Discussion about the business location: "New things are initially rejected here"

The local one Location has its advantages. However, there is a lot of catching up to do in many areas, the CEOs of handlethe Sacher Group and Eli Lilly agree.

One of the biggest challenges is that Shortage of skilled workerssays Sacher boss Matthias Winkler at a panel discussion to mark the 150th anniversary of the three companies. “Recruiting employees is more difficult than recruiting guests,” reports Winkler. Also Mario Hallerhead of the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly Austria speaks of “major international competition for workers”.

Henkel boss: “Vienna is attractive for workers from Eastern Europe”

Henkel Austria boss Birgit Rechberger-Krammer has hardly any problems finding skilled workers, as she says. “Vienna is worth living in and attractive for workers – especially from Eastern Europe.” In addition to the relationship with the employees, there is also the relationship between producers and dealers In Austria there is “overall constructive cooperation”. “In other countries – for example in France – there is actually no cooperation between industry and trade. Even though we fundamentally pursue the same goals.”

The high location is stressful at home Industrial electricity price. Because of this, they are at a clear disadvantage, especially compared to producers from the USA. “Europe is expensive, which is why exports from here to the Middle East or Turkey are becoming less and less interesting,” says the Henkel boss. Because of the high labor costs, the company now only produces a few labor-intensive products in Austria. “We have also automated a lot in recent years,” says the Henkel boss.

The Hotel Sacher relies on artificial intelligence

Sacher boss Winkler also relies on new types of products in his company Technologies. Even if that’s not always easy in Austria. “The Austrians don’t win any prizes for their innovative spirit. Anything that’s new is generally viewed critically and rejected.” At Sacher you still rely on it Artificial intelligence (KI) – and has been for several years.

The company invests several hundred thousand euros in technology projects every year. The hotel can now be reached internationally at off-peak times via multilingual AI chatbots. The AI ​​also calculates forecasts about the booking situation for the coming weeks. “Since Corona, bookings have been made at shorter notice. This tool allows us to estimate how many rooms will be occupied and how much staff we need,” says Winkler.

Sacher boss: “The bureaucracy is killing us in all areas”

This is stressful for the Sacher boss bureaucracy. This “kills us in all areas,” he says. Naturally, there is no escape for his company: “We cannot choose the location for historical reasons. If we also want to celebrate Sacher’s 200th birthday, the politicians have to come to their senses when it comes to bureaucracy.”

A topic that is increasingly coming into focus in economic terms is: Resilience. “In recent years we have gone from one crisis to the next,” says Winkler. The corona pandemic was followed by sharp inflation and the war in Ukraine. Most recently they did Iran conflict and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz also to create domestic companies.

Disrupted supply chains lead to higher prices

Because of the disturbed Supply chains For some raw materials, Henkel is confronted with higher costs, says Rechberger-Krammer. The group has to pass this on. “We don’t want to increase our prices, but there is no other way. The next challenge for us is how consumers react to this.”

Resilience and independence from international markets is also in the Pharmaceutical industry a big topic, confirms Haller. He demands that domestic politicians: Framework conditions creates that drives innovation. “I see a great opportunity for Austria and Europe, especially at the moment with the anti-science climate in the USA.”