Neighbouring market with one reference
Austria borders Slovakia along the shortest section, but in technical-market terms it's a thoroughly Germanic world — ÖVE/ÖNORM standards, ETV 2020 electrotechnical decree, OIB-Richtlinien for building decisions. For us AT is a natural continuation of DACH operations, but with its own procedural specifics.
Our only fully delivered project in Austria is `smart-mansion-loxone` in Vienna (2025) — full installation of a Loxone smart-home system integrating KNX bus, DALI-2 lighting, Frigate VMS for video surveillance, and a local Ollama LLM for private AI assistance to the owner. For such an installation OIB-Richtlinie 4 (fire safety) and ÖVE/ÖNORM E 8001 for low-voltage installations are relevant.
Regulatory framework
For electrical installations Austria applies ÖVE/ÖNORM E 8001 (Austrian implementation of HD 60364 — safety requirements for low-voltage installations) and ÖVE/ÖNORM E 8002 for special environments (medical, explosive, wet). For inspections and periodic checks ETV 2020 (Elektrotechnikverordnung 2020) applies — a superordinate decree that specifies §§ 6 and 7 of Elektrotechnikgesetz 1992.
Building decisions apply the Land BauO (Wiener BauO, Stmk. BauG, NÖ BauO, etc.) plus OIB-Richtlinien (Österreichisches Institut für Bautechnik) as a common technical framework across all 9 federal states.
For operational safety of electrical equipment, ASchG (Arbeitnehmerschutzgesetz) plus Elektroschutzverordnung. For ATEX zones, Directive 2014/34/EU in Austrian transposition via ExSchV.
Posted Workers and e-ZKO
A Slovak supplier working in Austria must go through the Zentrale Koordinationsstelle BMAW for posted workers — registration via the e-ZKO portal at least 7 days before work begins. Plus A1 from the Slovak Social Insurance Agency and proper employment documentation (contract, payslip).
Pay must meet the relevant collective agreement (Kollektivvertrag) for the sector — for electrical installation KV-Elektro-, Audio-, Video- und Alarmanlagen, for metalwork KV-Metallarbeiter, for construction KV-Bauindustrie. Rates are higher than minimum wage and are enforced via the Bauarbeiter-Urlaubs- und Abfertigungskasse (BUAK) in construction.
Cross-border VAT — reverse charge under § 19 UStG 1994 (the Austrian parallel of the German § 13b). We issue invoices showing the client's Austrian VAT number and the note "Übergang der Steuerschuld nach § 19 (1) UStG 1994".
Strongest segments of the Austrian market
**Magna Steyr Graz** — outsourced assembly for OEMs (BMW Z4, Toyota GR Supra, Jaguar I-Pace, Mercedes G-Class). For the Magna Steyr supplier orbit, space opens here for Sondermaschinenbau and robotic-cell integration just as in Nitra or Trnava, only under the Austrian regulatory framework.
**AVL List Graz** — Europe's strongest automotive R&D group (test centres for 26+ OEMs, R&D for alternative fuels, e-mobility, autonomous vehicles). For AVL an integrator is needed for test benches — Sondermaschinenbau rigour plus high-throughput data capture.
**voestalpine** — several Austrian sites (Linz steel mill, Donawitz special steels, Krems-Donau tinplate). Work here at the level of the steel industry, similar to U. S. Steel Košice — administrative and IT zones we can deliver, core metallurgical processes we can't.
**BMW Group Werk Steyr** — the largest engine plant in the BMW group (engines for the entire portfolio, gradual shift to e-drive). Here the segment is interesting for us through the supplier orbit — ZF Steyr, Magna Powertrain Lannach, etc.
**Infineon Technologies Austria** (Villach + Klagenfurt) — power semi production, mainly SiC MOSFETs for e-mobility. A semiconductor cluster expanding to neighbouring Munich (Infineon Neubiberg) and Dresden.
Our commuting relationship
From Prešov to Vienna is 6 hours' drive, to Graz 7 hours, to Salzburg 9, to Innsbruck 11. For Austrian projects we work with accommodation within reach of the client's site. For repeat cooperation (as with the Loxone project in Vienna) we maintain a standard weekly or biweekly contact rhythm.
Where we're opening up in Austria, where we're not
Smart-home and smart-building integration (KNX, Loxone, DALI-2) — we have verifiable work and are actively expanding this domain. Automotive supplier orbit (Magna Steyr, BMW Steyr) — we can deliver via Sondermaschinenbau and robotic integration, we're looking for the first client. Semiconductor cluster (Infineon Villach) — we're in the pre-engagement phase assessing process demands; real deliveries here will come when concrete scope is clear.
For large metallurgical and petrochemical plants (voestalpine Linz, OMV refineries), local Austrian firms are sought first and we have no primary reference in core processes.