Latest news with #AustrianFederalEconomicChamber
Gulf Today
01-06-2025
- Automotive
- Gulf Today
Cycling boom in Austria helps cut harmful emissions
Cycling in Austria is currently experiencing significant growth, driven by increasing demand for eco-friendly mobility alternatives, a rising focus on the use of electric bikes in urban and suburban settings, and a general shift towards adopting bicycles as a practical solution for reducing harmful emissions. Recent figures show that electric bicycles accounted for approximately 57.2 per cent of total bicycle sales in Austria in 2024-equivalent to around 226,000 units-placing the country among the highest in Europe in terms of e-bike adoption. Austria's bicycle market revenues remained strong, maintaining a level of €1.055 billion for the fourth consecutive year in which bicycle sales exceeded the €1 billion mark. Günther Rossmannit, Head of Fashion and Lifestyle Retail at the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, noted that around 500,000 bicycles are sold in Austria each year. He attributed the boom in cycling and the growing demand for electric bikes to several key factors, including government investment in cycling infrastructure. This includes the construction of safe, dedicated bike lanes, expansion of electric charging stations, and a government initiative to subsidise bicycle maintenance and repair costs. He also highlighted increasing environmental awareness among citizens, who view cycling as a climate-friendly, cost-effective and faster alternative for commuting in congested urban areas. In the Austrian capital, Vienna, bicycles play an increasingly prominent role in urban mobility. The number of cyclists on the city's streets has steadily increased over recent years, with bike trips now accounting for 10 per cent of total daily transportation. WAM
Asahi Shimbun
23-05-2025
- Business
- Asahi Shimbun
A boozy waltz: Sake brewed to world-class orchestral track
Hiroshi Sakurai, chairperson of Asahi Shuzo Co., and Philipp Gardie, vice president of the Austrian Federal Institute of Industry, with bottles of 'Dassai — Composing the Future' on May 22 in Osaka. (Akina Nishi) OSAKA—Renowned Dassai sake maker Asahi Shuzo Co. and the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber unveiled a collaborative brew at the Osaka Kansai Expo's Austria Pavilion on May 22. The sake 'Dassai — Composing the Future" features the pavilion's theme in its name as a literal interpretation of it, with the collaborators adding the unconventional step of playing music performed by the leading orchestras of both countries in the sake's fermentation tank for about 40 days. Production began in the summer of 2023 at the suggestion of the Austrian side. Johann Strauss II's 'Lagoon-Waltz' was selected as the specific piece and was performed by members of the Vienna Philharmonic, the world's most prestigious orchestra, and the Japan Century Symphony Orchestra in separate recording sessions. The recordings were then combined into a single track for Asahi Shuzo to play as brewers worked on the sake that was completed in March. According to the brewer based in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, having it on loop was not a gimmick. The sound wavelengths from the waltz were enough to vibrate the tank, facilitating the release of dissolved gas and changing the yeast's behavior throughout the fermentation process. A representative of the company said, 'The sake tastes very rounded and soft after 40 days of listening to the music around the clock.' Hiroshi Sakurai, the company's chairperson, said, 'When we received the proposal, we were beyond thrilled. We have been working hard to produce good sake, and it shows in the taste.' Philipp Gardie, vice president of the Austrian Federal Institute of Industry, attended the unveiling ceremony and said the beverage represents music and sake well, the two being embedded in the culture and values of both countries. Limited to 8,000 bottles, this rendition of Dassai is now available at the Austrian pavilion as well as department stores in the Kansai region until Oct. 13, the expo's last day. Each bottle is 720 ml and costs 8,000 yen ($56). It can also be found in Austria and certain parts of Europe.
