Der Industriekomplex "Schienentransportsysteme": Chancen für eine neue Dynamik in einer "alten" Industrie

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to approach comparatively the industrial policies for the rail-transportation industries. The central proposition of this concept, presented here, is, that no country can organize all industries equally competitive. Important is the existence of a strong nucleus. Such nuclei, labelled as 'complexes', cluster around specific product or market segments and major supplier companies, R&D facilities, institutions of finance and public agencies. The co-operative behavior (synergy) results from transactions of goods, services, information, know-how, personnel etc. For the Austrian industries one such nucleus is the complex of rail-transportation, as sketched here. As of transportation and environmental issues the build-up of this complex has a very high priority in the Alpine-transit country Austria. Because of its ecological and social sensitiveness the rail-based transportation can expect major growth potentials. Important output-potentials could be realized by the currently protected domestic industries and service companies if they are capable of competitively streamlining themselves for the slowly opening European market. For reasons like the small-size of the domestic suppliers and a high share of foreign companies in the area of equipment only a co-operative strategy appears viable by linking small-sized and medium-sized domestic enterprises with foreign corporations.;