviews. Collaborations with Salzburg Research, iSpace, and all universities in the region, as well as flagship projects like the iDEAS:lab, the Salzburg Lab for Intelligent Data Analytics (IDA), the MINT:labs, the state-funded EXDIGIT project, and several Digital Humanities initiatives highlight the DAS Faculty’s role as a driving force for innovation.
Arne Bathke and Stefan Lang draw a clear conclusion: the founding of the DAS Faculty was not merely an act of structural change but a bold decision to make the University of Salzburg future-proof. Or, as Lang puts it: “Together, we implemented something that was necessary – and that is already making us visible nationally and internationally.”
Vision and Goals of the DAS Faculty
The founding of the Faculty of Digital and Analytical Sciences not only closed a structural gap but also articulated a clear vision. The DAS Faculty sees itself as an internationally visible, thematically focused institution that both drives technological innovation and critically reflects on it – with the goal of providing digital solutions to major societal challenges.
The faculty is dedicated to building an innovative research and educational hub that combines academic excellence with social responsibility. DAS strengthens Salzburg’s scientific landscape through interdisciplinary research across the entire digital spectrum: from mathematical foundations to data-driven decision support. Through its thematic focus, the synergy of strong departments, and close collaboration with regional and international partners, DAS is creating a unique centre of expertise – with the potential to make Salzburg a visible lighthouse in the digital research landscape of Europe.
