Business Radar Burgenland

Lower taxes and duties, but more money for research, technology and innovation. Concerns about jobs, but a fundamentally positive view of Burgenland as a business location. - These are the most striking results of the "Burgenland Economic Radar" study.

The study was conducted in spring 2014 by the Institute for Strategy Analyses as part of a project by Burgenland University of Applied Sciences and Wirtschaftsservice Burgenland (WiBAG). Around 1,200 people have been surveyed in two waves in spring and autumn 2014, and the results provide detailed insights into the needs and problems of private employees and companies in Burgenland.

Establishing faster and more efficient administration is therefore a clear desire and therefore also one of the goals aimed at in order to establish Burgenland as a sought-after and dynamic business location.

The data obtained as part of the "Business Radar Burgenland" is valuable because it clearly shows the links between strategic projects, support measures and implementation steps. According to the "Business Radar", only one in five companies (21 per cent) has taken advantage of funding for a research project - four out of five companies have not (78 per cent). The main reason for this: 43 per cent say that the effort involved in submitting an application is too high.

In future, the service for companies should therefore be improved: On the one hand, it should become less complicated and easier to understand, and on the other, it should make it possible to make the most of funding and programmes.

The study also clearly showed how important education is in the debate about Burgenland as a business location. As the Burgenland University of Applied Sciences has always seen itself as an open platform for economic issues, its committed participation in the "Business Radar" project was a matter of course.

The results of the project will also be incorporated into teaching. Students are thus provided with the latest findings and informed about the current situation in Burgenland. This gives them first-hand knowledge of what local companies and employees think, hope and demand. This ensures that graduates of the Burgenland University of Applied Sciences have a very realistic view of the regional economy and can put this knowledge to good use in their professional lives.

To this end, relationships with the regional economy are also cultivated. The UAS co-operates with over 400 companies for internships and research projects and uses experts from various fields as lecturers to ensure that students have the greatest possible practical relevance.

The study on the governance project "Wirtschaftsradar Burgenland" is to be continued at regular intervals and is currently the largest long-term study in Austria.