Located at the point where three cultures meet, the city on the Drau has long been an important transport hub in the Alps-Adriatic region. Due to its particular geographic location and the outstanding natural beauty of the region, Villach and the whole province of Carinthia have for generations been popular holiday destinations for people from all over the world. International companies and their highly qualified employees have always played key roles in Villach’s success story. Today more than 6700 people from over 60 nations are employed. Villach has developed into a high-technology location thanks to its enduring ambition to reinvent itself. In order to maintain this pace of development, the city has been investing effort into its role as a research and start-up hub for a number of years. In addition to research activities at the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, trendsetting collaborations between academia and industry, as exemplified by their Science & Energy Labs, Silicon Austria Labs and others, pave the way for successful research into highly promising technologies of the future. Start-up initiatives such as the build! business incubator or the Smart Lab Carinthia, both located in the Villach Technology Park, offer ideal starting conditions for entrepreneurs. Secure and well-paid jobs have made the location an attractive destination for specialists and managers from all over the world. The companies, among them both hidden champions and world-renowned market leaders, are well established in the region and offer their staff many benefits in addition to the high quality of life in Villach. As a city of artists, researchers, inventors and developers, Villach sets great store by education and offers (lifelong) learning opportunities to people of all ages.