Austrian Foreign Direct Investment in Eastern Europe

Liberalization of Eastern Europe has largely benefitted Austria in the form of strongly rising exports. At the same time, Austrian foreign direct investment in the East has also increased substantially. At present, the number of Eastern firms with Austrian participation stands at 6,600. This corresponds to roughly 14 percent of all Eastern joint ventures and to 20 percent of all settlements in East Central Europe. The Austrian share of total foreign capital invested in the East is estimated at about 6 percent. In a survey among Austrian industrial enterprises the repercussions of Eastern liberalization are evaluated positively on balance.