Economy Of Klagenfurt am Wörthersee
The business scene of Carinthia depends on Klagenfurt, the main center of economy. About 20 percent of Carinthia’s industrial companies and 22% of its commercial businesses locate themselves in the state capital.
There were 6,184 businesses in Klagenfurt in 2001 employing 63,618 people. Of them, 33 were rather large businesses with a staff of more than 200 people. A later census taken in 2011 showed notable rises in employment numbers as well as establishments. The city noted 8,832 businesses offering 71,140 people—including 65,620 working laborers—job prospects. According to commuting statistics, 35,654 people commuted out of Klagenfurt and 10,495 people commuted to it.
The main industries driving Klagenfurt’s economy are the tourism, medium-sized businesses, and lighting sector as well as others. The presence of multinational companies like Siemens and Philips has helped the city to remain economically vibrant. With its headquarters in Klagenfurt, the important Kärntner Electricity Company AG (Kelag) is
Strategically close to the Alpen-Adria University, the Lakeside Science & Technology Park is a major project in Carinthia’s economic development. This technological park takes advantage of Klagenfurt’s proximity to universities to encourage strong cooperation between businesses and research facilities. The main objective is to build Carinthia, from Klagenfurt at its core, as a major hub for innovative technologies.
Two unique beverage companies who have chosen to set up shop in Klagenfurt are Pago (fruit juice) and Stroh Austria (spirits).
Municipal entities Energie Klagenfurt and Stadtwerke Klagenfurt are among regionally important companies. Apart from supervising the municipal bus network of the city, these groups also handle the water and energy distribution. Moreover, Kostwein Maschinenbau GmbH, with its headquarters in Klagenfurt, and its subsidiaries brought in significant income of 191.5 million euros in 2018 while employing 1,144 people worldwide.
Main sectors
The main basis of Klagenfurt’s economy is thus the following industry:
- Services: Services account for 76.8% of the total value added in Klagenfurt and 74.5% of the employment in this sector. It covers public administration, education, health, social work, trade, travel, transportation, communication, and finance. Klagenfurt is the administrative center of the state of Carinthia and the district of Klagenfurt–Land. The city also boasts several educational and cultural facilities like the Gustav Mahler Private University for Music, the Carinthian University of Applied Sciences, and the University of Klagenfurt. Because of its architectural sites and location on the Wörthersee lake, Klagenfurt is a popular tourist destination especially in the summer.
- Industry: In Klagenfurt, industry generates 18.7% of the total value added and 19.9% of the total employment. It covers manufacture, energy, construction, and mining. With businesses in metalworking, machinery, electronics, wood, paper, food, drinks, chemicals, and plastics among other sectors, Klagenfurt’s industrial foundation is varied. Among the most well-known industry companies in Klagenfurt are Siemens, Philips, Infineon, Mahle, Kostwein, and Hirtenberger.
- Agriculture: Agriculture accounts for 4.5% of the overall value contributed and 5.6% of the total employment in Klagenfurt. It covers agricultural, forestry, and fishing. Klagenfurt’s rich agricultural legacy consists in dairy farming, livestock raising, and fruit growing. Another festival stressing the local goods and cuisine is the yearly Carinthian Harvest Festival, held in the city.
Markets, shopping centers, shopping streets
Previously known as Herzogplatz, Benediktinerplatz has been integral in the central market square of Klagenfurt, a city of historical importance since 1948. Twice a week, a vibrant weekly urban market convenes on the square. Vegetables, fruits, honey, meat, fish, and poultry are among the many items this market carries. The fact that the market now includes foreign vendors emphasizes its growing su-regional relevance.
The strong market tradition of the city helps to preserve its legacy in terms of symbols. prominently shown on a lantern column in the square, a replica of the sword of an 18th-century market judge, the Klagenfurter Freyung, represents market organization and independence. Furthermore acting as a historical emblem, the “Stone Fisherman” at the edge of the square represents the fish market that thrived on Heiligengeistplatz until 1925.
Apart from its ancient marketplaces, Klagenfurt’s modernism is shown in its malls and retail centers. The city’s well-known shopping possibilities attract customers from not just the nearby area but also Italy and Slovenia. Key commercial alleys include Bahnhofsstraße, Burggesse, and Wiener Gasse help to create the vivid retail experience linking Neuer Platz and Heuplatz.
Under the ECE Group, the City-Arkaden Klagenfurt shopping center—which has been open since 2006—is a retail powerhouse in Carinthia. With 120 stores spread over about 30,000 square meters, this shopping mall was a trailblazer in Austria, one of the first city center arcades of its kind under development.
The second major shopping complex in Klagenfurt, Südpark, was built near the main train station, therefore enhancing the variety of retail space in the city. Since Klagenfurt is a national purchasing center of importance, its retail attractiveness cuts over municipal borders.
Media
With major developments in print, radio, and telecommunication, Klagenfurt is a central site for several media outlets. Founded in 1954, the most often read newspaper in Carinthia is the Kleine Zeitung. Important historical newspapers were the “Kärntner Grenzruf” and the “Klagenfurter Zeitung”. Actually, the only allowed newspaper under Austria’s 1938 German Reich takeover was the later one.
Daily newspapers included Volkszeitung, Neue Zeit (later Kärntner Tageszeitung), and Volkswillen in the post-World War II era had a major impact on the media terrain. Apart from the Kleine Zeitung, the “Kärntner Krone” and the free weekly “Kärntner Woche” also play major roles in the variety of daily newspapers in Carinthia as of 2014. Furthermore improving the media options in Klagenfurt are the monthly magazine “Kärntner Monat” and the weekly daily “Novice” written in Slovenian language.
RAVAG was the first in Austria, and the broadcasting legacy of Klagenfurt starts in radio in 1927. After 1945, Radio Klagenfurt played a vital role and thereafter joined Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF) in 1954. Keeping a governmental facility in Klagenfurt, ORF produces regional programming like “Radio Kärnten” and the Slovenian-language “Radio dva.” The private station KT1, which has been running since 1999, adds even more richness to the varied radio scene in Klagenfurt. Situated in Klagenfurt, Radio Agora and Antenne Kärnten respectively serve the greater community and the ethnic group with Slovenian language.
With regard to telecommunications, Austria has clearly moved from conventional landline phone to mobile phone. The public utilities company of Klagenfurt responded by putting in place a strategy to increase the free WiFi availability in highly crowded public areas until 2021 starting in 2018. Among the most noteworthy sites are Neuer Platz, Alten Platz, Benediktizerplatz, Kardinalplatz, Heuplatz, Pfarrplatz, Bahnhofstrace, Heiligengeistplatz, Klagenfurt lido, and the indoor swimming pool of Klagenfurt.
