Economy warns

Exodus looming: Industry is running out of space in Vienna

Stefan Ehrlich-Adám, Head of the Industry Division at the Chamber of Commerce, is sounding the alarm: Vienna is threatened by an exodus of companies and jobs. There is too little space for relocations or expansion.

Vienna is considered a city of high culture. What many people forget: Vienna is also an important industrial location. The companies create 59,000 jobs and a value added of 7.3 billion euros. For now!

Because now Stefan Ehrlich-Adám, Head of the Industry Division at the Chamber of Commerce, is sounding the alarm: "There are currently 2127 hectares of dedicated industrial land in Vienna, of which only 140 hectares are still available. No new ones are being added. At the current rate of development, we will run out of space in ten years."

No more space in ten years
The reason: Vienna's industry is growing. Companies are expanding existing sites despite the difficult economic situation. And international companies are also joining them. But there is a lack of new space to enable further companies to settle here. Ehrlich-Adám adds: "The areas that are still available are poorly developed in terms of infrastructure. The best example is the lack of access to the S1 in Donaustadt."

"At best, companies will move to Lower Austria"
And the expert paints a bleak picture: no new companies will be able to settle here, and successful existing companies will not be able to expand their locations and will have to move away from Vienna. At best to Lower Austria, at worst to Asia or North America.

Ehrlich-Adám: "Of course, industry also has to work on opportunities for densification. However, efforts need to be made to keep industry in the city and to develop new areas."