Day Trip to Carinthia / Kärnten

On 22 April 2026, a Day Trip was organized to Carinthia/Kärnten, visiting Infineon Technologies Austria AG in Villach, followed by a visit to the Lakeside Science & Technology Park GmbH including research companies in Klagenfurt and taking advantage of the recent opening of the Koralm Railwayline substantially shortening the travel time from Vienna to Carinthia.

Our first stop was the visit to Infineon Technologies Austria AG in Villach: 

We started with an impressive company tour. Then we were received by CEO Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Sabine Herlitschka, MBA, who presented Infineon Technologies Austria AG. According to her words now 50% of global GDP depend on semiconductors and 90% of innovations depend on semiconductors. Companies headquatered in the United States and Asia-Pacific have a dominant position in the semiconductor industry. However, according to CEO Dr. Herlitschka, Austria is well positioned in the semiconductor industry being Europ's Nr. 1 in value creation measured by the size of the country. She pointed out that the combination of renewable energies and intelligent semiconductor technologies enables significant savings. With 57.000 employees in total Infineon is a global leader in power systems and IoT with a Nr. 1 market position in automotive, power and microcontroler.

Infineon Austria is the largest research facility for microelectronics in Austria.

According to the Top 500 Ranking published by trend business magazine, Infineon Austria was Austria’s most research-focused industrial company in 2025. In the fiscal year 2025, 721 million euro or 15 percent of total revenue went into research and development. There are 2,506 experts working in the development centers in Villach, Graz, Linz and Innsbruck, developing new solutions, technologies and innovations. Roughly one quarter of the R&D staff of the entire Group is employed by Infineon Austria.

As a global semiconductor leader Infineon is committed to actively driving decarbonization and digitalization.

With its energy efficient chips, Infineon meets global societal challenges such as climate protection and resource management.

Semiconductors have become an integral part of our everyday lives. With microelectronics, Infineon connects the real world with the digital world.  Its technologies enable energy efficiency, intelligent mobility as well as secure, seamless communication in an increasingly connected world.

Whether in your car, smartphone, fridge, passport, in computer centers, robots or industrial equipment – energy efficient chips from Infineon Austria can be found in countless everyday applications.

Since 1997, Infineon Austria has voluntarily committed itself to the EMAS (Eco Management and Audit Scheme) of the European Union and is committed to the international environmental management standard ISO 14001. With the global Infineon management system IMPRES (Infineon Integrated Management Program for Environment, Energy, Safety and Health), Infineon has processes and standards in the company that is continuously optimized. 

Sustainability is part of its mission since years. Infineon has been listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index since 2010 as one of the most sustainable companies in the world.  With all the measures and activities, Infineon wants to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. 

Infineon strives to contribute to climate protection through its products, processes, and responsible behavior. Infineon Austria's energy-saving chips reduce the CO₂ footprint in applications and enhance energy efficiency by minimizing energy losses along the entire energy generation chain. At the same time, Infineon leverages innovative approaches such as "Industry 4.0" and "Industry 5.0" to make its own processes more efficient and resource-friendly.

Sustainability at the Villach Site – An Overview:

·  100% Renewable Energy: Its electricity is sourced entirely from renewable energy with certified proof of origin.

·  Waste Heat Recycling: Intelligent reuse of production waste heat to provide heating for the site.

·  Continuous Energy Efficiency Measures since 2009: Digital networking of facilities, optimized processes, smart sensors, and energy-saving LED lighting improve energy efficiency, reduce energy consumption, and optimize the use of resources.

·  Sustainable Mobility: The "Green Way" program offers electric vehicles, EV charging stations, and promotes eco-friendly alternatives such as free public transport for employees ("Jobticket").

Applications for the products of Infineon: Aerospace and Defense, Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Health and Lifestyle, Home Appliances, Industrial, Information and Communication Technology, Renewables, Robotiks, Security Solutions, Smart Home and Building

A few words on CEO Dipl-Ing. Dr. Sabine Herlitschka, MBA:

She was born in Upper Austria, highlights of her education were University studies in Food Technologies and Biotechnology at the University of Natural Resourcesand Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna. Diploma in Business and Technology as well as a Master of Business Administration in "General Management". 2003 she became  Vice-Rector for Research Management and International Cooperation at the Medical University of Graz,  2006 she became Director of the Division of European and International Programs at the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), Vienna. Since August 2011 she is Member of the Management Board of Infineon Technologies Austria AG, since January 2012 Chief Technology Officer at Infineon Technologies Austria AG and since April 2014 she is Chief Executive Officer of Infineon Technologies Austria AG.

After the presentation of CEO Dr. Herlitschka we enjoyed the Presentation of the Member of the Board of ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG, Mag. Silvia Angelo, about the new Koralmbahn Railway Line and its effects on the Region Carinthia/Styria, which is expected to be substantial, especially concerning the new possibilities to commute between the two provinces. 

The two presentations were followed by a vivid Q&R session together with refreshments and snacks.

Our second visit of the day was the visit to Lakeside Science & Technology Park GmbH in Klagenfurt and presentation of the importance of the new Koralm Railway Line:

From Infineon Austria AG in Villach we continued by bus to the Lakeside Science & Technology Park GmbH in Klagenfurt wit a presentation by DI Dr. Pamela Kogelnik-Mühlmann in charge of Projects and International Cooperation.

The Lakeside Science & Technology Park in Klagenfurt is a dedicated science park designed to foster collaboration between research, education, and technology-oriented businesses. Adjacent to the University of Klagenfurt, it forms part of a 36‑hectare innovation campus that integrates academic research with industry-driven development. More than 70 companies are active in the Park.

As a science park, Lakeside emphasizes information and communication technologies (ICT) and hosts a wide range of research institutions, high‑tech companies, and start‑ups working on digitalization, robotics, artificial intelligence, and smart city technologies. Its role as a meeting point for scientific exchange is strengthened by research centers such as Lakeside Labs and facilities like the 5G Playground Carinthia, which support experimental and applied research.

Designed for innovation, the park combines modern infrastructure with interdisciplinary collaboration, making it a regional hotspot for scientific development and a catalyst for technology transfer between academia and industry.

The presentation of DI Dr. Kogelnik-Mühlmann about the Lakeside Science & Technology Park was followed by another presentation of the new Koralm Railway Line by Ms DI Christiane Schiavinato, ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG, Projects New Construction and Expansion.

 

Finally Ms. DI Dr. Kogelnik-Mühlmann showed us the extensive area of the Lakeside Park the numerous buildings for the research companies. The Lakeside Park is under further expansion. One of the installations is a closed drone test area by itself the size of a building.

From the Lakeside Park we headed by bus to the main railway station in Klagenfurt to board the train back to Vienna.