ENVIRONMENT 52 JUNE 2016 © Pixabay ticularly in the energy technology sector. Companies producing material goods have average research intensities (share of research investments in sales revenues) of 2-3%. In the environmental technology sector, however, it amounts to approximately 6.5%. In many cases, innovations enabled domestic companies to solidify or strengthen their competitiveness. International comparative studies show Austria’s top position in the eco-innovation sector. The domestic environmental technology and service industry is among the best on the international market, particularly in areas such as innovation activities (high share of companies driving innovations in the environmental sector) and innovation output. For example, Austria is leading the way in the EU when it comes to environmental patents. The developments in areas such as passive house technology, waste management (recycling), and renewable energy technologies are particularly remarkable in regards to the domestic industry’s research and innovation activities. But also areas like electro mobility and resource effi ciency have signifi cant potential for innovation. Besides the domestic companies’ innovative strength, government incentive programmes as well as legal requirements for the growth of the domestic environmental industry are also responsible for this development, which include the Green Electricity Act, the corporate environmental support programme, as well as funding opportunities of the Climate and Energy Fund and the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG). THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE’S SUSTAINABILITY TRAINING Every two years, the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKO) assesses Austria’s environmental situation in comparison to the other EU member states, based on 58 individual rankings of different indicators – including waste material and resources as well as energy, climate, water, air pollution control, mobility, biological diversity, and environmental management. The results for 2015 put Austria fi rmly on the winner’s podium in an excellent third position. Chamber of Commerce’s expert Christoph Haller says, “Austria is very strong in many fi elds compared to other European countries. Austria’s continuing success in this ranking is based on decades of high environmental standards and an environmental awareness that exceeds the European average in many areas, as well as the companies’ high competence when it comes to environmental management and environmental technology. It is very encouraging that consistently decreasing environmental hazards while increasing production at the same time is becoming more and more normal for Austrian businesses.” Highlights are the assessments regarding corporate environmental management, the utilisation of renewable energy sources (Austria is among the European leaders in this sector), CO2 emissions per GDP, air pollution control (amount of hazardous airborne emissions in relation to the GDP), the modal split in freight and passenger transports, as well as organic farming. In comparison with goods manufacturing, the Austrian environmental technology industry has been growing at an above-average rate for almost 15 years.
NEW BUSINESS - EXPORT TODAY 1/2016
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