SUCCESS EXPORTS BOOM IN THE TRADE SECTOR According to a current survey of the Austrian Institute for SME Research, Austrian trade and craft businesses generated 7.8% of their annual sales abroad in 2015. Their export volume amounted to 6.5 bn. euros of the total sales volume of 82.9 bn. euros. 94 JUNE 2016 © Freepik According to Walter Bornett, the Director of the Austrian Institute for SME Research, this is a very impressive export performance. But only a handful of companies generate these exports. Only 16% of all trade and craft businesses were operating internationally in 2015. Bornett believes that this shows that there is an enormous untapped potential. The domestic trade and crafts sector distinguishes itself with top-quality products and services that have, overall, very good chances on international markets. The way these opportunities are seized, however, can vary greatly and depends on the respective region and industry. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Vorarlberg leads the ranking of Austrian provinces, where 34% of all companies generate sales with foreign customers. In Carinthia, on the other hand, only 8% of all companies operated internationally. Upper Austria’s export quota of exporting companies amounted to 32.3%, but it only amounted to 18% in Styria. If one includes all trade and craft businesses (even those who do not export), Vorarlberg’s average export quota was 16%, and Styria’s was 4.2%. An even broader range becomes visible when we look at individual industries. Approximately 67% of all mechatronics companies generated 36.6% of their sales abroad. Only 15% of the clothing industry’s companies, 17% of all carpentries, and 8% of all bakeries exported their goods. The respective companies’ sizes have a strong impact on the share of exporting companies and their export quotas. 37% of the bigger trade and craft businesses (with more than 20 employees) were export-oriented. Only 12% of smaller businesses (with less than 10 employees) exported their goods and services. Even though products and services of many domestic small and micro businesses are more than suitable for export, these companies are often not confi dent enough or lack the necessary resources, says Walter Bornett. He recommends that companies, whose product or service portfolio is not yet attractive enough for international markets, should collaborate with innovation experts, for example from the network of Austrian Cooperative Research (ACR). WE ARE SKILLS! “The trade and craft sector applauds and congratulates President Herk and his organisation team for their work on Graz’s application for EuroSkills. It is a huge achievement that the European jobs championship will take place in Austria in 2020,” says Renate Scheichelbauer-Schuster and continues “As Austria’s biggest trainer of apprentices I am looking forward to us presenting the know-how of our apprentices as well as our training companies in our own country. We are leading the way when it comes to apprenticeship training and this is what we want to show.” 42.2% of all apprentices - a total number of 46,365 young people - were trained in businesses of the trade and craft sector in 2015. “We are Skills” should be taken literally and the next 4 years should be used intensively for apprenticeship training. The trade and craft sector has a long-standing history in Austria. Its products and services are needed every day because the trade and craft sector’s 90,000 companies ensure the country’s high quality of life.
NEW BUSINESS - EXPORT TODAY 1/2016
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