Austria, a land of mobility

Automotive: E-drives from BMW, rapid expansion of the fast-charging infrastructure 

Austria is an international player in the automobile industry, serving as a manufacturer and supplier of vehicles, vehicle parts and vehicle technologies. One can start with Magna, whose location in Graz for complete vehicle development and production occupies an outstanding position, but not only within the Magna Group. Or one can take  BMW Group Plant Steyr, which is BMW’s largest engine plant in the world. € 1 billion will be invested at the site in the coming years in the development and production of a new generation of e-drives. The technology group Bosch operates international development competence centres for mobility technology in Austria which, for example, intensively focus on hydrogen technology.  

A whole lot is also going on with respect to ensuring a fast-charging infrastructure for electric-powered vehicles. At present there are more than 27,000 charging points in Austria. Accordingly, the country is ranked 4th in the EU per 100,000 inhabitants. For the first time, the expansion of the Austrian charging network is being specifically promoted, especially in previously underserved areas. This is due to a unique initiative in Europe, namely the funding programme “LADIN” coordinated by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency FFG. The objective of the tender was to significantly improve the accessibility of the fast-charging infrastructure. A funding volume of about € 11 million was allocated to 86 projects, so that 267 fast charging points open 24/7 are being created in regions which have been underserved up until now.   

Mer Austria GmbH, a subsidiary of the Norwegian energy company Statkraft and provider of charging solutions for electric vehicles, has achieved a major milestone in collaboration with McDonalds Austria. More than half of the restaurants in the country are now equipped with fast-charging stations. On balance, more than 270 of Mer’s fast charging points, all operating exclusively on green electricity, are available in Austria. 

In particular, quite a lot is happening in the field of autonomous driving, an important driver of innovative mobility concepts. Numerous companies are developing and testing the transport solutions of tomorrow here in Austria. One of them is TTTech Auto, initially a spin-off of the Vienna University of Technology. The firm has emerged as a global player thanks to its software “MotionWise.” Multinationals such as Samsung and Infineon are investing in this cutting-edge technology for safe, self-driving cars. The two proving grounds for automated driving, Digitrans and ALP.Lab, offer one of Europe’s most multifaceted testing areas in this field.  

Innovative rail industry: 2%-3% of all global patents are from Austria 

Austria is one of the world’s leading countries when it comes to railway traffic and features a modern rail network. The “night jets” of the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) connect many European capitals with Vienna via night trains and offer a realistic alternative to flying. If one took all the trains which are operated in Austria every day, they would encircle the entire globe every two hours.  

Companies in Austria’s rail industry rank among the most innovative anywhere in the world. Their product range encompasses the entire spectrum, from railway carriages, tracks, safety and control technology to metro systems and high-speed trains. Today, 2%-3% of all registered, rail-related patents around the world originate in Austria along with every second track superstructure patent. Initiatives such as the “Railway Systems” research cluster underline Austria’s claim to R&D excellence. The Graz University of Technology, the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), Siemens and voestalpine are among the institutions and companies participating in interdisciplinary research clusters active in the field of rail vehicle technology, railway infrastructure and rail operations.   

FACC and Pankl - the flagship companies in Austria’s aviation industry 

Austria’s aviation industry is also well positioned for the future thanks to its research-intensive areas and service providers for supply, maintenance, and repair. Companies such as FACC, Pankl Aerospace and bionic surface are technology drivers for aviation production processes and internationally in demand to manufacture aviation components made of fibre reinforced plastics. Austria also enjoys a similarly good reputation around the world with respect to its testing infrastructure for drones. These competencies are being continually expanded through targeted research and development work. 

Further information on the mobility sector in Austria is available here:  https://investinaustria.at/en/industries-functions/industry/mobility/  

More on the research location and research funding in Austria: 
https://investinaustria.at/en/why-austria/research-location/