Josef Steindl’s Life and Work in Austria

Josef Steindl’s impact on economic policy in Austria concentrated on three areas: Keynesian thinking, educational policy and technology policy. After returning to Vienna in 1950 Steindl advanced Keynesian and Kaleckian thinking in Austria and thus influenced a whole generation of economists. He pushed for an educational policy in Austria and emphasised the role of engineers, technicians and skilled workers in long-term economic growth. Closely related to this was his plea for a technology policy. As an industrial latecomer, Austria was able to import technologies for a long time; but once the country had caught up, it needed to stimulate innovation with a conscious technology policy.