Explore how recent projects, new infrastructure, and dynamic startups make the VIENNA REGION a top choice

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Green hydrogen and decarbonisation – breaking new ground

One of the most striking developments in the Vienna Region is in green hydrogen production. Close to Vienna, OMV inaugurated one of Austria’s largest green hydrogen plant at the Schwechat refinery in 2025. It uses an around 10 MW electrolyser, powered by renewable energy, producing up to 1,500 metric tons of green hydrogen annually, which will be used for sustainable fuels and chemicals. The investment is around approx. €25 million.  

Such a facility is more than a technical novelty — it signals a regional commitment to cleaner energy infrastructure. Businesses in chemicals, mobility, or industrial processes that need clean feedstocks can be much more confident of availability and regulation in this region than in places without such investments.

Renewable energy expansion and grid infrastructure is growing

The VIENNA REGION is doing more than producing hydrogen. Multiple efforts are underway to scale up renewable power generation and to modernise grid infrastructure:

• Wind farms in Lower Austria are being boosted: The European Investment Bank (EIB) provided €20.1 million in financing to WEB Windenergie AG to build new wind turbines in the municipality of Spannberg. The plan includes 11 turbines in total (4 now, 7 more through 2027/28).  
  

• Wien Energie has laid plans to acquire two wind farms and a solar park from the ImWind Group in Lower Austria and Burgenland. The three parks have a total capacity of 130 MW and an annual production of more than 280 GWh— enough to power tens of thousands of households.  
  

• The Sarasdorf substation is being upgraded in a project worth ~€200 million by APG and Netz Niederösterreich to increase the capacity for renewables (wind & photovoltaic) feed-in by 2029.  

These developments mean more stable energy supply, better sustainability credentials, and lower risk of energy costs — important for capital-intensive businesses, green tech firms or any business that depends on reliable, sustainable power.

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With innovation in energy and smart technologies into the future

• The Green Energy Lab initiative, involving Vienna, Lower Austria, Burgenland and Styria, is set up as a large-scale testbed for sustainable energy systems. It aims to build an integrated, market-oriented energy system running on renewables. Around €150 million is being invested to support projects that move from prototype to market readiness.  
  

• There is also rising interest and investment in quantum technologies. Vienna has become a hub for what’s called “quantum light technologies,” supported by strong academic research. A recent signal is the renewed international attention following the Nobel Prize awarded to Anton Zeilinger.  

For companies in ICT, sensors, quantum computing, photonics — this gives access to cutting-edge infrastructure, researchers, and real-world lab environments.

Grow with a strong and diverse startup ecosystem

The startup ecosystem in the VIENNA REGION and its surrounding region is growing with a diversity of sectors:

• Vienna has ~132 startups raising a total of USD 5.3 billion in aggregate, according to Seedtable.  
  

• Among prominent sectors: fintech, health-tech, renewable energy, industrial automation. For instance, firms like Senseven GmbH (sensors + AI) recently earned the Austrian Export Prize as one of the 2025 Born Globals.  
  

• The Vienna Startup Package, offered via the Vienna Business Agency in collaboration with international startup events, invites startups from abroad to expand into the DACH region. This gives founders access to mentoring, market insights, and stakeholders in Vienna.  

So the startup scene isn’t just large — it's internationally competitive, connected, and well-backed.

Sustainability as a core pillar for high value jobs and international economic impact

Sustainability isn’t just good PR here; it’s big business with measurable impact:

• According to the data, the sustainable technologies sector (green mobility, renewable energy, telemedicine etc.) is expected to generate around €18.1 billion and create approx. 160,000 jobs.  
  

• Lower Austria’s push into renewables and clean tech, via projects like wind farms and solar installations (via Wien Energie) paired with infrastructure upgrades, pushes operational cost savings, energy independence, and green credentials.  

This means companies locating here get both ecological benefits and a strong business case — often lower energy risk, incentives, public support, plus appeal to ESG-conscious investors.

Why does this location means an opportunity for you

Putting these threads together, here are some concrete advantages for businesses, startups, or research centres considering the VIENNA REGION:

• Access to green hydrogen and clean fuels – If your operations need sustainable fuels, supply chains, or want to develop clean mobility or chemicals, OMV’s facility and related projects reduce logistical and regulatory friction.
  

• Strong Renewable Energy Basis – Because of wind, solar, hydrogen, the VIENNA REGION is gearing toward energy security, which stabilises costs and reduces exposure to energy price shocks.
  

• Testbed for Innovation – With initiatives like Green Energy Lab, and quantum tech research, you can pilot prototypes, partner with top-tier labs and scale.
  

• Export & Global Reach – Born Global startups, and export prizes signal that Austrian startups are succeeding globally; the VIENNA REGION is already producing companies that act internationally from day one.
  

• Supportive Regulators & Agencies – Public agencies and programs are increasingly tuned toward supporting sustainability, green infrastructure, and startups (though in this specific article we didn’t list each by name, many are involved behind the scenes in the Green Energy Lab, Wien Energie, local municipal support).
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A market full of the symphony of opportunities

“A business location with countless possibilities” no longer sounds like marketing hyperbole—it reflects reality. From renewable energy projects, green hydrogen, smart infrastructure, to export-focused startup champions, what VIENNA REGION offers is not just what you expect, but what you will need in the future.

If you’re in green tech, ICT, life science or any business that prizes sustainability, innovation, science and strategic location — your opportunity window is wide open here.

The choice now is not whether this region holds promise — it’s whether you move fast enough to leverage it.