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Entrepreneurs are currently under immense pressure: volatile markets, rising demands, a shortage of skilled workers, and international uncertainties require daily decisions with far-reaching consequences. Commitment to performance, personal responsibility, and entrepreneurial thinking are central prerequisites for enabling growth and securing the business location in the long term.
This is exactly where the Styria-wide Impulse Talks of WKO Styria come in. As part of the WKO Impulse Day, they offer companies a platform for information, exchange, and contextualization: regionally anchored and with a clear focus on the future.
Growth Requires Internationalization
In an export-oriented state like Styria, economic growth is inextricably linked to internationalization. Previous Impulse Talks have shown how closely regional framework conditions and international markets interact, and how important it is to consider both perspectives together.
For example, the Impulse Talk at the Southeast Styria Regional Office made it clear how companies in the region are specifically tackling internationalization: Representatives from NRGkick by DiniTech GmbH, Trautmann Law Firm, KXR Kälte + Anlagentechnik GmbH, and Lutterschmied Bau GmbH joined ICS Managing Director Karl Hartleb to provide practical insights into their growth strategies, export experiences, and the sustainable implementation of international activities.
Based on keynote speeches by WKO President Josef Herk and the heads of the regional offices Manfred Walter and Thomas Heuberger, key location factors were discussed. Qualifications, entrepreneurial initiative, and efficient infrastructure were particularly highlighted as key factors for the region’s further development.
Exports as a Growth Driver in the Regions
The Impulse Talk in the Enns Valley also focused on the connection between growth, exports, and competitiveness. Entrepreneurs from the region – including Ladena, Gebrüder Jäger Austria, Rainer FBT Fine Ballistic Tools, and Steiner GmbH – discussed with representatives from WKO Styria and the ICS what prerequisites manufacturing companies need for international growth.
The conclusion was clear: for many companies, exports are the crucial driver of growth, driven by technological leadership, high quality, qualified employees, and strong international networks. The importance of the global network of AUSSENWIRTSCHAFT AUSTRIA, which specifically supports Styrian companies in their activities abroad, just like the ICS, was particularly emphasized.
Continuation of the Impulse Talks in February 2026
The Impulse Talks will also continue in other regions in 2026, once again providing space for exchange, discussion, and concrete perspectives:
- Impulse Talk Regional Office Hartberg-Fürstenfeld | February 4, 2026
- Impulse Talk Regional Office Weiz | February 5, 2026
- Impulse Talk Regional Office Murtal | February 10, 2026
