Secrets of success: cooperation between science and research

Measured in terms of gross regional product, no other province sees as many investments into universities and research as Styria.

Barbara Eibinger-Miedl has been Styria’s Provincial Councillor for Economy, Tourism, Regions, Science and Research since 2017. Born in Graz, she graduated in business administration and law. At the top of her agenda is the “Styria Economic Strategy 2030” – one of the cornerstones for Styria’s economic future.

It says on your website: “Hardly any other technology and business location in Europe is home to so many globally successful companies as Styria”. Why is Styria so attractive as a business location?
Barbara Eibinger-Miedl: The decisive factor of success is the cooperation between science and business. Styria is the number one research region in Austria; measured in terms of gross regional product, no other province sees as many investments into research and development as Styria. Our universities and research institutions work closely with local companies in a wide range of fields. My department also supports this cooperation in a targeted manner because it results in innovative products and services with which the Styrian economy is globally successful.

You have been a Provincial Councillor since April 2017. Since then, the Covid pandemic has been followed by the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, and now the shortage of skilled workers and the increasingly noticeable climate crisis. Would you have wished for calmer years for your administration?
Eibinger-Miedl: When you take on a government position, it is obvious that there are challenges involved. But when I took office as a Provincial Councillor, I could not have imagined being confronted with such drastic developments as a pandemic and a new war in Europe. Such events require quick action, but also medium- to long-term changes such as the energy transition or the labour shortage need sustainable solutions.

How did you cope with these challenges, for which there were no contingency plans in the drawer? Are improvisation and troubleshooting your strengths or rather a necessary evil?
Eibinger-Miedl: In my opinion, a high degree of flexibility and stress resistance is required of politicians anyway. In the past two years, however, I have certainly faced more challenges and had to show a lot of resilience.

Please present briefly the most important key points of the ‘Styrian Economic Strategy 2030 - New Growth - New Opportunities - New Quality’.
Eibinger-Miedl: The strategy provides the framework for the funding and financing programmes with which we support Styrian businesses. Our goal in the years to come is to promote sustainable economic development. We understand sustainability in a very comprehensive sense. Climate-friendly management plays just as important a role as entrepreneurial innovations with particularly great potential for the future. We will continue to focus on the strengths of the Styrian economy – mobility, green technologies, human technology, microelectronics, exports, research and development, and cooperation between science and business. In addition, we are working on measures to fight the existing labour shortage, on better framework conditions for start-ups and also on our international positioning.

What contribution do EU funding programmes make to Styria’s success?
Eibinger-Miedl: A very important one, which is unfortunately often forgotten. The European Union has brought many economic advantages to Austria and Styria. The EU funding programmes have made it possible to implement important infrastructure projects, significantly increase our exports and create thousands of additional jobs. Since Austria’s accession to the EU, Styria has been able to draw more than one billion euros in funding from the most important funding pot for the economy, the European Regional Development Fund, which, through additional co-financing from the federal and provincial governments, has triggered many times more investments in Styrian businesses.

The Broadband Initiative of Styria aims to guarantee high data transmission rates throughout the province by 2030. How will you manage this, and can this be done in an economically cost-effective way? Will the entire area of the province, including sparsely populated areas, be covered?
Eibinger-Miedl: In my view, the provision of high-performance internet is the provision of public services of the 21st century. Since the Covid pandemic, this no longer applies only to companies, but also to private households. In this respect, it is one of our most important tasks to equip Styria as comprehensively as possible with the necessary infrastructure. Wherever possible, we rely on fibre optics. With the founding of the Styrian broadband and digital infrastructure company Sbidi, we have taken a big step forward years. Broadband expansion remains at the top of our agenda, as we still need to catch up in some rural regions. I am confident that the next federal tenders will provide a further boost here.

You support businesses with your procedural services. What services are particularly in demand?
Eibinger-Miedl: The service is aimed at companies that want to implement large-scale projects. In the Department for Economic Affairs, a procedure coordinator acts as the central contact for investors. In most cases, information is required on the necessary permits for the settlement or expansion of businesses. In addition, the investor’s networking with all responsible offices in Styria and support in the preparation of applications are the most frequently requested services.

Styria has some large ski resorts. How do you deal with the problem that there is often no snow due to climate change? Is artificial snow the way out?
Eibinger-Miedl: Styria is traditionally a winter sports region. Therefore, skiing, but also numerous other activities such as cross-country skiing, tobogganing and snowshoeing, are among the pillars of Styrian winter tourism. Unfortunately, climatic developments require artificial snow, which is why we have invested heavily in this area in recent years. In order to be attractive for guests all year round, many Styrian ski resorts have also expanded their offer.

Which qualities of Styria as a holiday destination should be developed in the years to come?
Eibinger-Miedl: Styria has been highly appreciated as a holiday destination by guests from Austria and abroad for many years, as shown by the positive development in the number of guests and overnight stays. Key factors of success are the wonderful countryside, the diverse range of offers, Styrian culinary delights and the warmth of our tourism professionals. We will continue to build on these strengths, and we will focus in future even more intensively on our positive image as the “Green Heart of Austria” abroad. In addition, we will anchor the topic of sustainability even more strongly in Styrian tourism and have therefore been the first province in Austria to develop its own sustainability strategy.

What are your plans to overcome the shortage of skilled workers?
Eibinger-Miedl: The Styrian labour market has developed dynamically in recent years. In many areas we no longer only have a shortage of skilled workers, but already a shortage of labour. On the one hand, this is due to the demographic development, which is now clearly noticeable, but on the other hand, it is also due to the change in the world of work, such as the trend towards part-time work. Together with the Department for Labour and non-governmental stakeholders, we have developed a labour market strategy for our province. It has two cornerstones: On the one hand, we want to further increase the potential of the people living in Styria, for example through training and further education, and on the other hand, we want to strengthen the acquisition of international skilled workers accordingly.

Where do you see the greatest challenges in the years to come? Which other goals are at the top of your agenda?
Eibinger-Miedl: We are living in times of profound change, when I think of the digital and the green transformation, for example. It is important to me to support domestic companies in successfully overcoming these changes and in taking advantage of the associated opportunities. Another major personal concern of mine is strengthening local and urban centres in Styria. For some months now, a provincial coordinator for town centres has been supporting municipalities, with the involvement of the population, in implementing projects to revitalise their town and city centres. This benefits the regional economy and increases the quality of life of the Infrastructure projects are at the top of Eibinger-Miedl’s agenda. local people.