Economic Sectors and Industries

The Austrian Institute for SME Research has been monitoring the Austrian crafts and trades sector on a quarterly basis since 1981. Data on the current situation and expectations for the following quarter are collected on a quarterly basis for selected sectors. In addition, data on sales development, exports and investments of the previous year as a whole are queried annually.

The aim of the project is to develop an informed knowledge basis with regard to digitisation for all ACR member institutes. Building on the knowledge acquired a low-threshold sector-specific service for SMEs will be developed and tested in order to advance the transformational capacities of the ACR as a whole.

The project results will be disseminated in an open innovation process that will enable the ACR member institutes to achieve a vanguard position with regard to digitisation in their respective sectors. In sum, this will provide the institutes with the knowledge and tools to improve the competitiveness of the SMEs in these sectors.

The study aims at providing players within the Austria RTI policy landscape with a decision basis for their future advancement of the portfolio of funding programmes. In particular, the study identifies players within the field of artificial intelligence (AI) in science, business and industry as well as in the public sector and surveys the role, significance and use of AI in various sectors and industries.

The Data Sheet on Creative Industries provides the most recent data on the Austrian creative industries each year. Figures, tables and short textual descriptions illustrate the relevance of the creative industries in direct and indirect terms. This includes the analysis of the economic importance and the development of creative businesses as well as an analysis of the economic effects of the creative industries in Austria.

The study analyses the effects of digitalisation and industry 4.0 on the economy on Lower Austria. The focus is on the changes with regard to (levels of) qualifications and professions that will be of special relevance in a digital economy. It will also look at which professions will most likely be affected by the rationalisation potential caused by digital technologies. Following this, the study will also develop recommendations on how to adapt the current training opportunities of the Public Employment Service in Lower Austria.

This analysis shows annual facts and figures on the situation and development in the food industry. The data are broken down by occupational groups. Both the latest available current figures and the development over time are presented.

This study aims for the identification of relevant framework conditions that hamper the competitiveness of Austria’s companies against the backdrop of the impacts created by the technological and socioeconomic megatrend digitization.

Elements of the current regulatory framework (including labour law) that prove to be especially significant in that regard will be analysed against their compatibility with a globalized, digital economy and recommendations will be developed on how to improve them.

The study presents the extent of internationalisation of the Austrian creative industries on the basis of meaningful indicators and contains an analysis of the potential and the obstacles of the creative industries relating to different dimensions of internationalisation. The potential of the creative industries in the international market is illustrated by showing Austrian corporate case studies. In addition, the study includes the presentation of international policy approaches with regard to the development and design of internationalisation strategies for the creative industries.

Cooperation partners: Industriewissenschaftliches Institut, Oxford Research, Panteia

The structural analysis carried out annually since 2003 on behalf of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber - Retail Division shows a weakening of the structural change in the stationary retail sector in Austria for the analysis year 2017. The site-specific analyses for the top 22 shopping streets, shopping and retail parks as well as the agglomerations of specialist retailers in Austria also show interesting results. The analysis results are based on the structural database of the Austrian Institute for SME Research and on site-specific structural analyses by Standort+Markt.

The 9th report on consumer behaviour in distance selling on behalf of the Austrian Handelsverband shows an increasing number of consumers as well as increasing consumer spendings in e-commerce and mail-order business. The dynamic is ongoing, mobile-commerce is booming and for the first time data on voice-commerce is available for Austria.

Since 2009, the "UBIT" survey describes the situation and development in the field of management consulting, accounting and information technology. The basis is analyses of secondary statistical sources as well as an empirical survey of the member companies of the professional association. A report with current structural and business cycle data is published in the first half of the year. The report for the second half of the year contains analyses of the companies' economic situation.

This study aims to improve the economic and policy knowledge of sport-related industries, especially in the sporting goods sector. Besides an overview of the sport-related industries, it includes a definition of the sporting goods sector, a collection of economic data (based on statistical data, surveys, interviews, case studies), a methodological guide for future data collection, and an assessment of the competitiveness of the sector (SWOT analysis, validation workshop, and recommendations). This study will help the industry make business decisions based on accurate information and to help policy makers engage in evidence-based policy-making.

The business cycle report 2018 shows the economic development of the companies of the division Information and Consulting for 2017 and the outlook for 2018, based on secondary statistical data and the response from around 1,550 enterprises.

The number of enterprises and employees, turnover and price trends, exports, investments and training costs, the order situation and turnover expectations as well as investment and personnel planning are analysed at sector level and for all 10 sectors of the sector.

The dynamic development in online retailing has continued in recent years. More and more consumers shop via the Internet and the number of online shops from Austrian retailers increases constantly. The Austrian Institute for SME Research carried out the study “Online Retailing 2018” on behalf of the division Commerce of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber and the Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs. The study results for the analysis 2017 are based on extensive primary surveys of both the demand side (consumer)and the supply side (retail trade) as well as on special analyses of data of the Austrian Institute for SME Research, Statistics Austria and Eurostat. 

Austrian Institute for SME Research results of the business cycle survey on retail trade 2017 (available only in German)

The trade calculator is a free online tool for Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in trade, that allows companies to anonymously analyze their own annual financial statements simply and clearly and compare it with industry averages for SMEs. The evaluations can be used for internal company analyses, which are becoming increasingly important for corporate controlling. In addition, the results of the trade calculator can be used for the preparation for bank meetings. Since banks also work with current industry averages, a conscientious examination is indispensable in advance. The data source for the online tool http://www.handelsrechner.at/ is the balance sheet database of the Austrian Institute for SME Research, which contains almost 18,000 anonymized annual financial statements of retail companies (p.a.).

The Industry Monitor provides a quarterly basis for assessing the economic development of almost 60 sectors and enables an assessment of future trends.

The detailed and comprehensive reports at industry level provide

• information on current developments (legal framework, demand, competition, preliminary work and labour market, technological developments)
• information on opportunities and risks for the future
• an overview of the most important key data (industry structure, economic situation, business development).

The publication “The Austrian Trade – Facts, Figures, Analyses” provides the most recent and comprehensive data on trade in Austria and also by retail trade sectors (including selected retail trade industries), wholesale trade and the automobile sector. The compact reference guide in A-5 format is structured as follows: (1) structure of trade, (2) trade as employer, (3) output of trade and (4) the economic situation in trade. In addition, a special topic is dealt with annually (e.g. Stationary Retail & Internet Retail (2014), Retail in the EU Comparison (2015), Entrepreneurship in Retail (2016)). The special topic 2017 provides a comprehensive comparison between trade and other central economic sectors in Austria. Statistical data of well-known institutions (Statistik Austria, Eurostat, etc) as well as recent research results, database analyses and projections of the Austrian Institute for SME Research build the basis for the different analyses.

The Austrian Entrepreneurial Index (AEI) combines different aspects of self-employment and measures the satisfaction of entrepreneurs in an overall index consisting of 6 sub-indices with 35 sub-areas.

First surveyed in a large-scale company survey in 2015, the satisfaction of around 480 retailers can be measured over time for the first time on the basis of the new survey in 2017.

In the Vienna Creative Industries Report 2017, the economic development of the creative industries and their significance for the Vienna are presented in a time comparison as well as regarding the differences to other Austrian regions. The potential of the Viennese creative industry with regard to different dimensions of crossover effects and innovation are examined separately. Methodologically the analysis of recent secondary data as well as a special evaluation of the primary data of the 7th Austrian Creative Industries Report for Vienna are carried out.

This study aims to develop an up-to-date inventory of the ICT sector in Vienna and to identify opportunities to advance the region to an “innovation leader”. Methodologically, the study is based on analyses of secondary statistics, a company survey, expert interviews and interactive methodologies.

As a result, the study produces an assessment of employment, growth and development potentials as well as of the respective economic strengths and competences of the Vienna region’s ICT sector. These are transformed into recommendations for the regional economic policy.

This project develops scenarios and models regarding the perspectives of the Austrian trades and crafts sector and recommendations for stakeholders deriving economic and social policies. The Basis is the categorisation of the sections according to the development trends during the last 10 years and analyses of the recent situation based on these categories. The project was carried out in cooperation with WIFO.

The 7th Austrian report on creative industries presents the economic development of creative industries and the importance of this sector for the Austrian economy, especially with regard to networked structures and links to other economic sectors along the entire value chain.

The definition of creative industries is compared internationally. The study focuses on how creative industries generate innovation impulses and crossover effects on the economy, innovation system, regional development, public administration and society as a whole. These cross-over effects are also illustrated by means of case studies and lessons learned. 

Cooperation partner: Industriewissenschaftliches Institut (IWI)

Apart from the positive development of overnight stays the study focusses on the sustainable competitiveness of hotels and tourism in general. It provides a comparison of the main tax frame conditions with tourism in the relevant neighbour countries and regions as well as an assessment of the recent situation based on a survey among the enterprises. 

This survey comprises the quarterly presentation of the economic and business cycle situation and the development of ten industries from the Austrian construction-related trade: stonemasonry, roof covering, glazing, tinsmith, pottery, painting, carpentry, building completion, timber construction and floor covering.

The business cycle indicators are turnover and price development, investments, insolvencies, unemployment figures, order situation and work to capacity, assessment of the business situation, order expectations and human resources planning.

This analysis of the financing structure and income situation is based on about 8,000 balance sheets and 3,500 income statements of companies from the information and Consulting sector.

In addition to the asset and capital structure, the cost and performance structure, business key figures on liquidity, productivity and profitability of the companies are also analysed. The results are presented for the sector including information for successful and unsuccessful companies, industries, company size classes and federal states.

This study aims at the identification and quantification of administrative burdens: Which are the recurring legal obligations that are regarded as burdens by the entrepreneurs in the trades and craft sector in Lower Austria? What is the time requirement the enterprises expect for the obligations and what are the costs? Based on this data an “administrative burdens index” can be calculated to show the development over time.

This study focusses on the analysis of the competitiveness and economic relevance of the European cultural and creative industries (CCI). It includes an overview of the most important indicators regarding the economic situation of European creative industries and analyses of the necessary framework conditions fostering a positive future development against the background of economic and societal trends. This study includes 5 detailed case studies on national and 10 on regional strategies/initiatives to support CCI and derives central factors for policy learning and further recommendations for possible actions for an EU-wide CCI strategy.

Co-operation: VVA Europe Valdani, Vicari & Associates

In this study PIAAC-data concerning ICT-competences are analysed. Research activities and labour market concepts in Austria and selected countries (Germany, Canada, Netherlands, Sweden and UK) are described. Furthermore, international labour market programmes and initiatives (good practices) to ameliorate these competences in Germany and the Netherlands are identified.

In recent years, creative industries have established themselves as an important economic sector in Austria. What is more, the Austrian and Styrian economies have developed more dynamically than the economy as a whole. This study builds on the study "Creative Industries Styria 2012" commissioned by Creative Industries Styria and provides an overview of the latest data on the Styrian creative industry and its development in recent years.