Lower Austria's AI strategy for "more orientation, digital skills and clear rules of the game"
St. Pölten (OTS) –
Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner presented Lower Austria's first AI strategy at a press conference held today, Tuesday, at the Lower Austrian Parliament Building. "AI is not a fringe issue for us, but a central element of our overall economic policy strategy in Lower Austria," she emphasized.
Artificial intelligence "is changing how we work, live, do business, and communicate with each other," the Governor stated. According to the "Digitalization Monitor 2025," Lower Austria ranks third among the Austrian federal states in the use of AI. 39 percent of Lower Austrians use AI applications, and almost a third use AI in their professional lives.
"Artificial intelligence has arrived in people's everyday lives," she asserted. "Therefore, we now need more guidance, digital skills, and clear rules." The Governor continued: "Our goal is clear: We want to seize the opportunities that AI offers. Because we want to actively shape our future."
The state of Lower Austria is not starting from scratch, however, as Governor Mikl-Leitner pointed out, noting that the state presented its first digitalization strategy back in 2018 and opened the House of Digitalization in Tulln in 2022. To develop the AI strategy, an AI Advisory Board has now been established, comprised of experts from science, business, and society. This board has developed eight guiding principles: AI should only be used where it truly makes sense, with people at the center, no one should be left behind, and there should be clear rules.
The Governor emphasized two principles as particularly important: "AI must serve people, not the other way around. And: Digitalization must not be a matter of where you live or your age." Therefore, the Lower Austrian AI strategy is deliberately designed as a guideline for the entire state: "For citizens, for businesses, for municipalities, and for the administration." Furthermore, the AI strategy is "not a rigid construct," and the AI Advisory Board will meet annually in the future.
Municipalities will also play a central role in implementing the strategy, Mikl-Leitner emphasized. Since 2024, approximately 1,200 workshops have already been held in Lower Austrian municipalities, and new free workshops will be offered again starting this fall.
The House of Digitalization in Tulln also plays a key role, she further stressed. It has become "very well established" since 2022; last year alone, 140 events were organized both on-site and throughout Lower Austria. Even more are planned for this year: "Currently, a key focus is on tourism and gastronomy, but also on senior citizens, whom we want to train on how they can use AI for their benefit." A third point is the "She and AI" initiative, which increasingly considers the female perspective in the use of this future technology. Furthermore, she referred to the "Digitalks on tour," which brings practical AI offerings directly to the regions.
AI is also increasingly finding its way into the state administration to make it even faster and more efficient. The governor cited, for example, the state's internal AI, which is available to all employees, and the development of an AI chatbot. In addition, AI is expected to play an even greater role in the preparation of expert reports. AI is already being used, for instance, in the area of spatial planning assessments.
Even the use of simple generative AI can achieve a 20 percent productivity gain in a company, said Michael Bartz of IMC Krems during the press conference. He pointed to the opportunities for innovation offered by AI – ranging from small agricultural businesses to topics such as AI and robotics in the healthcare sector.
AI advisory board member and entrepreneur Carina Zehetmaier commented that putting people at the center was a conscious strategic decision. AI is "a powerful tool," but it needs "rules and guidelines to actively shape the future." She finds it "fantastic that measures are being taken to ensure the entire population is involved," because "AI only works if it works for all of us."
Inquiries & Contact
Office of the Lower Austrian Provincial Government
Provincial Administration/Public Relations
Mag. Christian Salzmann
Telephone: +43 2742/9005-12172
Email: presse@noel.gv.at
From left to right: Claus Zeppelzauer (House of Digitalization), Michael Bartz (Lower Austria AI Advisory Board), Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Carina Zehetmaier (Lower Austria AI Advisory Board), Lukas Reutterer (House of Digitalization), Christian Winter (State of Lower Austria)
You can find out more about the AI strategy in the diagram on the website of the state of Lower Austria.