The province of Upper Austria sees artificial intelligence (AI) as one of the most important technology trends of the next decade. With the new Medical Cognitive Computing Center (MC3), it is creating a hub to research and implement innovative AI methods in order to ensure optimal patient care. MC3 brings together the knowledge, expertise, and experience of three partners: Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU), Kepler University Hospital Linz (KUK), and the Medical Informatics research department of RISC Software GmbH.
Univ. Prof. Dr. Jens Meier, head of the University Clinic for Anesthesiology and Operative Intensive Care Medicine and director of the Department of Neuroanesthesia and Intensive Care at KUK, is one of the few medical professionals with experience in fundamental AI-related medical research. His focus lies on the systematic improvement of patient care. According to him, “One advantage of using AI methods in medicine is the ability to uncover previously unnoticed correlations.”
At JKU, several highly successful research groups work in the field of artificial intelligence. In particular, the Institute for Machine Learning, led by Univ. Prof. Dr. Sepp Hochreiter, combines expertise in machine learning with practical applications in biology, genetics, and medicine. This combination ensures that innovative AI methods are translated into real-world healthcare applications.
The Medical Informatics department at RISC Software GmbH has built up strong expertise over nearly 20 years of collaboration with healthcare professionals. In the MC3 project, it contributes AI-based methods for medical data analysis and prediction. Consequently, MC3 integrates both research excellence and practical know-how.
As part of the MC3 project, a center is being established that merges medical and AI research into a combined focus area for the healthcare system in Upper Austria. This initiative will lead to knowledge- and data-intensive methods aimed at further optimizing clinical patient care, with key research areas in healthcare services and patient safety.
MC3 is tackling solutions for the following medical challenges:
The MC3 project partners are specialists in the use of AI in medicine. They rely on expertise and data resources that are often unavailable to other IT companies. Kepler University Hospital has been collecting all clinical data for over ten years in a well-maintained data warehouse. This data can be exported anonymously and used in accordance with legal requirements. Patient rights are safeguarded through the involvement of the ethics committee and compliance with all regulations, particularly the GDPR and the Medical Devices Act. Since only retrospective data is analyzed, there is no risk to patients. The close collaboration among medical professionals, bio- and medical informaticians, and AI experts ensures a thorough understanding of the challenges, guaranteeing both medically and methodologically sound data processing and predictive modeling.
MC3 helps preserve and expand highly qualified jobs and provides top-tier training in a scientifically excellent, interdisciplinary environment. Building academic expertise in this area not only enables the center’s own growth but also enhances its visibility and appeal to international researchers. Economically, MC3 also contributes significantly to the competitiveness of the Upper Austrian region.
This project is funded by research grants from the province of Upper Austria. RISC Software GmbH is part of the UAR (Upper Austrian Research) network.
Head of Unit Medical Informatics
