Helmut Kramer passed away on 28 November 2023 at the age of 84. He began his career at WIFO in 1963, first as a researcher for industrial and structural policy, then as a business cycle expert. After a period as Deputy Director, he was Director of the Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO) from 1981 to 2005.

The Supply Chain Intelligence Institute Austria (ASCII) advocates for a revision of the EU Corporate Sustainable Due Diligence Directive (CS3D). The proposed amendments focus on direct monitoring of suppliers – instead of bilateral supply links – and the introduction of negative and positive lists to streamline due diligence processes, improving effectiveness and reducing costs for EU importers.

The results of the WIFO-Konjunkturtest (business cycle survey) of November continue to show sceptical economic assessments by Austrian companies. At –6.9 points (seasonally adjusted), the WIFO economic climate index was up 0.8 points compared to the previous month (–7.7 points), but remained in pessimistic territory.