Thoughts on IT (Interdisciplinary Transformation University Austria) in Linz and a €67k postdoc offer?

Hi everyone,

I’m considering applying for a postdoctoral position at IT – Interdisciplinary Transformation University Austria in Linz, and I would be very interested in hearing from people who know the Austrian academic system, Linz, or IT specifically.

The position is a Postdoc in Data-Driven Sustainability Policy and Economics in the AI & Sustainability Policy Lab. The research agenda combines causal inference, experimental/behavioral economics, machine learning, and sustainability/climate-policy evaluation. The position can apparently run for up to four years, and the advertised salary starts at around €67,000 gross per year.

A bit about me: I recently completed a PhD in applied economics. My work is mainly in causal inference and behavioral economics, including randomized experiments, survey/panel data, heterogeneous treatment effects/causal forests, and research on environmental behavior and policy acceptance. So, scientifically, the position seems unusually close to my profile.

I am mainly trying to understand three things:

1. How is IT perceived academically? I understand that it is a relatively unusual/new institution, so I am especially interested in how it is viewed within Austria and internationally. Does working there look good on an academic CV? How would you compare its reputation and research environment with more established Austrian universities such as the University of Vienna, WU Vienna, JKU Linz, ISTA, etc.?
2. What is the research environment like? Does anyone have direct or indirect experience with IT, its faculty, funding, infrastructure, expectations for postdocs, publication culture, or opportunities to build an independent research agenda? I would also be interested in whether it seems like a good place for someone hoping to remain competitive for academic/research positions afterward.
3. Is €67k gross a good postdoc salary for Linz? From what I can tell, Linz is considerably cheaper than cities such as Zurich, London, or some major US academic locations, so €67k sounds fairly comfortable. But I would appreciate a local perspective: what kind of net income and standard of living would this translate into for a single person? Is this considered a good, average, or below-average postdoc salary in Austria?

I’m not necessarily committed to staying in academia permanently, so I’m also interested in how this kind of position might be perceived later by public-policy institutions, international organisations, research institutes, or the private sector.

Any thoughts (especially from people working in Austrian academia, economics/data science, or living in Linz) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!