The Competitiveness of Austria's Timber-Paper Industrial Cluster

The export-intensive Austrian timber-paper sector employs nearly 125,000 persons in more than 10,000 establishments. Its product portfolio stretches from basic sawmill and pulp products, over fibre board and wood construction to highly specialised furniture and paper products. During the latest investment cycle the whole sector has been modernised. Today a number of its sub-sectors are on the technological forefront of their European competitors. The clusters innovation potential has not yet been exhausted, however. Improved technology management spanning across sub-sectors, entering new business lines as energy suppliers as well as a number of product innovations are named in this study, all of which serve to increase the future competitiveness of this important sector of Austrian industry.