MTH Group: Market value creation through sound investment

Driven by pent-up private consumption and a tight labour market, Austria's economic expansion is estimated to grow by 4.5% this year, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The country benefits from a well-developed market economy, with its capital, Vienna, one of the wealthiest regions in Europe. Austria is also home to an impressive services sector, as well as a leader in retail and industrial business, with many of its companies at the forefront and in many cases global market leaders. Austria invests heavily in research and development, making it an attractive and dynamic market.

The investment sector is one of Austria's most attractive economic markets. Due its highly skilled workforce and low incidence of labour unrest, the country enjoys high levels of productivity and international competitiveness. Austria has consistently ranked amongst the top 30 countries in the World Bank's 'Ease of Doing Business' reports, whilst government support programmes such as 'Advantage Austria' and 'Go International' have encouraged outwards investment by Austrian companies into foreign companies. Austrian firms have since become more optimistic about their investments, with 2021 levels of investment expansion bouncing back from pandemic levels in 2020, representing a substantial positive shift, according to the European Investment Bank (EIB). The largest share of investment over 2020 and 2021 by Austrian firms was in machinery and equipment (40%), with software, data, and IT accounting for the second largest share of investment (20%), according to the EIB.