In 2022, the Austrian established Blue Economy sectors employ roughly 18 500 people and generates around €950 million in GVA. The Blue Economy has a very marginal impact on the Austrian economy and employment rates.
In Austria, the share of Blue Economy GVA to the national economy has been stable at 0.2% since 2018. Similarly, the share of Blue Economy jobs to national employment was stable at 0.4%. Employment in 2023 is estimated at roughly 19 000 while GVA at €1 billion.
The Austrian Blue Economy is dominated by Marine living resources, which contribute to 80% of Austrian Blue Economy jobs and 60% to GVA in 2022. The relative importance of the Marine living Resources sector has remained stable on a year-to-year basis in terms of persons employed (79% in 2021) and decreased in terms of GVA (from 66% in 2021).
The sector Port activities is also an important contributor, with 12% of the Austrian Blue Economy jobs and 28% of the GVA. Shipbuilding and repair represents 6% of the Austrian Blue Economy GVA and 4% of the employment.
While Austria is a landlocked country and does not have direct marine waters, it pursues blue economic activities. The Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management (BMLUK) covers, among other topics, aquaculture policies.
Currently, there are very few opportunities to acquire education and skills within the country. For example, the University of Vienna offers a MSc in Ecology and Ecosystems, and the TU Graz offers a MSc in Civil Engineering Sciences, Infrastructure which prepares students to plan, build, operate and evaluate transportation and water infrastructures.
Text version
This interactive dashboard presents the evolution of the blue economy for Austria. It is designed to provide insights into key economic indicators over time.
At the top of the dashboard, there is a drop-down menu that allows users to select one of the following data categories:
- Employment: Number of jobs and workforce trends in the blue economy sectors.
- Gross Value Added (GVA): The contribution of the blue economy to the national economy.
- Turnover and Gross Profit: Revenue and profitability metrics of blue economy industries.
- Investment: Capital investment levels in blue economy sectors.
Once a category is selected, the main panel updates to display relevant visualisations, such as line charts or bar graphs, showing trends over time. These visualisations are accompanied by labels, legends, and tooltips to ensure clarity and accessibility.
The dashboard is navigable via keyboard and compatible with screen readers. All interactive elements are clearly labeled, and data visualisations include alternative text descriptions summarising key insights.