The most recent event in the talk series "Binder Grösswang impulse" was devoted to the topic Infrastructure as an Economic Driver.
On 17 September 2009, Managing Partners Michael Binder and Raoul Hoffer welcomed August Reschreiter, Head of Staff at the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology; Josef Halbmayr, Member of the Management Board of ÖBB Holding AG (Austrian Railway); Wolfgang Hesoun, Chairman of the Management Board of Allgemeine Baugesellschaft – A. Porr AG and Klaus Schierhackl, Member of the Management Board of ASFINAG. The discussion was moderated by Christian Ortner ("Die Presse" and "Wiener Zeitung").
August Reschreiter of the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology remarked: "It is important not only to come out of the crisis quickly, but also to come out of it at the right end – as the Swedish EU Presidency so aptly put it. By investing in a modern, high-capacity railway we are creating jobs for today and a competitive advantage for tomorrow."
ÖBB Management Board Member Josef Halbmayr is convinced that investments in infrastructure, quality, and railway car materials will ensure the future role of the ÖBB as an important driving force. Commenting on the infrastructure investments for the current year, he said: "In this crisis-laden year 2009, the ÖBB is investing more than ever before. In total, some 2 billion € are being invested in new construction and expansion of the network, financed in part from the economic stimulus package."
PORR Management Board Chairman Wolfgang Hesoun underlined how important the swift implementation of the economic stimulus package will be for Austria's economy: "It depends mainly on the decision-makers in charge of public expenditure whether the construction industry, which is widely considered an 'economic driving force', can continue to act as a motor for growth and employment in the coming years through the implementation of planned infrastructure projects."
Klaus Schierhackl, Member of the ASFINAG Management Board, stated that his company successfully combined public social responsibility with the entrepreneurial advantages of a private enterprise approach. ASFINAG's vision, he said, is to become one of the leading motorway operators in Europe. "Through long-term planning, it will be possible, in future, to have a supportive effect in times of fewer orders or in boom phases through a corresponding adjustment of investment volumes."
The event was held in elegant surroundings. Among the approx. 100 guests were the Italian Ambassador Massimo Spinetti, Hannes Leitgeb (Member of the Management Board, Pfandbriefstelle der österreichischen Landes-Hypothekenbanken), Freimut Dobretsberger (Chairman of the Advisory Board, A-TEC Industries AG), Gilbert Trattner (Member of the Management Board, ÖBB-Infrastruktur Bau AG), Arnold Schiefer (Member of the Management Board, ÖBB-Infrastruktur Betrieb AG), Karl Bruckner (BDO Auxilia Treuhand GmbH), Wolfgang Viehauser (HYPO Investmentbank AG), Wilfried Amanshauser (Deutsche Bank AG), Evelyn Haas-Lassnigg (Österreichische Industrieholding AG), Peter Hofbauer (UniCredit Bank Austria AG), Wolfgang Feiel (Rundfunk und Telekom Regulierungs GmbH), Gottwald Kranebitter (KPMG), Andreas Koman (Tele2 Telekommunikation GmbH), Josef Schneider (ÖBB-Postbus GmbH), Angelika Swoboda (ÖBB – Infrastruktur Bau AG), Christine Hirsch (Raiffeisen Zentralbank Österreich AG), Christoph Lang (Erste Bank Group), Wolfgang Rosam (Change Communications), Ralph Vallon (Relations Event & Networking GmbH).
The event series "Binder Grösswang impulse" was launched in the spring of 2009 by the commercial law firm Binder Grösswang. It is devoted to the discussion of topical themes by illustrious personalities and takes place three to four times a year in an exclusive ambience at the firm's premises in Vienna.
Binder Grösswang regularly advises Austrian and international companies and banks on infrastructure projects and infrastructure financing in the sectors of transport, energy and telecommunications.