Since 2017, the HS Lucerne has been visiting the Real Estate Management Study Programs at FHWien der WKW with its international real estate master class. After a two-years-interruption due to the Coronavirus pandemic, it finally took place personally for two half days on our campus again this year.
These days were packed with lectures and discussions about the real estate and investment market in all asset classes in Austria/especially Vienna and in the CEE countries. Our cooperation partners EHL Immobilien GmbH and ÖRAG Immobilien gave a good overview of the housing, office and retail market. Peter Karl from Erste Bank (asset and fund management) gave us interesting insights not only into the market for institutional investors but also into the requirements for the acquisition of investment objects or portfolios. Only real estate objects are interesting that already meet the sustainability criteria of the EU (taxonomy, ESG). Of course, this characterizes the activities of real estate developers and property owners for their ongoing projects, so that they can also be considered for investments and financing in the future.
Other hot spots were current financing topics with our lecturer Patrick Walch from Raiffeisenbank International (RBI). A visit to the new Raiffeisenhaus with a great view of the Schneeberg was of course a must. This building is now about five years old and cools with the water of the Danube Canal – a very sustainable technology. Digitization developments in financing could be learned from Dr. Christoph Urbanek (lecturer in our MSc program). Of course, his modern offices on Kohlmarkt could also be visited.
Tuesday evening was dedicated to networking with all the students involved in the middle of the apartment building district of Vienna (Edelhof).
We will expand our cooperation with Lucerne: for publications, student exchanges and joint international activities! Many thanks to all participants for the interesting days and warm and grateful greetings from Vienna to Lucerne!