Interview

ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA: A Trade Promotion Organisation of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber

asianwater

ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Kuala Lumpur coordinates and represents the interests of the Austrian business community with its more than 300.000 member companies in Malaysia and in Brunei Darussalam.

8 market leaders from Austria will be present at the ASIAWATER 2024 event under ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA’s pavilion. They are ANDRITZ AG, E. HAWLE ARMATURENWERKE GMBH, GLS TANKS INTERNATIONAL GMBH, KE KELIT GMBH, PRAHER PLASTICS AUSTRIA GMBH, PROBIG GMBH, RÖHREN- UND PUMPENWERK BAUER GESELLSCHAFT M.B.H., VWMS GMBH – VIENNA WATER MONITORING SOLUTIONS.

Asian Water: Can you briefly describe your company and what are the products that you are exhibiting at ASIAWATER 2024?

ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA: ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA is the trade promotion organisation of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber. With a network of more than 100 offices in 70 countries, ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA is uniquely positioned to consult and guide Austrian enterprises worldwide. We act as a central contact partner playing a strategic role for doing business with Austria.

At ASIAWATER 2024, we group eight Austrian companies (see https://www.advantageaustria.org/my/events/Asia_Water_2024.en.html) in the water and wastewater sector under our umbrella. Their products that we are exhibiting range from:

  • pumps for water extraction, treatment, transport and distribution, flood protection and irrigation systems as well as solid/liquid separation technology (ANDRITZ),
  • heavy-duty fittings for drinking water and wastewater systems (Hawle),
  • glass-lined-steel tanks for biogas applications, waste-water-treatment-plants, potable-water storage, bulk silos and slurry tanks (GLS Tanks),
  • plastic and metal pipe systems for drinking water, heating, cooling, industry and district heating (KE KELIT),
  • valves made of PVC-C, PVC-U, PP and PVDF for the chemical and food industry, water treatment and water filtration (Praher), to
  • non-metallic chain scrapers for water and wastewater treatment (Probig),
  • irrigation and slurry technology in the agriculture sector (Bauer), and
  • a process monitoring system for fully automatic measurements of microbiological water quality (Coliminder by VWMS).
(Photo: © E. Hawle Armaturenwerke GmbH) 
(Photo: © VWMS GmbH – Vienna Water Monitoring Solutions) 
(Photo: © GLS Tanks International GmbH)

It is a perfect showcase about the vast diversity and excellence of water tech “Made in Austria”!

Asian Water: How do you view the water industry in the Asia Pacific region?

ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA: Due to rapid urbanisation and a high population growth, we see issues arising from the impact of higher water demands (residential, industrial, and agricultural use), as well as, climate change (increased flooding leading to water sanitation, or droughts causing water scarcity). With the expansion of water infrastructure, access to clean water has improved greatly over the past decades, especially in rural areas, but wastewater treatment and quality of water for consumption still sees room for growth. For Malaysia in particular, we do also encounter all these challenges, as well as that of non-revenue water (NRW) and low water prices, both of which lead to wastage and overconsumption, exacerbating the problem of clean water supply. Furthermore, despite abundant water sources, many water facilities have a low reserve margin, and some states are water-stressed.

Asian Water: What are the challenges faced by the industry and how does your company provide the solutions to these challenges?

ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA: As mentioned, high water loss is a problem, and in the case of non-revenue water (NRW) it is largely due to aging distribution mains or pipes, but there are also cases of meter errors (either genuine or tampered). For this, Austrian companies have solutions for parts related to the water distribution system such as pipes, valves, or tanks, both for industrial and agricultural use. We also have monitoring technology, especially with regards to water quality, which can also be applied for industrial use as well as potable water. With regards to wastewater, we also have very effective treatment and desalination solutions.

Visit ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Pavilion in hall 1, Stand B101-105 & C101-108 to reach out and connect with the potential Austrian business partners.