FORUM: Comparing Germany and Austria as locations for industry

Wednesday, 9 February from 10.00 am to 11.30 am, Forum I – Hall 1
Organisation: RS Verlag with its business magazine BUSINESS+LOGISTIC as a cooperation partner in the study

NOTE: Simultaneous translation into English will be provided


Frankfurt. November 2011. Austria and Germany have long been linked from a business standpoint through their close import-export relationship. As globalisation advances, the challenges and potential of the respective logistics and production requirements in both countries are changing. In a panel discussion at LogiMAT 2011 two studies will be used to compare the production and logistics factors of Germany and Austria as locations, in order to take a closer look at the opportunities, risks and success factors in the international environment. In addition to two representatives from industry from Austria and Germany, the people who carried out the studies will also be on hand to take questions.

Last March the supply chain consultancy Miebach Consulting presented a paper relating to this on the findings on Germany as a location. The results were astonishing. Those interviewed identified potential cost savings of up to 30 percent for production and logistics through closer integration of these two areas. One of the factored targets is the advancing implementation of lean initiatives, while supply chain cooperation is currently a much discussed topic. In the German automotive supplies industry in particular, but also in the food industry, there is a noticeable striving towards greater logistical cooperation, according to Miebach Consulting.

The supply chain consultant has carried out a study with similar themes for Austria as a business location, together with the Association for Network Logistics (VNL), the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKÖ) and RS Verlag with its business magazine BUSINESS+LOGISTIC (B+L). Between August and October around 150 experts and managers from Austrian companies were asked how things were going and about the future development of the Austrian production and logistics sectors. The focus was on procurement and distribution structures, plus production, lean initiatives and cooperations.

“Although the detail of the study focused on slightly different aspects compared with the German project, some factors in Germany and Austria can be compared very well. We will discuss the findings and trends of interest, and show to what extent the two locations differ. We would equally like to go into the common ground between the countries and where and how we can prepare further for the increasing internationalisation of the markets, also with the strong export economy of both countries in mind,” says Hans-Joachim Schlobach, Editor-in-Chief of B+L and presenter of the panel discussion at LogiMAT.

Because the locations study for Austria will not be published until January/February 2011, those who carried out the study have not divulged any of its precise details. The first in-depth look at the data will appear in the January edition of B+L.


Further information:
Miebach Consulting Group
Martin Wilbers
Tel: +49 69 27 39 92 12
e-mail: wilbers@miebach.com


Note:
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