Page content
PIONEER AUSTRIA
As a pioneer in eGovernment and smart city affairs, Austria was the official partner country of the Smart Country Convention 2022. The country presented innovative digital applications for local government, public sector companies and has shown how the digital transformation of cities, municipalities and districts can succeed.
Digitalisation in Austria
Digitalisation will not take place of its own accord. In order for an intelligent, strategically organised transformation to produce long-term successful growth a clear plan is needed. Austria has achieved this with the Digital Action Plan Austria of the Federal Ministry of Finances. This has been put together with broad-based expert and stakeholder input, is regularly expanded and rigorously implemented, in order to ensure that Austria can exploit its data to the full and enjoy crisis-proof and sustainable growth.
What is important is that digitalisation leaves no one behind. The Digital Action Plan Austria means creating positive change even after the pandemic, for society, business and local government. It means generating new growth, new employment and new opportunities for everyone in Austria.
Florian Tursky, Austria’s State Secretary for Digitalisation and Telecommunications at the Federal Ministry of Finances, personally represented the partner country Austria at the Smart Country Convention.
“My policy is to simplify local government through digitalisation and eGovernment. In doing so I feel it is important to enthuse people, to bring them on board and to ensure local government is on the same page as citizens. By 2024 it should be possible for almost all dealings with public authorities to also take place online. One of the key components in establishing and expanding eGovernment services is the requirement for a positive identification of individuals in order to give them access to specific services. In that context ID-Austria was an important milestone. We are now working on digital forms of ID, in particular digital driving licences. It is essential for us in Austria to be leaders in digitalisation.“
THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN AUSTRIA AS A WAY OUT OF THE CRISIS
E-ID – a cornerstone of eGovernment
In Austria, key elements of eGovernment were and are digital projects such as the Citizens’ Card, which functions as an electronic ID on the internet. It was this form of internet identification using the Citizens’ Card that first made it possible for public services such as electronic payment/mailing to take place online. Using the Citizens’ Card for positive identification and authentification allows requests or contracts to be signed that would otherwise require a handwritten signature. The technical side is taken care of by a free eGovernment, with open source components that are incorporated into the relevant applications. That way, signatures can be electronically checked, and documents can be signed and delivered electronically.
www.oesterreich.gv.at and an administrative app called ’Digitales Amt’
The first place to head in all matters concerning eGovernment services is oesterreich.gv.at. This online portal offers one-stop online services. oesterreich.gv.at makes handling certain matters with local authorities easy by enabling it online.
The ’Digitales Amt’ app lets Austrians conduct business with local authorities and obtain local authority information in certain situations online. Online services will in future save people visiting local authorities in person.
Service portal for companies
The service portal for companies (USP) is tailored to business owners’ needs. They can access this platform and deal with many formalities online, such as registering tax and social insurance information etc.
For business owners, the service portal for companies (usp.gv.at) is the gateway to handling information and transactions directly from a desktop computer.
FinanzOnline
FinanzOnline, the financial administration’s leading eGovernment portal for tax declarations and other applications is available free of charge 24 hours a days. Certain applications for financial support can in some cases be submitted directly via this portal. Attacks on computers and smartphones etc. are becoming increasingly complex and professional.
ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA – AT YOUR SERVICE AROUND THE GLOBE
ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA is the foreign trade organisation of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce and Austria’s largest service provider in all international matters.
The teams of ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA are the first people to contact for international enterprises in search of Austrian companies. Among other things, we act as the go-to strategic partner of companies who are interested in the Austrian market and finding outstanding business partners. Whether you are looking for Austrian customers, a place to set up a business branch or representation in Austria, or for an overview of the leading products and services of Austrian companies – all roads lead to ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA.
With a network of over 100 business locations in more than 70 countries, ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA is ideally placed to advise and support Austrian companies worldwide. In Germany, ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA has offices in Berlin, München and Düsseldorf.
With Austria in the role of the partner country at the Smart Country Convention 2022, the team of ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA brought innovative companies from the fields of digitalisation, eGovernment, smart cities and much more to Berlin.
"I am delighted that after the many months of the pandemic Austria will be back as partner country on the stage that is the Smart Country Convention 2022. Many years ago, Austria began digitally transforming many areas of local government, ranging from the e-Card, electronic filing of court proceedings and tax declarations to parking by smartphone. Austrian companies will be presenting their outstanding know-how and innovative drive at the Smart Country Convention 2022. Fascinating lectures and deep dives on topics including eGovernment, smart cities and digitalisation will round off the programme."
Contact
SCCON TEAM
You have any questions? We will be happy to assist you!
T +49 30 3038 2300
A look back at our partner countries
Every year, the Smart Country Convention focuses on a particular country, as digitization does not stop at national borders. Looking beyond the horizon is worthwhile – to gain knowledge, network and exchange views. In recent years Denmark and Lithuania, also both pioneers, have shown how digitizing local government and developing smart cities and regions can succeed.
Dr. Michael Scherz
Commercial Counsellor at the Austrian Embassy in Berlin
ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Berlin
Austrian Embassy – Commercial Section
Curriculum Vitae
since 09/2020
Commercial Counsellor at the Austrian Embassy in Berlin
10/2017 – 08/2020
Head of Innovation at AUSSENWIRTSCHAFT AUSTRIA in Vienna
09/2011 – 09/2017
Commercial Counsellor for the Austrian Consulate in Munich
09/2010 – 08/2011
Head of Marketing at AUSSENWIRTSCHAFT AUSTRIA in Vienna
01/2009 – 08/2011
Head of International Technology Cooperation at AUSENWIRTSCHAFT AUSTRIA in Vienna
07/2008 – 12/2008
Regional manager for Germany, Switzerland and Italy at AUSSENWIRTSCHAFT AUSTRIA in Vienna
10/2003 – 06/2008 Commercial Counsellor for the Austrian Embassy in Rome, based in Padua
12/1998 – 09/2003
Commercial Counsellor for the Austrian Embassy in Sarajevo
05/1996 – 12/1998
Commercial attaché in New York 11/1993 – 04/1996 Commercial attaché in Paris
07/1990 – 10/1993
Commercial attaché in Johannesburg
04/1988 – 06/1989
Commercial attaché in Jakarta
08/1986 – 03/1988
Commercial attaché in Bucharest
07/1985 – 08/1986
Joined the Export Trade Department of the Federal Chamber of Commerce. Qualified as a Commercial Counsellor
11/1984 – 06/1985
Traineeship at the regional courts of Innsbruck and Vienna
1980 - 1984
Studied Law at the University of Innsbruck
Gained a Ph.D. in Jurisprudence
1979 - 1980
Basic military service
1971 - 1979
Bundesgymnasium (high school), Bregenz
Date and place of birth: 26 June 1961, Bregenz
Dr. Margarete Schramböck
Federal Minister for Digital and Economic Affairs
Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs
Margarete Schramböck was appointed as Federal Minister for Digital and Economic Affairs on 7 January 2020.
Curriculum Vitae
Margarete Schramböck was born 1970 in Tyrol, Austria. She studied Business Administration at the University of Economics and Business in Vienna (WU), where she obtained her Doctorate in Social and Economic Sciences in 1997.
Before Ms Schramböck started her career in 2002 as CEO of NextiraOne, an IT communications company based in Paris, she was occupying a management position at Alcatel. From December 2008 to December 2011 she became Managing Director of NextiraOne Germany. In 2014 Ms Schramböck began working as CEO of Dimension Data Austria, which is a globally leading provider of network and communications technologies and IT services, in particular in the fields of network and computer centres, cloud services, IT security, voice and video communications as well as application integration. Between 2016 and 2017 she was CEO of A1 Telekom Austria.
On 18 December 2017 Margarete Schramböck was appointed Federal Minister of Science, Research and Economy and from 8 January 2018 to 3 June 2019 she was Federal Minister for Digital and Economic Affairs.
Ms Schramböck remains deeply attached to her Alma Mater and is a member of the WU's Center of Excellence. In 2017 she was elected both Tyrolean of the Year and University of Economics and Business in Vienna WU Manager of 2017.
Margarete was a Member of the National Council from 23 October 2019 to 7 January 2020.
Margarete Schramböck was appointed as Federal Minister for Digital and Economic Affairs on 7 January 2020.