The most comprehensive overview about the status and development of entrepreneurship in Austria is the global entrepreneurship monitor (GEM) Austria participated two times on this monitoring – 2005, 2007 – so the last data from this source are from the GEM Austria publication in April 2008.

The results are quite challenging because Austria in the international ranking with 2.44 % young entrepreneurs from the representative population in the age 18 to 54 lays at the last place of the ranking.

This is a decreasing against the year 2005. Near to third of young entrepreneurs are male, the percentage of foundations of enterprises in the age group from 18 to 24 was 11 % from 25 to 34 16 %, related to the whole number of foundation of new enterprises.

The GEM Austria report made some essential recommendations concerning policy and legislative framework and supporting programs but one of the essential approach for support of entrepreneurial activities meets the sector of education and training especially

• support of entrepreneurial skills and competences in school especially practice orientated initiatives like Junior enterprises, business plan competitions or Junior guidance services
• additional a special support for language education is recommended.