Despite a drop in forecast growth, Eastern Europe remains a key market, and businesses need to access it in a safe and sustainable way. Sabrina Schütz-Oberländer explains Carinthia’s advantage as a logistic hub “at the heart of New Europe,” and outlines Made in Carinthia’s mission to act as a centre of innovation in the region, attracting foreign investment with specialist services and incentives.

The New Economy: Carinthia is a gateway to both east and south east Europe. How would you describe this geographical advantage?

Sabrina Schütz-Oberländer: Our geographical advantage is really that we are in the heart of new Europe. we are near to the border of Italy and Slovenia, and we have also good connection to these countries and therefore we can offer companies a market of nine million inhabitants. Another advantage is that we are at a point of intersection of two important transport axis, the Baltic-Adriatic axis, and the Tauern axis, and in combination with the goods who are near axis to five Adriatic ports with who we are also in cooperation. We are the ideal logistic hub in this important area of the Adriatic.

The New Economy: Now tell us about Made in Carinthia, what’s your work philosophy?

Sabrina Schütz-Oberländer: Our philosophy is to be the innovation centre in this Adriatic region. Therefore during the last ten years Carinthia has invested a great deal in competence centre, in centre of excellence, also in the infrastructure of technology packs and also in education, especially in an ethical field. This combination is really an advantage to be an innovative region and to be attractive also for foreign direct investments.

The New Economy: Tell me more about these centres of excellence

Sabrina Schütz-Oberländer: We offer the centre of excellence in different industrial sectors. For example we offer a competence centre for photovoltaic and also for sensor technology and micro electronics. Then another centre of excellence in the field of wood and also in the field of ICT for information technology. And another centre is concentrated on automotive industry.

The New Economy: And what incentives do businesses and investment does Carinthia offer?

Sabrina Schütz-Oberländer: We offer incentives up to sixty percent for R and D. These are subsidies and other subsidies for innovative companies which invest in Carinthia up to twenty five percent and furthermore we offer subsidies for education and trainings up to twenty percent.

The New Economy: A recent success story for you is the Infinion intel mobile settlement. What’s the detail there and what role did you play?

Sabrina Schütz-Oberländer: Infinion, which has the headquarters in Villach sold his mobile solution to Intel, and this was in 2011. and intel decided to create a new centre of excellence in Carinthia in one of the technology parks. This was due to the qualified workforce and also to the opportunities of our subsidies in the R&D field up to sixty percent.

The New Economy: And finally, what services can Made in Carinthia offer to companies interested in expanding into the region?

Sabrina Schütz-Oberländer: It’s a cost free service. We look for the right location. We look for the right people, qualified people for the new company which established a business in Carinthia. We enter into contact with potential partners, with banks, with subsidies, institutions also, and with the government, local government, and other institutions which are necessary for establishing the business in Carinthia. We try to get all the permissions to open also a new production hall for example within eighty days and also afterwards we try to help the companies to enter in contact for example with companies in our area, with companies in the Adriatic region. and also with companies in the former Habsburg Empire, because we are also in good cooperation with companies in this area.

The New Economy: Sabrina Schütz-Oberländer, Thank you very much for your time

Sabrina Schütz-Oberländer: Thank you for the opportunity to present Carinthia to you.