Research Projects and Collaborations
| Ongoing Projects |
At MIQALab, innovation is driven by continuous research and development. Our ongoing projects focus on advancing microplastic analysis, quality assurance, artificial intelligence, and environmental monitoring. By working closely with academic institutions, industrial partners, and public organizations, we develop practical solutions that improve the reliability, transparency, and standardization of microplastic analytics.
| Cooperations & Consortial Partners |
At MIQALab, research and innovation go hand in hand with routine analytics. Through collaborative research projects, we continuously develop new approaches for microplastic analysis, quality assurance, sample preparation, and data evaluation. Our goal is to transform scientific innovation into practical, robust, and standardized solutions that support both research and industrial applications.
We strongly believe that the most impactful innovations arise through collaboration. Therefore, we are always interested in establishing new partnerships with universities, research institutions, public organizations, and industrial partners. Whether you are planning a collaborative research project, preparing a funding proposal, or simply have an innovative idea related to microplastic analysis, we would be delighted to explore potential opportunities together.
If you are looking for a scientific or industrial partner for your next project, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are always open to discussing new collaborations, project ideas, and joint funding applications to drive innovation in environmental analytics.
CIRCLE
| Circular Economy |
CIRCLE is an ongoing collaborative research project investigating the entry, distribution, and release of microplastics within industrial production processes. The project aims to quantify how microplastics are introduced into manufacturing through raw materials and production processes, as well as how much is ultimately released into the environment via industrial wastewater.
To achieve this, raw materials, intermediate products, finished products, and wastewater are systematically analyzed in four manufacturing companies in Tyrol (Austria). By identifying critical sources and pathways of microplastic contamination, the project provides valuable insights into industrial material flows and supports the development of effective strategies to reduce microplastic emissions. MIQALab contributes its expertise in microplastic sampling, sample preparation and spectroscopic analysis, ensuring reliable and comparable analytical results throughout the project.
AI4PlastiTrax
| Software Solution |
AI4PlastiTrax is a research and development project dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence for microplastic analysis. The project focuses on combining AI-based classification with classical spectroscopic algorithms to improve the reliability, transparency, and speed of polymer identification while reducing false-positive and false-negative results.
A central objective of the project is the continuous development of PlastiTrax.ai, a web-based software platform designed for routine microplastic analysis. The platform is continuously expanded with new reference spectra, including weathered polymers, environmental particles, and application-specific datasets, allowing identification performance to improve over time. By integrating user feedback, newly generated spectral data, and explainable AI approaches, AI4PlastiTrax aims to establish a next-generation analytical platform that delivers fast, robust, and reproducible microplastic identification across a wide range of spectroscopic instruments and measurement techniques.
The long-term vision of AI4PlastiTrax is to make high-quality microplastic data analysis more accessible, standardized, and transparent for laboratories worldwide, while continuously improving performance through scientific collaboration and real-world analytical data.
