Parliamentary leaders back cross-border economic hubs

State parliament presidents from Austria and South Tyrol have called for stronger cross-border economic cooperation, discussing the development of shared economic hubs at a meeting in Hainburg an der Donau, Lower Austria, ORF reported.

The conference was chaired by Lower Austrian State Parliament President Karl Wilfing of the Austrian People’s Party. It took place seven weeks after he suffered a cardiac arrest and spent time in intensive care and rehabilitation. Wilfing said he was grateful to his sister, who resuscitated him, and had returned to work a week earlier.

Lower Austria, Vienna and Burgenland together generate about 43 percent of Austria’s economic output. Wilfing said the economies of Vienna, Bratislava, Brno and Győr were closely linked, with capital, workers, research and supply chains crossing national borders.

He pointed to the Bratislava Area Management initiative, known as BAUM, which Lower Austria, Burgenland and the Bratislava region have operated since November 2025 to coordinate cross-border projects and serve as a point of contact. More than 15,000 Slovak citizens already live in neighbouring Austrian municipalities. In Kittsee, they make up more than half the population, the report said.

Burgenland State Parliament President Astrid Eisenkopf cited bus route 902 as a recent example of cross-border cooperation. The route is running on a trial basis between Bratislava, Berg, Kittsee, Edelstal and Prellenkirchen on weekdays and Saturdays, every two hours. The trial is due to run until December 31, when officials will assess whether to make the service permanent.

Eisenkopf said cross-border growth must also take environmental concerns into account. She called for responsible planning that enables development while protecting nature, landscapes and quality of life, and said economic growth need not always mean using more land.

The presidents also highlighted the planned Europacampus Hainburg, which is being developed in the former Marc-Aurel barracks with the participation of universities in Vienna, Bratislava and St. Pölten.