Josef Ortner is the owner and managing director of the Ortner Holding in Villach, Austria and of the companies in Wiener Neudorf near Vienna, Dresden in Germany and Sandy, UT in USA.
12 / 2008

Mr. Ortner, you deal with clean-room technology at your company. What is this, precisely?

We, at Ortner Reinraumtechnik in Villach, have been dealing with general clean-room technology for more than 20 years. This means that rooms must prevail under the premise of "cleanliness", in order to be able to ensure the end product quality. You can find examples of this in the pharmaceutical industry or in microelectronics. Fields, such as photovoltaic or food industries, are also relying more on clean room technology now.

Clean-room technology in itself is not an invention of our time. For example, let us take Ignaz Semmelweis, who already paid attention to particular hygiene conditions for his patients in the middle of the 19th century, in order to restrict childbed fever.
Over the many decades, clean room technology has developed into a real quality feature and standard requirement for production in a wide range of industries and sectors, e.g.: microelectronics or the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry. Even if the technology requirements highly differ, this all-encompassing concept means, again and again: putting fields of activity and spaces under clean air conditions.

Our company, Ortner Reinraumtechnik in Villach, has dedicated itself to these tasks: We develop, produce and install systems and machines for cleanrooms in all industries.

Why is the market in Slovenia and in the Southern European region of particular interest to you?
Austria, Slovenia and the entire Balkan region have a long, common history. Our mentality and perceptions are very similar in many ways. There are far more commonalities than we are sometimes aware of. The Slovenian and Carinthian economic and corporate structure are based on medium-sized and small enterprises. Among other things, our strengths lie in solid workmanship and high innovation and problem-solving potential.
We, at Ortner, aim to strengthen the entire economic region and also pass on our know-how. One of our main aims is to produce our innovative products with partner companies in a virtual network and position them on the market. I am convinced that we Europeans have a particular ability to develop innovative and high-quality products for the global market.
The European Union will rapidly expand eastwards. Our products and technologies are ideally positioned for high-quality and safe working conditions, e.g. pharmaceutical operations, healthcare institutions, food products, etc. On the one hand, we need suppliers and development partners and on the other hand, we offer a benefit for reconstruction and technological advance.

The financial and economic crisis is enveloping more and more countries on our continent. The cost issue is becoming a central theme for producers and developers. How do you deal with this?

In my view, there will be three central themes during the coming years:
First of all transport costs and transport safety, second energy costs and logistics and at least environment protection and pollution. The fuel and energy prices will rise significantly. This will make a production location in your own vicinity more and more interesting. For customers and suppliers, it will be efficient again to buy products from the environs of the region.

At the same time, a change in society values will also result from this trend. Values, such as family, nearness to the workplace, etc. will again receive its own significance. For well-trained people, it will also become more interesting to find a job in their direct environment.

I am convinced that one of the most important ways of facing the financial and economic crisis will be a functioning network of suppliers and customers. For us, at Ortner, the AACC is one of the binding components for overcoming mental boundaries and having the courage to forge new paths.

www.ortner-group.at

Photo: bs