LH Mikl-Leitner: Clear commitment to strengthening the competitiveness of the industrial location and promoting sustainable development
St. Pölten (OTS) – Lower Austria’s Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner and the President of the Industrial Association of Lower Austria (IV NÖ), Kari Ochsner, signed a location agreement in the country house in St. Pölten. The focus is on strengthening the competitiveness of Lower Austrian industry.
At this working meeting between the state and industry, which was Ochsner’s first after his election as the new IV-NÖ president at the end of November, Mikl-Leitner emphasized: “Our industry is an economic and prosperity engine for our state and a driver for innovation, Employment and growth. It is responsible for a third of the added value and around 80,000 jobs in our state. We are signing this agreement as a clear commitment from the state of Lower Austria that we will continue to work vehemently to ensure the competitiveness of the industrial location. It is important to me that we offer our companies a business-friendly environment in which they can operate and grow well. This also means that we in Vienna and Brussels are committed to ensuring that Austria and Europe remain competitive business locations.”
IV-NÖ President Kari Ochsner emphasizes: “The cooperation agreement signed today sets a clear course for the future of our industry. It aims to maintain long-term competitiveness in international competition and to significantly strengthen Lower Austria as an industrial location, which in turn means securing thousands of jobs. In view of the current challenges and the de-industrialization that has already begun, we appeal to politicians not to overburden companies with regulations and provisions.”
The state of Lower Austria and IV Lower Austria are striving to further deepen their proven partnership in view of the current challenges for industrial companies, such as rising costs, especially in the energy sector, the lack of qualified skilled workers and increasing international competition. State Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner and IV-NÖ President Kari Ochsner agree that “sensible environmental and climate protection is not possible against industry, but only with it. Without the innovative power of the economy there is no technical progress and without technical progress the current challenges of our time cannot be overcome.”
“With every understanding of the necessary decarbonization of the economy, the EU Commission’s proposals in the area of green transformation must not come at the expense of competitiveness and thus at the expense of maintaining well-paid jobs. We have to protect both in Europe: our climate and our jobs,” said Mikl-Leitner. Ochsner adds: “Climate protection and industrial competitiveness must not be mutually exclusive, but must go hand in hand.”
The collaboration focuses on three topic areas:
general framework conditions (including stable energy supply and rapid expansion of infrastructure), workforce of the future and skilled worker development (targeted initiatives to promote training in MINT subjects and lifelong learning as well as the positioning of Lower Austria as a top economic location and as an attractive and livable region, especially for key foreign workers ) and lighthouse projects (e.g. in the areas of digitalization, sustainable use of resources and the promotion of health technologies). “In addition, young people should be given a basic understanding of economic performance orientation at school,” emphasizes Ochsner.
The main goals of the cooperation are, firstly, to strengthen competitiveness: targeted measures are intended to further improve the competitiveness, innovation and sustainability of domestic industrial companies. Another goal is the creation of jobs and the development of skilled workers: joint initiatives are being developed to promote future-oriented and state-of-the-art jobs and to support the education system in adapting to changing requirements. In addition, sustainable economic development: Lower Austria strives to become the leading smart and sustainable economic region in Europe, with a focus on “digital and green transformation”. In addition, the promotion of international cooperation: The networking of Lower Austrian industry with international partners will continue to be promoted in order to strengthen exports and expand global business opportunities.
In addition, the state of Lower Austria and IV Lower Austria are clearly committed to the expansion of business-related infrastructure, in particular broadband expansion, and reiterate that all projects in Lower Austria anchored in the Federal Roads Act (in particular S1 including the Lobautunnel, S8 and S34) must be adhered to.
The collaboration also includes regular meetings at top level to evaluate agreed progress and plan new initiatives.
Further information: Mag. Michaela Roither, Managing Director IV NÖ, Tel.: 01 711 35-2443, Email: michaela.roither@iv.at
Questions & Contact:
Office of the Lower Austrian State Government
State Office Directorate/Public Relations
Doris Zöger
02742/9005-13314
presse@noel.gv.at
www.noe.gv.at/presse