Science and business location

Internationally operating companies, world market leaders, renowned universities and the economic engine of tourism make the Innsbruck region a major player in Austria and Europe. It is a flourishing business hub full of dynamism, agility and innovative drive. The State of Tirol and the provincial capital of Innsbruck play a pioneering role in many areas, including trade fairs, congresses and hosting major international sporting events.

The dynamic nature of the local economy manifests itself, for example, in INTERALPIN, the world's leading trade fair for alpine technologies. It is held at Messe Innsbruck every other year. The foundation stone for Innsbruck as a trade fair location was laid when Hall B was constructed, which is now a listed building, and was brought to Innsbruck in 1892 from Prague, where it was used for an economic exhibition in the style of Gustave Eiffel. Between 15 June and 4 October 1893, the Tirolean State Exhibition was held in Innsbruck under the protectorate of Franz Joseph I of Austria. In 1923, the “1st Innsbruck Autumn Fair“ took place, which was still called the Alpine Agricultural Trade Fair when it was first launched and is still considered the “grande dame” of domestic trade fairs today.

Innsbruck quickly developed into an important location for congresses after Congress Innsbruck was built. Over the past 50 years, thousands of scientific congresses have been held and very well received in Innsbruck, significantly contributing to Innsbruck’s reputation as a city for science and congresses. However, congresses started to be held here much earlier than that. The first ever conference in Tirol, the General Meeting of the Catholic Associations of Austria, was held here in Congress Innsbruck in the Dogana already in 1869.