19 Sep CZECH this AUT – why Austria and the Czech Republic are a perfect match
The Moravian-Silesian Investment and Development (MSID) Agency is a regional development agency from Ostrava in the Czech Republic, which visited brownfield sites in Steyr, Vienna and Linz together with representatives from DELTA-Czech Republic and CMb.industries. The delegation’s visit inspired us with many new insights, ideas and visions. The aim is to intensify cooperation with Ostrava/Czech Republic in the brownfield sector.
“… The Czech Republic and Austria have been closely linked for centuries. The relationship between the two of us is as ambivalent as the people in both countries are similar. …”
Dr. Michael Häupl, President of the Austrian-Czech Society
Sigmund Freud, Alfred Kubin, Egon Schiel, Oskar Kokoschka, Franz Kafka, Adalbert Stifter, Reiner Maria Rilke, Peter Simonischek, Gustav Mahler, Alma Mahler Werfel and many more were children of the Czech-Austrian marriage. Some of them left their mark on Viennese modernism, all had Czech roots and left their mark on Austria, which we still encounter today, especially in art and culture.
The Habsburg Monarchy brought Austria and the Czech Republic together, the good cooperation was already evident back then and continued in the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. The close intertwining of administration, infrastructure and culture also paved the way for EU membership, where their cooperation in various matters such as the economy, education and infrastructure improved. The geographical and historical proximity facilitates cross-border cooperation and enables many new ideas and innovative projects on the topics of brownfield, golden energy, AI and quantum computing.
Mission S.O.L. – Steyr. Ostrava. Linz.
Czech-Austrian cooperation expands to include brownfields, quantum computers and AI
Together with our partners DELTA-Czech Republic and the Moravian-Silesian Investment and Development Agency (MSID) from Ostrava, the third largest city in the east of the Czech Republic with over one million people in the catchment area, we embarked on an exciting journey to Vienna, Linz and Steyr. The air was filled with curiosity and the expectation of exploring new horizons. We visited brownfields – places with history – once vibrant objects that were full of life, today silent witnesses of times gone by with new visions, ideas and possibilities that should bring life back into the quietly dying buildings. They are being reanimated, transformed, recharged with innovative ideas and rethought. The spirit of optimism on the sites inspires new and sustainable changes.
We, a conglomerate of experts with different perspectives, observations and ideas from the field of brownfield development, came together for a lively exchange that went far beyond geographical and intellectual boundaries. It was a meeting full of impressions, inspirations, visions and ideas, carried by the common thought that each site tells its own story, marked by the past but full of potential for the future.
Psychoanalysis meets AI
The Otto Wagner Hospital in particular – an Art Nouveau monument and brownfield prestige project – is a reminder of the exchange of knowledge instead of a brain drain between the Czech Republic and Austria. The area is a humanistic design for people with mental health problems, which is now being transformed into an educational campus, shaped by its history. Where you can relax and unwind alongside internationality and music. Innovation research on AI and quantum computers takes place here. It is a symbolic connection, because Sigmund Freud stands for Vienna. However, the founder of psychoanalysis was born almost 30 kilometers away from Ostrava. A joint institute could build the cultural and scientific bridge and the idea of looking at AI psychoanalytically. It is a great honor for me to accompany this prestigious project with CMb.industries and to participate in the development of the area.
Let the walls come down
“Once a monastery, later a prison, it is now set to become a place of freedom and the future: An innovation hub for start-ups, temporary accommodation for students and employees as well as restaurants are to open up the building. We want to create a place here where working, learning and living come together, which attracts young companies, offers space for creativity and at the same time contributes to sustainable urban development.” Says Deputy Mayor Michael Schodermayr, who warmly welcomed the delegation to the city of Steyr. The walls of the Berggasse prison, which is now a nucleus instead of a monastery or prison cell, have fallen forever and are open to the world. I am accompanying and developing this area together with the Tp3 architects. I am very grateful for the trust placed in me by the city of Steyr and will work with CMb.industries and the Tp3 architects to create a “place to be” that will be an integral part of the city of Steyr.
Tabakfabrik Linz 80,000m2 laboratory of ideas
I was the founding director of Tabakfabrik for 4,135 days and when I look back, I can say that the city of Linz has become more innovative as a result of its transformation. Because where cigarettes used to be produced, today creative minds with innovative ideas produce utopian visions, which they realize. They are creating a new kind of future with various collaborations. Tabakfabrik Linz is located in the heart of a changing neo-industrial district – a symbol of the dawn of a new era of urban creativity. Over 3,000 people already work in the Tschickbude as part of an urban experiment that shows how something unprecedented in Linz has emerged from industrial development.
The successful cooperation between Austria and the Czech Republic promises not only progress in the field of brownfield, quantum computing and AI, but also a stronger connection between cultures and people who are committed to a sustainable future. I and my team from CMb.industries are looking forward to the return visit, where we will further forge future plans on the topics mentioned as well as the National Brownfield Strategy. This is the beginning of a fruitful partnership that will make the world a better place. Sbohem & Glück Auf!
