On June 2, 2022, Clemens Machal, the Austrian Trade Commissioner in Central Asia, together with Alois Kraut, the Austrian Ambassador to Uzbekistan, presented the Silk Road Biz Award 2022 for outstanding business achievements and success stories in Central Asia.
A total of five Austrian companies were nominated for the award. The winners MED-EL (Tyrol) and VCE Vienna Consulting Engineers ZT (Vienna) convinced the jury with their success stories in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The coveted prize was awarded for the very first time in Tashkent on the occasion of the Austrian networking conference "AUSTRIA CONNECT Central Asia 2022".
The winning projects of the Silk Road Biz Award 2022 are:
MED-EL (Tyrol): The company with headquarters in Innsbruck is a global leader in the development of innovative technical solutions for hearing loss. In 2021, MED-EL reached the peak of its market activities in Uzbekistan to date: more than 500 children were able to receive cochlear implants during surgical interventions, enabling them to hear. This is a new record number! In this way, MED-EL supports the provision of a sound education for these children and improved their chances on the job market. MED-EL also supports the Uzbek authorities and experts in setting up a comprehensive early detection program for hearing disorders, in post-operative rehabilitation programs and in the training of specialists in the field of hearing health.
VCE Vienna Consulting Engineers ZT (Vienna): The consulting company was commissioned by the Ministry of Transport of Turkmenistan with the planning, consulting and quality control for the 600-kilometer motorway project from Ashgabat to Turkmenabat. The company is primarily responsible for securing and complying with engineering services and construction standards, as well as for the implementation of infrastructure and toll system facilities, motorway maintenance departments, rest areas, petrol stations, hotels, supermarkets and restaurants along the new motorway route. The energy supply on the motorway is provided by innovative photovoltaic systems. The first section of the highway was opened in October 2021 and will be pivotal in improving the quality of logistics services and boosting local and international transit traffic between Europe and Asia.
"Central Asia is increasingly becoming the focus region of the Austrian export economy," says Clemens Machal happily. "With the award, we would like to bring the often unknown success stories of Austrian companies onto the red carpet and into the media spotlight - there are many success stories in Central Asia. They just have to be told," said the Trade Commissioner and added, "The Austrian achievements in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan should encourage our entrepreneurs to actively engage with the growth region of Central Asia."
In 2023, ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Almaty will again bring Austrian success stories in Central Asia onto the red carpet and honor them with the Silk Road Biz Award. Be there and apply with your successful project in Central Asia!", Machal encourages to apply for the Silk Road Biz Award 2023 until December 31, 2022.
