ICONANNUAL

City of Vienna
Dipl.- VW. Klemens Himpele
Head of Municipal Department 23,
Economic Affairs, Labour and Statistics
Vienna is not only a city of culture but also
a metropolis of science and research.
The City draws upon a long and rich tradition of
creative thought, a spirit of scientific inquiry and
entrepreneurial innovation. Vienna‘s university
is one of Europe‘s oldest (since 1365) and the largest
in the German-speaking countries. As Austria‘s centre
of knowledge, Vienna has a total of 187,000 university
students.
Over a thousand research facilities, including numerous
enterprises, serve to complete Vienna‘s regional
knowledge network. With regard to the R&D share in
overall employment, Vienna ranks third among the
regions of the EU 28. More than 40,000 persons work
in research, at universities, competence centres, research
organisations and innovative enterprises in Vienna.
Stable political and economic conditions, a researchand
technology-friendly environment, the geographic
and cultural proximity to CEE growth markets and not
least the world‘s highest quality of life make Vienna the
“place to be” in every way.
Vienna is also the perfect location for international
corporate headquarters:
Around 200 leading international businesses use the
federal capital as a control centre for their activities in
CEE, including global players such as Hewlett Packard,
Henkel, Baxter, Siemens or Eli Lilly.
Financial and business services in Vienna have become
a key area of growth in comparison to European cities
and are equal to London and Paris! Vienna ranks second
behind London when it comes to the number of people
employed in freelance, science, and technology services.
Vienna is one of Europe‘s hottest spots in terms of creative
industries and digital technologies. Furthermore,
Vienna is one of the largest ICT (Information and
communication technologies) locations in Europe.
The city is proud of its excellent broadband infrastructure
and its highly ranked e-government services. It enjoys
global renown in the area of electronic music. It boasts
numerous enterprises developing high-tech products
and services and exporting them to markets all over
the world. The “Pioneers Festival” (http://pioneers.io/
festival) brings together founders, startups, pioneers,
investors, tech enthusiasts and Media representatives
once per year in Vienna.
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ISSUE 2014