As part of the MGB program’s company visits, the current PAC cohort had the unique opportunity to visit voestalpine, one of Austria’s most prominent industrial powerhouses.
The visit began with a shared lunch at voestalpine’s employee canteen, which gave students a first taste of the company’s internal culture. After lunch, the academic program kicked off with a presentation by Mathias Farthofer, Head of Corporate Development. Mr. Farthofer provided valuable insights on the company’s corporate strategy, its four key divisions, and major transformation processes currently underway. A particular highlight of his presentation was voestalpine’s ambitious CO₂ reduction roadmap, CO2UNTDOWN TO ZERO, which aims for a 30% emissions reduction by 2029 and 50% by 2035. This gave students a concrete idea of how an industry leader is addressing climate challenges through innovation and long-term strategic planning.
Following the strategic input, the group engaged in an interactive discussion with Dr. Ernst Balla, HR Director of the Metal Forming Division. The exchange focused on human resource strategy, talent development, and diversity management, with students being especially interested in learning about internship opportunities voestalpine provides.
The afternoon was dedicated to an in-depth guided tour of voestalpine’s production facilities. The PAC cohort got to know the entire steel production chain, from raw material processing to finished products, ending with a visit to the blast furnace which has been operating 24/7 for over 15 years.
This visit to voestalpine was more than just a program highlight: it showed how the MGB program connects students with key players in Austria’s economy through hands-on learning opportunities. The deep, more than a decade-long partnership between voestalpine and MGB continues to create platforms for exchange, insight, and professional growth, strengthening the bridge between academic training and real-world industry challenges.
Written by student assistant Chiara Paprotny
