In the 21st century, knowledge is the key factor in societal well-being. The New Design University therefore regards research—understood as the generation of new knowledge—as one of its central academic missions.

At the New Design University, research takes the form of both scientific research and artistic-scientific research. It is both basic and applied in nature and is pursued through both theoretical and experimental approaches. The New Design University is committed to both the advancement of the sciences and the development and exploration of the arts, and considers both fields to be essential. For the New Design University, the concept of the arts is to be interpreted differently than at a traditional art university. As a specialized university for design, the terms “arts” and “artistic” are to be understood in the sense of applied design and design-oriented.

In line with the diverse range of researchers at New Design University, academic research is conducted across a wide variety of disciplines—from materials science to philosophy. New Design University and its research faculty are committed to adhering to established standards of good scientific practice and academic integrity. (Cf.: ÖAWI - Österreichische Agentur für wissenschaftliche Integrität ).

Artistic-scientific research combines creative and theoretical approaches into a hybrid form of exploring implicit knowledge and generating new knowledge. The research profile of the New Design University is particularly characterized by artistic-scientific research, which draws on the tools and methods of the disciplines represented (architecture, graphic design, design, economics). The fundamental idea behind this research is based on the premise that design should be understood as a space for the acquisition and transfer of social, political, cultural, economic, and ecological knowledge. In engaging with various topics, artistic-scientific research acquires a particular form of knowledge while critically questioning and negotiating claims to knowledge as well as supposed truths. In the field of artistic-scientific research as well, researchers are always committed to the rules of good artistic-scientific practice and artistic-scientific integrity, although these rules are not yet as firmly established as they are in scientific research. The New Design University participates in the development of corresponding standards and deals transparently with potential issues such as value judgments in design processes.