Marina Gastberger

Marina Gastberger is a Researcher at the University of Applied Sciences Steyr affiliated with the LOGISTIKUM Research Center Steyr Center of Excellence Logistics. Her work bridges academic research with practical retail innovation through active project leadership and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Education:

• Bachelor of Arts (BA)
• Master of Arts (MA)

Her research centers on technology-driven retail transformations, specializing in consumer behavior within staffless stores, blockchain-based luxury authentication, and generative AI applications. She investigates how ChatGPT and large language models revolutionize literature reviews while examining real-world impacts of people tracking systems and autonomous retail environments on shopper psychology and operational efficiency.

Publications from 2023-2025 reveal consistent focus on digital retail frontiers: packaging sustainability in online grocery, in-store technology integration, and AI-augmented research methodologies. Her systematic reviews establish foundational frameworks for emerging retail paradigms while empirical studies address blockchain implementation gaps in luxury markets.

Scientific Awards:

• ECR Austria Academic Student Award (2021)
• Jahrgangsbeste, Studiengang BWL-Food Management (2019)
• Preisträgerin Goldener Zuckerhut (2020)

Gastberger actively supervises early-career researchers with 2 supervised works documented. She leads 7 funded projects including LOG-Logistikum.Retail 2.0 (2023-2026) examining revenue touchpoints, and multiple 2024-2025 initiatives on tool usability, autonomous micro-locations, and product placement analytics. Her grants consistently address retail's digital transformation through empirical industry partnerships.

As core LOGISTIKUM research team member, she collaborates with Zimmermann and Brandtner across retail innovation projects, frequently presenting findings at CENTERIS and HCI International conferences while contributing to Austrian media on automated retail solutions.