ecoplus. The Business Agency of Lower Austria

As the business agency of the province of Lower Austria, ecoplus´s  mission is to further extend Lower Austria's attractiveness as a commercial and technology destination. ecoplus is set up in three divisions:

- business locations & services
- projects & initiatives
- companies & technology

Business Locations & Services:
Investor Services
ecoplus supports and accompanies businesses from the first point of contact up until successful settlement or company expansion across Lower Austria. Guidance is offered in the selection of location and dealings with authorities, banks, attorneys and tax consultants. In addition, ecoplus is a valuable source of in-depth information about the business location of Lower Austria, including grant and financing opportunities, transportation and logistics infrastructure, educational institutions, R&D activities, technology and start-up centers, the labor market and much more.
 For specific location searches, a huge database aids in locating business parks, office space, industrial areas and commercial properties throughout Lower Austria. In the past ten years around 700 companies have used ecoplus' services in settling or expanding in Lower Austria, resulting in more than 17,900 new or sustained existing jobs.

Contact:
Mr. Martin Fassl
E-Mail: m.fassl@ecoplus.at

Business Parks
Seventeen business parks are operated by ecoplus as owner or partner. With a combined total area of 940 hectares, ecoplus business parks feature ideal infrastructure and generous commercial space. These state-of-the-art business parks may be found in all parts of Lower Austria, bundling infrastructure, market potential and sector requirements in customized, ideally located sites. One special ecoplus business parks service is the construction of rental properties which are designed and managed in accordance with the specific needs and requirements of their individual tenants. Approximately 750 Austrian and international companies employing around 17,800 are now located in the business parks managed by ecoplus.

Contact:
Mr. Peter Wondra
E-Mail: p.wondra@ecoplus.at

Projects & Initiatives
Regional Support
ecoplus has more than 20 years experience in implementating the Lower Austrian regional support programme. This support is intended to facilitate the start-up of creative and innovative projects. Back in 1987, ecoplus was entrusted with the management of the regional support program. Since then, around € 900m has been used to support more than 2,000 projects. This has in turned triggered investments of approximately € 2.3 billion and created over 17,000 jobs in the region. The spectrum of initiatives ranges from the creation of regional innovation and technology centers to the expansion of bicycle paths and extends to the improvement of infrastructure for winter sports. Additional areas of focus for consultation and financial assistance include nature parks, cultural and theme parks as well as increasing Lower Austria‘s appeal as a location for trade fairs and exhibitions.

Contact:
Mr. Werner Bauer
E-Mail: w.bauer@ecoplus.at

EU Regional Support
In the first programme's period 1995 - 1999, 175 regional support projects were co-financed by the EU (objective 2 projects, objective 5b projects, LEADER II, INTERREG II) with a sum of 18 million EUR. In the recently expired programme period 2000-2006, there were a total of 462 regional assistance projects co-financed by the EU within the framework of the follow-up programmes (Objective 2, LEADER+, INTERREG III). In total, 72 million EUR in EU co-financing means were utilized.
With Austria‘s accession to the EU, ecoplus was able to achieve the integration of its regional assistance program in the then current EU structural funds programs and thus win additional co-financing means for Lower Austria. In the current program period 2007-2013, around € 65 million are budgeted from the regional competitiveness and rural development programs (Leader+). ecoplus managed to carve out an important role for itself in the implementation of these programs and has offered one-stop advice, assistance and implementation ever since.

Contact:
Mr. Helmut Heinisch
E-mail: h.heinisch@ecoplus.at

Companies & Technology
Clusters in Lower Austria
ecoplus initiates, organizes and supports cluster initiatives. ecoplus has established Cluster initiatives in the most important future industries: plastics, green building, food, logistics, automotive and mechatronics. The electric mobility initiative of the province is also being implemented within this framework.

Contact:
Mr. Stefan Liebert
E-Mail: s.liebert@ecoplus.at

Internationalization
The aim of ecoplus International is to support Lower Austrian companies, and in particular small and medium-sized businesses, in their plans for internationalization. ecoplus International advisors in Lower Austria as well as at the business agencies in Bratislava, Budapest, Prague, Timişoara and Warsaw are the first point of contact and professional partners for Lower Austrian small and medium-sized enterprises which aim to exploit the potential of the CEE growth markets. And since 2010, this unique service is also being offered in Bulgaria.

Contact:
Mrs. Gabriele Forgues
E-Mail: g.forgues@ecoplus.at 

Technopols
Technopols are centers of technology and business which are purposefully established in direct proximity to recognized educational and research facilities. The Lower Austrian Technopol program is leading the way through its pioneering bundling of education, research and business. Internationally acclaimed research activities are currently being carried out at each of the three Technopol locations in Lower Austria: biotechnology and regenerative medicine at Technopol Krems; agrobiotechnology and environmental biotechnology at Technopol Tulln; and modern industrial technologies with a focus on materials, surfaces, process engineering and medical technology at Technopol Wiener Neustadt.
Lower Austria has delegated the management of the Technopol program to ecoplus.

Contact:
Mr. Claus Zeppelzauer
E-mail: c.zeppelzauer@ecoplus.at

ecoplus' status as a private corporation ensures the speed and flexibility of your business needs. Our years of experience and team of highly qualified experts guarantees the service you expect.

For more information:
ecoplus. The Business Agency of Lower Austria Ltd.
Niederösterreichring 2, Haus A
3100 St. Pölten
Tel.: 0043 2742 9000 19600
Fax: 0043 2742 9000 19609
E-Mail: headoffice@ecoplus.at