Carinthia and Vienna: New bridges built for future opportunities!

Carinthia and Vienna: New bridges built for future opportunities!

On November 12, 2025, the “Carinthia Connects Vienna” event took place in KELSEN in Parliament, which was opened by Governor Peter Kaiser and Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig. The initiators Andreas and Sebastian Lanner from LANNER Media emphasized that the event aimed to “build bridges” instead of “dig tunnels”. A close relationship between Carinthia and Vienna was promoted, with participants encouraged to actively use the new opportunities of the Southern Railway connection. Kaiser explained: “Let’s take advantage of these immense opportunities together.”

Around 150 guests from various areas, including business, politics, research and media, were present. Dejan Jovicevic from brutkasten took over the moderation. The four panels discussed numerous important aspects, such as opportunities along the Baltic-Adriatic axis, innovation and start-ups, sustainable tourism as well as new living models, hybrid working and investments in the south of Austria. Ludwig emphasized the importance of networking with neighboring regions and pointed out the advantages that arise for both regions.

Diverse topics and participants

The event included a series of discussions focusing on the economic, social and human benefits of the new connection between Vienna and Carinthia. The prominent guests included Ada Pellert (Rector Alpen Adria University Klagenfurt), Astrid Steharnig-Staudinger (Austria Advertising), and numerous other decision-makers and innovation representatives who discussed the future prospects of the region.

The event ended with a flying dinner that served regional specialties and offered participants the opportunity to network and make personal contacts. The exchange of ideas and experiences was highlighted as particularly important in order to further advance the development of Carinthia and Vienna. During the discussions, various examples and best practices were given to address the challenges in the areas mentioned.

The steps into the future

Overall, the event clearly showed that Carinthia and Vienna want to implement projects together that have both economic and social impacts. This strategy could therefore be seen as an important step to promote closer cooperation and development across the region. The importance of the Southern Railway as a strategic transport connection is seen as the key to future success.

Further information about the event was documented on multiple platforms, including detailed reports on the topics discussed and the large number of participants.