ViennaUP 2024: Study trip

From Monday, 3 June to Wednesday, 5 June 2024, a delegation from the City of Luxembourg, comprising Aldermen Maurice Bauer and Patrick Goldschmidt, representing the College of Aldermen, and representatives from various City departments – including the Cellule développement économique et commercial (Economic and Commercial Development Unit – DEC), the Direction Mobilité (Transport Directorate), the Service Circulation (Traffic Department), and the Service Communication et relations publiques (Communications and Public Relations Department) – as well as representatives from the Luxembourg-City Incubator, including its CEO Bastien Berg, and Felix Weis from Luxinnovation, travelled to Vienna for a study trip as part of ViennaUP 2024, a festival devoted to citywide entrepreneurship and innovation that was created by the start-up community for the world. Bilateral dialogue between the City and the Vienna Business Agency and with the City of Vienna were the focus of the topics addressed during this study trip.

The trip followed on from a series of events aimed at strengthening ties between Luxembourg City and Vienna, such as the start-up event organised by the DEC in April 2023 in Luxembourg City, the Mayor of Vienna's trip to Luxembourg City in September 2023, and "Wien in Luxemburg", a yearlong series of cultural and cuisine-related events.

Upon arriving on Monday, 3 June, the guests from Luxembourg were treated to a tour of Vienna's traditional Naschmarkt market, which served as a case study and gave the delegation a chance to immerse themselves in the ambience of the themes of the days to come, and most notably how business is organised in Vienna, and the relationship between the City of Vienna and the business community. In the evening, the participants had a chance to become better acquainted with one another and to continue their discussions at a reception at the Embassy of Luxembourg in Vienna.

Tuesday, 4 June was jam-packed with tours and workshops. Among the subjects discussed by the Viennese representatives and their Luxembourg guests were where the two cities are in terms of incorporating technology and IT, with an emphasis on transport, environmental protection, urban development and housing. Vienna MP and city councillor Omar Al-Rawi, Alina Schönhofer from Vienna's Department for Urban Planning and Urban Development, and Marcel Simoner from Urban Innovation Vienna talked about digitalisation and the concept of smart cities. Of course, the delegation also took some time to explore Vienna's city centre, which abounds in fascinating attractions.

During interviews and roundtable discussions on Wednesday, 5 June, the delegations from Luxembourg and Vienna engaged in dialogue and shared their experiences and best practises on topics such as real estate, developing vacant retail and office space, international trade, setting up businesses in Vienna, and welcoming expatriate professional talent. The discussions were moderated by representatives from Kreativ Räume Wien, Grätzelinitiative Wien, Vienna Business Districts, the Vienna Chamber of Commerce (Wirtschaftskammer Wien) and the Vienna Business Agency.

As Vienna and Luxembourg City enjoy a long-standing friendship, the ties and dialogue between the two cities will undoubtedly continue into the future.