Why headquarters choose Austria

Austria has successfully established itself as an important location for HQs. It is home to several multinational corporation’s corporate HQs (e.g., Erste Bank, Wienerberger AG, OMV) and regional HQs (e.g., Henkel CEE, Boehringer Ingelheim Regional Center Vienna). Austria’s strategic position in the heart of Europe, Vienna’s nomination as the “best city for quality of living”, and considerable public investments in innovation and digitalization are among the explanations for why Austria has become such an attractive HQ location.

Why Austria benefits from headquarters

The economy strongly benefits from the concentration of HQs in the region. This is because HQs

• perform high value-adding activities (e.g., strategic marketing and purchasing, corporate R&D, etc.)

• generate employment opportunities for highly qualified personnel

• indirectly create additional jobs, since HQs heavily depend on other professional services (e.g., consulting, auditing, legal advisory, etc.)

• yield corporate and personal tax income.

Beyond mere economic considerations, being home to world-renowned product or employer brands is also a boost for the reputation of a country.