Innovation made in Austria: 15 Austrian companies have received Born Global Champions Awards

26. June 2023

The Austrian Economic Chamber has been recognising the achievements of export-orientated start-ups as part of Export Day 2023.

It’s that time again – the ninth annual “Born Global Champion” awards were distributed as part of Austrian Export Day on 20.06.2023, and the 15 prize-winners can all be described as Austrian, innovative and internationally successful from the outset, having opened up markets beyond Austria’s borders at a very early stage of their existence.

As can be seen from the current edition of the Austrian Start-up Monitor, Austrian start-ups are increasingly becoming global stars in their particular industries, driving up innovation and striving to help shape the future. Their spirit, inventive ideas and cutting-edge technologies are also enabling them to accelerate the switch to a green and digital economy, with diversity and inclusion becoming increasingly important issues as well.

After a drop in the export ratio in 2021, the trajectory was once again upwards in 2022, with a third of all Austrian start-ups accounting for more than half of their turnover abroad; one in five is even making at least 90% of its revenue on international markets.

A glance at the individual trends in innovation and technology shows that Artificial Intelligence is still ahead of the field, although its lead on other sectors has narrowed. Renewable energy sources are in second place, with energy storage, Big Data and cybersecurity making up the list of major trends in technology. These have all gained in importance since the previous year, although self-driving vehicles and blockchain have recorded a significant dip.