© Ellie Mantler
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Austria’s Life Sciences Location Put Under the Spotlight
09. February 2026At the first ABA CEO Round Table, a distinguished panel discussed the competitiveness of Austria as a business location, why the life sciences sector plays a key role—and what is needed now.
The “ABA CEO Round Table”, the Austrian Business Agency’s new discussion format, creates an open, peer-to-peer exchange between business, policymakers, the Republic’s investment promotion agency and the media—practical, focused and solutions-oriented.
The first edition centred on the life sciences sector, which brings together pharmaceuticals, biotech and medical technology. Hosted by René Tritscher, Managing Director of the ABA, the panel included Pavel Dobrocky, General Director at Boehringer Ingelheim RCV; Nicole Schlautmann, Country Manager at MSD Austria; Florian Frauscher, Director-General for Business Location, Innovation and Internationalisation at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy and Tourism (BMWET); Kronen Zeitung journalist Lisa Wögerbauer; and trend Editor-in-Chief Bernhard Ecker.
Key insights and conclusions from the discussion:
Austria stands out thanks to the availability of well-trained talent and its attractive research landscape.
Strengthening the country’s competitiveness: the industrial strategy as a vision and the first measures it contains are meeting with broad approval.
Developing a life sciences strategy is intended to provide the sector with clear long-term objectives and greater planning certainty.