INVESTMENTS JUNE 2016 33 In 2015, the investment promotion agency ABA-Invest in Austria, which reports directly to the Ministry of Economy, brought 297 new, international companies to Austria in collaboration with its regional subsidiaries. In 2014, there were 276 of them. “This is a positive development for Austria as a business location. We further improved our record for starting new businesses with an increase of close to 8 percent,” says Reinhold Mitterlehner, ABA’s owner representative and Federal Minister for Economy. “This increased confidence of international investors is a positive signal, but it should also motivate further reforms. We have to develop this business location continuously to ensure its international competitiveness for the future,” says Mitterlehner. Capital expenditures increased even more signifi cantly than the number of new businesses, by 34 percent to 496 million euros. 2,613 new jobs were created (following 2,645 in the year before). “ Many of the companies moving here value Austria’s position as a hub for Central, Southeast, and Eastern Europe, as well as its factors for long-term success, such as qualifi ed specialists, our stability, and legal certainty, which is a particular strength in a diffi cult geopolitical environment,” explains Mitterlehner. “We strengthen purchasing power and consumption in Austria with tax reforms. Furthermore, we gradually lower ancillary wage costs by up to one billion euros per year and continually lessen as well as simplify bureaucracy,” says Mitterlehner about his current plans. ABA’S RESULTS: GERMANY REMAINS AT NUMBER ONE – CONTINUALLY STRONG INTEREST FROM ITALY AS WELL AS CENTRAL, EASTERN, AND SOUTHEAST EUROPE The most important investor country with 103 new businesses is Germany, with an increase of 17 percent. “Fortunately, there were several bigger investments among them again. Therefore the investment volume for these new businesses from Germany amounts to 343.4 million euros, which is a 25 percent increase from last year’s 274.5 million,” says Managing Director René Siegl. Once again, Italy comes in second place in this investor ranking: A total of 42 Italian companies have moved to Austria with the support of ABA. RANKING OF PROVINCES Most international companies moved yet again to the capital city of Vienna in 2015. Vienna’s 150 new businesses are followed by 36 in Carinthia, 25 in Salzburg, and 20 in Tyrol. 18 of the company foundations supported by ABA and its regional subsidiaries are located in Lower Austria, 16 in Upper Austria, 16 in Styria, 9 in Vorarlberg, and 5 in Burgenland. One company has offi ces in several provinces.
NEW BUSINESS - EXPORT TODAY 1/2016
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