ABA - Invest in Austria - Infrastructure
Connections By Road
Austria’s central geographical position provides ideal access to the emerging markets of Central and Eastern Europe. The country’s role as a crossroads between North and South, East and West provides strategic advantages for companies involved in international trade. Austria has 2,000km of modern highways and freeways, connecting it with its neighbouring European countries, including Germany, Switzerland, Italy, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia and Liechtenstein. Austria's capital, Vienna, is in close proximity by road to major Central and Eastern European cities: 266km to Budapest, 299km to Prague, 445km to Cracow and 738km to Warsaw.
Connections By Rail
Austria ranks second in promoting railway use in Europe’s overall transport infrastructure. The country has 6,028 km of railroads, with 5,388 km being state owned and 640 km privately owned. Companies use the rail freight transport system to transfer goods, accounting for 30% of all freight traffic in Austria, with 122 million tons of goods transported in 2008. There are 15 rail border crossings that provide fast access to the seven markets directly bordering the country, such as Italy and Germany. 5 of the 12 EU primary rail traffic links, which are high-speed or high-performance systems, run through Austria.
Connections By Air
Vienna International Airport has more than 600 flights a week, with flights to 49 destinations in the East, such as Budapest and Odessa. There are 55 civil airports with 20 paved runways and the major international airport is Schwechat, located in southeast Vienna. International flights are also available from airports in Innsbruck, Salzburg, Klagenfurt, Linz and Graz. Such a wide network of air travel means that areas within Central and Eastern Europe within easy reach from Austria. It takes under an hour to get to Budapest, Warsaw, Cracow and Prague via aeroplane.
Connections By Freight Ports
There are approximately 300 active shipping companies offering freight services across Eastern Europe from Vienna. The Danube, Austria’s largest waterway, provides a direct route between the North and Black seas, with barges carrying up to 1800 tons. Approximately 350 km of inland waterways in the country carry about one-fifth of the total trade. In 2008, 11 million tons of freight was transported by ship, with the port of Vienna alone boosting its cargo volume by 25.5%. Vienna, Linz, Enns and Krems are all ports that are benefitting from the rapid growth in freight traffic to Eastern Europe.
Broadband / ICT Facilities
There is a well-developed telecommunications infrastructure in Austria, with 4 million telephones, 27 radio stations, 47 television stations and 4 satellite ground stations, giving companies the opportunity to carry out business electronically. DSL is the preferred broadband method in the country, Telekom being the main Austrian company dominating the broadband and telephony markets recently merging with A1 Telekom to better its wireless and fixed line operations and reduce operational costs. The largest business sector in Austria is telecommunication, with the Austrian mobile market being the most competitive and leading Europe since the year 2008.
