3D Drucker — © Christian Vorhofer / Westend61

Austria's joy in inventing and tinkering

Most people are aware that the Sacher torte comes from Vienna. But there are many more important inventions from Austria that have conquered the world from here.

Did you know that ….

Unfortunately, production of the Lohner-Porsche vehicles had to be discontinued in 1906 due to a legal dispute over the patent and excessive development costs.

...the world's first electric car was invented in Vienna - over 100 years ago. In 1899, carriage manufacturer Ludwig Lohner and Ferdinand Porsche completed the first electric car for the Vienna-based Lohner-Werke. The Lohner-Werke in Vienna-Donaustadt was the purveyor to the court of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Monarchy of Austria-Hungary.

Did you know that ….

Josef Madersperger was born in Kufstein in 1768. For years, he tinkered with a sewing machine that was supposed to imitate the movement of a human hand, sacrificing his few free hours and his entire fortune. In 1815, the Emperor finally granted a patent for the invention.

...the first sewing machine was invented in Austria?

Did you know that ….

After several prototypes had already existed in the early 19th century, the Tyrolean built various wooden typewriter models from 1864 onwards. The inventor had been working on the development of a typewriter for several years. He then used the fifth model to write the first real letter that has survived.

...Tyrolean Peter Mitterhofer had a lasting impact on computer keyboards with his invention.

Inventiveness

This thirst for invention is still present in Austrians today, as the patent figures show that Austrians are particularly active in researching and developing future technologies such as artificial intelligence, 3D printing and robotics. Patent applications for their industrial application have more than tripled since 2010. In some areas, including energy-saving technologies, data management and robotics, patent applications from Austria have even increased six fold since 2010.

A total of 2,231 inventions were registered with the Austrian Patent Office in 2022. The number one federal state is still Upper Austria - with 470 inventions. Second and third place go to Styria with 436 and Vienna with 345 inventions. An inventor is most likely to be found in Vorarlberg - it ranks first in terms of the number of inventions per inhabitant. The largest patent applicant at the Austrian Patent Office is AVL List with 189 registered inventions, followed by Julius Blum with 79 and Engel and Siemens with 26 invention applications each.