Background Study for the Report on Austrian Comeptitiveness 2023

The Council Recommendation (2016/C 349/01) on the establishment of national productivity councils aims at a sustainable growth of productivity in the European Union and is directed in particular at the member countries in the euro area. The law establishing the Productivity Council in Austria also requires that, in addition to the key figures on economic performance, aspects of ecological transformation as well as social responsibility are taken into account in the analyses. In this context, WIFO, together with the Office of the Austrian Productivity Council, is preparing a background study on the competitiveness and sustainable development of the Austrian economy. For this report, WIFO compiles current findings on the relative position and development in Austria along the three target dimensions of economic, social, and ecological performance. In addition, the long-term challenges posed by (i) decarbonisation, (ii) digital transformation, (iii) demographic change and (iv) de-globalisation for productivity and competitiveness are examined.