The electrical engineering and electronics industry is the second-largest industrial employer in Austria. With more than EUR 20,000 spent on research per workplace, the industry is the country's sector with the most intensive research.
The sector provides future-proof solutions for many areas, such as automation and digitalisation, data analytics, energy efficiency, components for transport and building technology, special developments for traffic telematics, technologies for the automotive industry in the control and drive area or analogous integrated circuits for consumer electronics and medical technology.
Irrespective of whether it is LED lighting, generators or tram fittings – electronic components from Austria are in international demand and the global networking of Austrian companies is substantial. More than 80% of the products in the industry are exported to around 150 countries in the world.
Excellence in all sizes
In addition to globally operating companies with numerous divisions that operate R&D centres and plants in Austria for the production of high-quality products, there are also small and medium-sized companies here who are internationally successful with their specialised products and solutions.
An Austrian family-run business with a company tradition stretching back more than seventy years, a specialist for battery recharging systems, developed into a globally leading manufacturer of photovoltaic inverters that are used for the production of electricity from solar energy, and thus became a pioneer in renewable energies.
The market leader for decorative home and outdoor lighting is a family-run business from Austria. The company has around 3,000 employees and 50 operational sales companies and is active around the world.
An electronics specialist from Austria is particularly prominent in the fields of health and people's well-being around the world. Its control units and operating elements for height-adjustable office furniture, beds, massage and relax chairs are individually tailored to customer and market requirements. The company's export percentage is 100%.
A young high-tech company deals with the development, production and sale of high-quality SSD hard disks. Another Austrian company is specialised in electric motors, inverters and drive systems that are in use in the diverse areas of application: in tooling machines, pumps or conveyor belts, and also in electric bikes.
A leading manufacturer of cables, lines and cable sets for the automotive, elevator and escalator industry is domiciled in Austria. And not just a well-known producer of drinks packaging but also Audi or BMW put their trust in control systems for industrial systems from Austria.
Looking ahead
Industry 4.0: The digital networking of production offers companies in the electronics industry huge opportunities and brings entirely new tasks for research in the area. The Austrian providers of intelligent automation solutions are the pioneers for the industry of tomorrow.
Another topic for the future that Austrian companies have been addressed for some time is energy efficiency. This question accompanies developments in the areas of automation and energy technology and will grow further in importance.
Digitalisation is also advancing in the area of consumer electronics, focusing on Internet of Things, and here too, Austrian companies have solutions on hand. Austrian experts in the industry are also addressing the analysis and appraisal of data (Big Data) from the health sector, industry and mobility to social media usage and questions of data security.
E-expertise
High research spending and excellent training guarantee that Austrian companies supply high-quality products and services. In addition to the unique dual system and the technical colleges (HTLs) at which young people are trained to be competent employees, the Austrian electronics industry can also rely on the good technical training at Austrian universities, e.g. TU Vienna, Graz University of Technology.
Furthermore, more than 50 non-university research facilities and/or institutes are cooperation partners for companies. International researcher teams develop innovative solutions and ensure a decisive competitive advantage.
- AIT - Austrian Institute of Technology: integrated vehicle concepts, electric drive, lightweight construction traffic infrastructure, co-modal transport systems
- JOANNEUM RESEARCH: Smart Technologies, automotive components, surface technology, traffic telematics, robotics
- Silicon Austria Labs GmbH: sensor technology, quality control, electronics, motor development, electric mobility
- RISC – Research Institute for Symbolic Computation: industrial software applications, virtual product design, simulation of production processes, control systems
- RECENDT – Research Center for Non Destructive Testing: infrared spectroscopy, optical coherence tomography, laser ultrasound, nanoindentation