Location Vorarlberg:

Innovations are more important than ever

Provincial Councillor Marco Tittler, Governor Markus Wallner and WISTO CEO Jimmy Heinzl.

(Bild: ALEXANDRA_SERRA)

On Wednesday, the new format "INNOVATE VORARLBERG" will take place at the Bregenz Festival Hall. WISTO's latest innovation report will also be presented on this occasion.

Vorarlberg's companies are considered to be more innovative than the average in Austria. However, it is also true that the Ländle does not play in the top European league - in contrast to its structurally comparable neighboring regions in southern Germany and Switzerland. Especially in times when technological change is taking place at breakneck speed, it is important to stay on the ball. The political decision-makers in the country are also aware of this: "Our companies are internationally competitive because they continue to develop consistently and see innovation as an opportunity.

Central to the prosperity of a company
"The targeted promotion of research and development is therefore a central lever for securing our business location," emphasized Governor Markus Wallner and Provincial Councillor Marco Tittler (both ÖVP) at the press foyer on Tuesday morning. The innovation report published by "Wirtschaftsstandort Vorarlberg GmbH" (WISTO) shows just how central research and development (R&D) is to the success of a company. The annual trend survey, which is based on a comprehensive company survey, was carried out for the third time and provides an up-to-date picture of the current mood regarding company innovation activities, R&D expenditure, employee qualifications, cooperation activities as well as research structures and funding.

The targeted promotion of research and development is a key lever for securing our location.

Vorarlbergs Landeshauptmann Markus Wallner

Bild: Urbantschitsch Mario

Although the details of the report will only be presented to the public as part of "INNOVATE Vorarlberg", a few key figures are already known: According to the report, three out of four of the Vorarlberg companies surveyed make use of research or innovation funding. 71 percent cooperate with R&D partners, and there are currently 325 collaborations with Vorarlberg research institutions alone. Speaking of domestic research institutions: These were able to generate a research volume of around 12.3 million euros in 2024 - which is clear evidence that Dornbirn University of Applied Sciences has developed very well in recent years.

The small state relies on networks
However, due to the small size of Vorarlberg, the opportunities are naturally limited, and the University of Applied Sciences can only compensate for the lack of a fully-fledged university in some areas. It is therefore all the more important to make the best possible use of existing potential and to create synergy effects through cooperation. The motto is: if the really big players are missing, the small ones have to make up for it with a close-knit network. INNOVATE VORARLBERG is an ideal platform for this. "Last-minute visitors are cordially invited to drop by," says Wallner, hoping for lively interest.

INNOVATE VORARLBERG: Wednesday from 1 pm at the Festspielhaus Bregenz.