Stefan Ehrlich-Adám, head of the industry division at the Chamber of Commerce, sounds the alarm: Vienna is threatened with an exodus of companies and jobs. There is not enough space for settlement or expansion.
Vienna is considered a city of high culture. What many forget: Vienna is also an important industrial location. The companies create 59,000 jobs and added value of 7.3 billion euros. Still! Because now Stefan Ehrlich-Adám, head of the industry division at the Chamber of Commerce, is sounding the alarm: “In Vienna there are currently 2,127 hectares of dedicated business areas, of which only 140 hectares are free. No new ones are added. With current developments, we will run out of space in ten years.”No more space in ten yearsThe reason: Vienna’s industry is growing. Companies are expanding existing locations despite the difficult economic situation. And international companies are also joining in. But there is a lack of new space to enable further business establishments. Ehrlich-Adám adds: “The areas that are still available are poorly developed in terms of infrastructure. The best example is the lack of connection to the S1 in the Donaustadt.” “In the best case scenario, companies go to Lower Austria.” And the expert paints a bleak picture: no new companies can settle, and successful existing companies cannot and must expand their locations emigrate from Vienna. In the best case to Lower Austria, in the worst case to Asia or North America.Ehrlich-Adám: “Of course the industry also has to work on densification options. However, efforts are needed to keep industry in the city and to develop new areas.”
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