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Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

Part of UK in Austria

14th November 2016 Vienna, Austria

Austrian and British power-houses

Vienna is not Austria – any more than London is the United Kingdom.

So I was delighted recently to visit Lower Austria (Niederösterreich) to find out what makes Austria’s largest and second most populous province tick; and to explore and promote connections to the UK.

We started our visit in Amstetten, where I sampled tasty Austrian mountain cheese (Bergkäse) at the market before heading to our first call at the Umdasch Group.  This is a global Austrian success story which includes the Umdasch Shopfitting Group and the Doka construction company, both of which have made important investments in the UK.  We talked about business prospects in the UK and Austria and how we can help Austrian companies such as Umdasch invest and grow further.  Doka’s display centre, complete with an industrial crane and formed concrete structures, was impressive.

We then moved on to St Pölten, capital of NÖ since 1986.  I had visited the town before, but never seen its centre.  I admired the interior of the baroque cathedral; and viewed archaeological excavations in the city centre where over 10,000 bodies have been researched in an ancient charnel house dating back around 1,000 years.  The mass of excavated bones certainly delivers a sense of the area’s tumultuous history (a “plague column” stands nearby) as well as a reminder of one’s mortality.

In St Pölten I met representatives of the Wirtschaftskammer, or Chamber of Commerce, one of the Austrian “Social Partners”.  I noted the strength of the British economy and the potential to develop our commercial links further.  Austrian investments in the UK have increased to €7 billion since 2006, safeguarding 38,000 jobs; while British investments in Austria have risen by 75% to €4.6 billion. The UK is a priority export market for Lower Austria – a sign of their confidence in the robustness of UK economic demand. I admired headlines in the local paper saying: “Companies see opportunities in the UK despite Brexit” and “UK remains a top market”.

I then visited the modern St Pölten Fachhochschule, where I saw students and teachers focused on a range of vocational training including media, business, digital technology, health, IT security and rail technology. The Fachhochschule have welcomed a British exchange student from Nottingham Trent University this year.  I noted the excellence of the UK university sector; and the recent Department for Education announcement that EU students applying for university places in the 2017 to 2018 academic years would still have access to student funding support. Visiting the university’s campus TV studio gave a chance to meet some of tomorrow’s Austrian TV producers and presenters.

Finally, I had the privilege of a call on Erwin Pröll, who has been Governor of Lower Austria since 1992.  During that time the economy has developed strongly, diversifying into new sectors and increasing living standards.  We discussed a range of issues, including developments both in Austria and the UK, and the many common interests between us politically, economically, and culturally.  Gastronomic links are also important, and I was pleased to present some top quality English sparkling wine.

This was a fascinating and productive visit.  I look forward to further visits to Lower Austria – and to the other provinces of Austria in the months ahead. Next stop, Carinthia (Kärnten).

4 comments on “Austrian and British power-houses”

  1. Sorry I want it to say Food, but it gone as an “good”, got to be patient before I s nd another reply

    Apologies for the mistake

  2. His Excellency Mr Turner

    Thanks for the interesting articles where history, art, good and even humor blended in it very eloquently.

  3. Hello Leigh, Here is a voice from the past calling… I was really pleased to hear, that you have returned to Wien. Do get in touch if you fancy revisiting our old times from your first posting here!
    Kris

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About Leigh Turner

I hope you find this blog interesting and, where appropriate, entertaining. My role in Vienna covers the relationship between Austria and the UK as well as the diverse work of…

I hope you find this blog interesting and, where appropriate, entertaining. My role in Vienna covers the relationship between Austria and the UK as well as the diverse work of the UN and other organisations; stories here will reflect that.

About me: I arrived in Vienna in August 2016 for my second posting in this wonderful city, having first served here in the mid-1980s. My previous job was as HM Consul-General and Director-General for Trade and Investment for Turkey, Central Asia and South Caucasus based in Istanbul.

Further back: I grew up in Nigeria, Exeter, Lesotho, Swaziland and Manchester before attending Cambridge University 1976-79. I worked in several government departments before joining the Foreign Office in 1983.

Keen to go to Africa and South America, I’ve had postings in Vienna (twice), Moscow, Bonn, Berlin, Kyiv and Istanbul, plus jobs in London ranging from the EU Budget to the British Overseas Territories.

2002-6 I was lucky enough to spend four years in Berlin running the house, looking after the children (born 1992 and 1994) and doing some writing and journalism.

To return to Vienna as ambassador is a privilege and a pleasure. I hope this blog reflects that.

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