Model factory of a productive city
The former tank factory in Vienna-Simmering is being transformed into a productive district. What is conceived here can be tested as a prototype, presented in the exhibition halls and celebrated in the event area. The strategic district development of the Think Tank Factory is creating a beta zone for industry, crafts and the creative industries that relies on a self-sufficient energy concept.
130,000m2 for new crafts, education, science, art and culture
Curated tenants from the fields of science, education and training, smart and creative industries, crafts, art and culture will be located in 130,000m2 of space along an innovation ecology. With long and short stay options and a combination of community services and global conference standards, the Think Tank Factory is transforming into an international landing zone.
Think Tank Future
Since 1906, the phase of late industrialization, the site has reflected all the historical phases of the 20th century. From the mobilization of society through buses, the progressive globalization of goods transport through trucks, the economic development of innovative companies in the interwar period, the collaboration with the Nazi regime in the Second World War, the development into a system-relevant company of the Second Republic through the production of weapons to protect the comprehensive national defence and perpetual neutrality, to the decline of the classic manufacturing industry in Austria through partial sales of divisions and outsourcing to cheaper production locations. In the late 1970s, over 1700 people still worked at the site, but by the time the plant was closed, only around 300 people remained.
The transformation of the former tank factory into a think tank factory will begin in 2020. The site offers all the prerequisites for its next development cycle as a productive district. Vienna is also home to probably the best-known architecture studio that can actually shape the avant-garde into buildings. The urban planning concept and structural expansion of the area are shaping the development of the site.
Starting from a creative core – where desk spaces, community rooms, lounges and traditional offices are located – the surrounding halls for storage, research and test laboratories, prototyping and crafts are directly accessible. This arrangement creates optimal conditions for a dynamic innovation ecology. Next door, entire halls can be filled for events of all kinds, such as congresses, exhibitions or trade fairs.
Curated settlement strategy and innovation ecology
As a former tank factory, the Think Tank Factory offers the ideal conditions for establishing a “productive district”. Proximity to the airport, connections to the S-Bahn and U-Bahn, large industrial halls, a future-oriented revitalization and expansion concept are the basis, and a curated settlement strategy based on an innovation ecology is the success factor. The strategic district development is based on the example of Tabakfabrik Linz. There, the former “Tschikbude” was developed into a new district that is now a vibrant economic factor. The curation of tenants in a clever mix of different industries, company sizes and professions ensures the healthy growth of the area. This so-called innovation ecology is scientifically monitored and continuously evaluated.
