Review of the Institute Staff Retreat: Strategic Direction and Team Development

From February 10th to 11th, 2026, the team completed a two-day staff retreat in Lower Austria. The aim of the event was to intensify cooperation within the team, which has grown significantly over the past year, and to sustainably optimize internal processes for future research tasks.

As the institute was pleased to welcome numerous new employees over the past year, a significant focus of these days was on personnel integration as well as the joint sharpening of a vision for the coming research years.

Scientific and organizational focal points of the retreat:

  • Process Analysis and Workflow Optimization: Existing workflows were critically examined in moderated working sessions. The goal was to design interfaces more efficiently and to develop a clear roadmap for cross-project collaboration.
  • Strategic Focusing (“Circle of Influence”): The team dealt intensively with current challenges in transport planning and research. Priority was given to the areas in which the institute can directly drive innovation in order to deploy resources specifically for a sustainable mobility transition.
  • Strengthening Cooperation Competency: In addition to the strategic blocks, interactive exercises were conducted to promote problem-solving competency within the team. The successful implementation of complex tasks under time pressure highlighted the importance of clear communication and mutual trust for excellent research results.

Special thanks go to our trainer and coach Marie-Theres Euler-Rolle, who professionally accompanied and moderated the entire process with her expertise.

The Institute for Transport Studies looks back on two productive days and enters upcoming projects with a sharpened profile and strengthened cohesion. We would like to thank the entire team for their constructive participation and positive dynamics.

23.02.2026