600 guests at the Lower Austrian Industry Day: red alert for the location!

600 guests at the Lower Austrian Industry Day: red alert for the location!

Today, September 11, 2025, the “Lower Austrian Industry Day” took place in Laxenburg Castle, to which around 600 guests from the areas of industry, business, politics, society and the media were invited. The important event was organized by the Lower Austrian Industrial Association (IV NÖ), which focused on the importance of industry for value creation, employment and innovation. Among the guests of honor were Johanna Mikl-Leitner, the state governor, and Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer, the economics minister. These representatives highlighted the challenges facing the industry, particularly high energy costs and regulatory constraints.

Kari Ochsner, the President of the IV-NÖ, made it clear that industrial policy requires commitment and a sense of responsibility. He highlighted the importance of reducing site costs, which include energy, labor and bureaucracy. At the same time, he called for better framework conditions for research and innovation in order to strengthen the competitiveness of industrial companies.[A] These demands are also reflected in the current challenges of industry, which, according to [Wirtschaftsdienst], is struggling with creeping de-industrialization.

The importance of industry in context

Industry contributes 30 percent to economic output in Lower Austria and employs almost 190,000 people, including around 2,700 apprentices. A good two-thirds of research and development spending comes from industry, as [Leadersnet] reports. These statistics underscore the industry's enormous contributions to the Austrian economy. Wolfgang Ecker, President of the WKO, pointed out the need to create the right framework conditions for the competitiveness of industrial companies.

Austrian Economics Minister Hattmannsdorfer reaffirmed the role of industry as the backbone of the economy and emphasized the need to stop creeping deindustrialization. In this context, Klaudia Tanner, the Minister of Defense, said that investments by the Federal Army in Lower Austrian companies are of great importance in order to maintain added value in the country. Johanna Mikl-Leitner also emphasized that the industry is under pressure due to high costs and requirements and that there is an urgent need for support from the state, federal government and EU.[A]

Global trends and challenges

The problem of deindustrialization is not only limited to Austria, but also affects other countries such as Germany, where the proportion of employees in the manufacturing sector fell from around 20 percent in 2000 to 17 percent in 2020, as [Wirtschaftsdienst] notes. This development is accompanied by an increased intersectoral division of labor and the challenges of digital and ecological transformation. The need to adapt to rising energy prices and geopolitical uncertainties is becoming increasingly pressing.

The consequences are serious: market developments could lead to a reduction in production and job losses in German and European industry. An increase in energy prices has been identified as one of the risks that could also affect industry in Austria. In recent months, the German federal government has already taken measures to secure energy supplies. The consensus on the need to decarbonize industry is also leading to calls for a modern industrial policy that focuses on sustainability and technological sovereignty.

The discussion about a new industrial policy strategy was driven forward in the past by initiatives such as the “Industrial Strategy 2030”. This aims to stabilize the industrial share of gross value added and to promote strategically important technologies. However, it remains unclear how successful such measures can be, especially given international protectionist trends, such as those from China and the USA, which often have disadvantages for the European economy.[A]

In the midst of these challenges, IV-NÖ managing director Michaela Roither sees the event as a sign of the industry's relevance. Video interviews with representatives from industry and politics that were conducted during the event illustrate the comprehensive discussions on the topics of industrial policy and the future prospects of the industry. In order to survive as a competitive location, creative solutions and close cooperation between the state, industry and unions are required to overcome future challenges.[B]