The Alps
Human Development Index
An alternative to wealth as a measure of success is the UN Human Development Index. It takes a more balanced approach, accounting for health, life expectancy, literacy rate, access to education, and per capita GDP. In this study, Austria ranks twelfth, trailing Sweden (4th) and Germany (11th), but leading Italy which finished 22nd. 45
| Country | HDI rank | HDI score |
| Sweden | 4 | 0.928 |
| Germany | 11 | 0.918 |
| Austria | 12 | 0.917 |
| Italy | 22 | 0.891 |
Austria also ranks among the top nations in a comparison of educational systems (3rd place) conducted by the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland, and published in the World Competitiveness Yearbook. The same study also ranks Austria among the top countries in terms of overall productivity (measured in GDP per capita employed).
Austrian Business Info provides more information on the Austrian Labor market.
English fluency
Most schools require students to take English courses, starting as early as primary education. The level of sophistication and English language skills is, however, not as high as in Scandinavian countries or the Netherlands. This results from the dominance of the German language in the Austrian society. Particularly in technical education, the level of knowledge in English is poor, although it is more required than ever.
Computer-related higher education
In most cases, computer classes are still taught separately in middle schools and higher education. There has, however, been an increased effort in inspiring students to use computers. The Ministry of Education, in cooperation with the Austrian Computer Society, started computer-related competitions. The students voluntarily participate nationwide by handing a computer-related project. There has also been an effort to better integrate the computer in the classroom and to educate teachers to facilitate the process.
All technical universities offer sophisticated computer science education and conduct research. For example, the Institute for Applied Information Processing and Communications (IAIK) at the technical university in Graz is working mainly in the areas of networking, VLSI design and methodologies, and IT security. Networking activities are mainly in the field of ATM and ISDN. The IT security field consists of fast crypto chips, co-processors for smart cards, and activities in the WWW security.
The Institute for Computer Sciences und Systems Analysis at the University of Salzburg provides research for net traffic measurement on the ACOnet, neural networks, the AVSI project (Automatically Vectorized Satellite Images), experiences with the Multicast Backbone (MBone) overlaid on the Austrian ACOnet, and FILCOM, a multimedia-based tool for multilingual use & learning of expert knowledge.
With the entry into the EU, Austria has also adopted two-year curricula. One that is especially related to telecommunications is the Fachhochschule fuer Telekommunikationstechnik und -systeme.
The Institut f¸r Wirtschaftsinformatik (IWI) at the University of Linz offers courses in Communications Engineering, Data & Knowledge Engineering, Information Engineering, and Software Engineering
Universities with concentration on business administration and economics, such as the WU-Wien typically offer concentrations in Management Information Systems. Their field of research is Information management and organization.
There are many other opportunities for students to go into the field of Computer Sciences, such as the Institute of Applied Computer Science and Information Systems and the Institute for Software Technology and Parallel Systems at the University of Vienna.
Software professionals
Austria is one of the most expensive countries for skilled labor. However, productivity and education are at a high level.
The cost of talent: 46
| Country | Sweden | Germany | Austria | Italy |
| Salaries of engineers, 1994 ($) | 48.444 | 91.094 | 93.145 | 52.289 |
Emigration (brain-drain) and immigration of computer professionals
Executive Survey:
47
1 = No; 10 = Yes
| Country | Sweden | Germany | Austria | Italy |
| Do well-educated people stay in your country? | 5.91 | 7.44 | 5.89 | 5.40 |
| Do immigration laws prevent you from using foreigners? | 8.12 | 7.50 | 5.77 | 7.49 |
These survey results are rather surprising. Austrian people are not very mobile and typically do not leave the country. Hence, a loss of highly talented IT engineers does not seem to be a problem. The EU allows all citizens of the member states to move freely within the boundaries of the single market, acknowledging degrees from the home countries of the people. It is not clear whether this opportunity will have a significant impact on the Austrian computer professional society. Immigration laws are very strict in Austria. It is not easy to hire foreigners legally. Most foreigners are refugees who are not allowed to work or guest workers which are mostly employed for low-level jobs. Guest workers typically come from former East Bloc countries (Poland, Romania), the former Yugoslavia (Serbs, Croats, and Bosnians), and Turkey.
The computer society
There are several associations related to IT in Austria, namely, the Austrian Software Industry Association Verband der –sterreichischen Softwareindustrie (V÷SI), the Austrian Computer Society OCG (÷sterreichische Computergesellschaft) which is a member of the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) and the Council of European Professional Informatics Societies CEPIS, the EDP Association ADV (Arbeitsgemeinschaft f¸r Datenverarbeitung), the UUGA (Unix User Group Austria - Unabh”ngiges Forum f¸r offene Systeme), DECUS (Digital Equipment Computer User Society), and the Fachverband der Elektro- und Elektronikindustrie Oesterreichs (Association of the Electric and Electronic Industry)
R&D in information technology
In order to help guarantee future competitiveness in the European market, and also provide Austria with important technological know-how, Austria's three major non-academic research center - the Federal Research and Testing Center - Arsenal, Joanneum Research and the Research Centre Seibersdorf - have formed the co-operative venture FORSCHUNG AUSTRIA. The R&D park is partially owned by the government, other stakeholders are associations and the private industry.
The close cooperation of the three autonomous partners has created synergies, while more effectively utilizing the individual strengths of each partner. Growing demand from the industrial sector can be better met through the development of joint solutions. FORSCHUNG AUSTRIA is presently comprised of approximately 1000 qualified employees, who achieve annual returns of approximately ATS 700 million. It offers clients - in particular small and medium-sized industrial firms - the following advantages:
Interesting IT related projects include "Integrated Product Development" where the Research Center
Seibersdorf plans to install a network center for virtual enterprises. Electronic information networks
are being utilized for product development. Modern technologies (ISDN, Internet) are to help
small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the joint development
of systems and products which are competitive in international markets.
The project, which might be incorporated into the framework of an initiative for SMEs supported
by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and the European Union, is to provide fast
access to latest production technologies - such as high-frequency milling, rapid prototyping and
reverse engineering. Furthermore, ways and means are shown for an integration of eco-design
and simultaneous engineering at the product development stage.
Another important project is the pan-European "Software Quality Initiative".
ESPITI (European Software Process Improvement Training Initiative),
launched by the European Commission at the end of 1994, is the background and basis of ASQI, the Austrian Software
Quality Initiative, which has now scheduled several interesting events to step up software quality
at home. The first meeting at Vienna - to be followed by similar events in other Austrian cities -
was organized under the title "Quality and Process Improvement - Austria's Software in
European Competition". The target was to define the demands of the main protagonists on the
software scene: software-intensive industry as manufacturers and users, consultants, technology
transfer enterprises, training centers and suppliers of software tools.
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