Austria and Globalization

You always hear about how the world is becoming an increasingly globalized place, however we didn’t understand the full extent until we visited the embassy. When we visited the embassy we talked to the trade commissioner who deals with trade between Austria and Canada. He informed us of companies that have integrated into the Canadian market and allowed Canadians to have access to products that would otherwise not be available and vise versa. An example of a success story he gave us was an Austrian company called Starlim Sterner, they produce silicon products for a variety of functions and uses. They integrated into Canada in several years ago and they have had tremendous success with their products virtually everywhere. Due to globalization this company was able to greatly increase their sales. There have also been success stories of Canadian companies such as Bombarder, a plane manufacturing company. This company began supplying Austria with planes and even expanded their product range to include trains due to different needs in the new market.

The trade commissioner informed us on the positive and negative aspects of globalization that companies consider before entering a foreign market. A positive aspect of globalization that companies look for when deciding about a country is the access to markets in that country. If a country has easy access to markets then it encourages the company to supply to that country, if not then this negative aspect may cause them to reconsider. Companies also look at the workforce in the country, they look to see if they will be able to find qualified employees over there, or if there are jobs available for their family if they plan on moving. If these aspects are present then once again the company will be encouraged to move. These are just a couple of the aspects of globalization that we covered, globalization is a complex process that requires lots of knowledge & research about the country before any decisions can be made.

Do you know any other companies from Canada that have entered into the Austrian market?

Below is a picture of Ottakringer Brewery, they export beer into Canada from Austria.

-Erika & Chris