Flying start in Vienna

In October the club visited the Vienna Business Agency which offers a multiplicity of services and networking contacts.

The City of Vienna and the Vienna Business Agency have joined forces to establish the Expat Center Vienna in order to give people from abroad an optimal start, providing consulting support and assistance on all issues related to one's professional and private settlement in Vienna. The Club for Trade Delegates visited this service centre which aims to serve as the first contact point for international employees in top positions, such as diplomats, managers, entrepreneurs, researchers and scientists.

But the Expat Center Vienna is only one piece of the puzzle of the wide range of services the Vienna Business Agency (Wirtschaftsagentur Wien) offers; such as funding programmes in various forms, for  existing businesses and company start-ups - as Mag. Sabine Ohler, CEO International Services at Wirtschaftsagentur Wien explained, after giving the trade delegates a very warm welcome.

The Vienna Business Agency has a central information centre for business people in Vienna, for questions regarding the establishment of a business, questions regarding re-settlement or expansion, questions regarding business financing  and also for questions concerning official matters - as the presentation given by Mag. (FH) Xiaojun (Jennifer) Zhang showed.

Moreover, the Vienna Business Agency offers a full service for start ups, micro-businesses and new independent one-man businesses; from tailor-made coaching services to the inexpensive start-up office accommodation, provided within it's "Mingo" (move in and grow) programme.

Additionally, the real estate department of the Vienna Business Agency is partner for, and the central contact point for, all businesses that want to expand, restructure, or simply settle in the Vienna economic area.

Economy, Art and Culture Departure GmbH, a subsidiary company of the Vienna Business Agency, offers special funding programmes for businesses in the creative industry.

The ZIT Centre for Innovation and Technology, likewise a subsidiary of the Vienna Business Agency, offers tailor-made funding programmes for the technology and research field.

Overall, the Vienna Business Agency offers businesses in Vienna a multiplicity of services and networking contacts. This offer portfolio addresses itself to founders and young start-up businesses as well as to existing businesses of all sizes, and to international investors. Expatriates and their dependants are given all the initial information they need, in line with the "one-stop-shop" principle.

After a detailed presentation of the Expat Centre's services by Mag. (FH) Friedrich G. Bruckner, a picture journey through the history of the city entitled "Charming Vienna", given by tour guide Mag. Lisa Zeiler, rounded off the evening - followed, of course, by networking and the sampling of Viennese culinary specialities and wine.