The Österreichische Beteiligungs AG (ÖBAG; English: Austria Holding PLC) is an Austrian state-owned holding company that can be characterized as a sovereign wealth fund. It administers the investments of the Republic of Austria in partially or entirely nationalized companies. It is headquartered in Vienna."Imprint." Österreichische Beteiligungs AG. Retrieved on 21 August 2020.
History In 1967, the Österreichische Industrieverwaltungs-GmbH (Austrian industry administration GmbH) was established to centralize the administration of the interests in nationalized companies. It was transformed to the Österreichische Industrieverwaltungs-AG (Austrian industry administration AG) in 1970 and at the same instant got assigned the shares of the nationalized companies. The ÖIAG (since 1986) and the companies it owned formed a group (the Austrian Industries AG) until 1993, when this group was split and the ÖIAG was instructed to privatize the companies it owned.
In 2015, the Austrian state holding ÖIAG was turned into a limited liability company (GesmbH) called Österreichische Bundes- und Industriebeteiligungsholding (ÖBIB), which was permitted to make new acquisitions and which reported directly to the Ministry of Finance."Austria tightens hold over partly state-owned companies." Reuters. Retrieved on 26 April 2015. In 2018, the ÖBIB was reorganized into a public limited company again, called Österreichische Beteiligungs AG (ÖBAG).diepresse.com: Staatsunternehmen: Aus zahnloser Öbib wird mächtige ÖBAG (German). Article published on 26. October 2018, retrieved on 21 August 2020.
Investments The ÖBAG holds shares in: 100.00% of the BIG 52.85% of the Österreichische Post 51.00% of the Verbund 33.24% of the Casinos Austria 32.97% of the APK Pensionskasse, an Austrian pension fund 31.50% of the Oil producer OMV 28.42% of the A1 Telekom Austria Group
100.00% of the GKB Bergbau GmbH, a mining holding 100.00% of the Finanzmarkt Beteiligungs AG (FIMBAG) in LiquidationAPA-Pressemeldung published on 27. Juni 2016 100% of the Schoeller-Bleckmann steel mill
Severe protests from politicians, unions and workers' councils were the results of the privatisation of some of the ÖBAG’s former investments. Former investments were: voestalpine Austrian Airlines SGP Verkehrstechnik Austria Mikro Systeme International AG Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik AG (AT & S) Austria Metall AG (AMAG) Berndorf (1957 merged with AMAG, in 1984 split again) Böhler-Uddeholm Österreichische Salinen Austria Tabak AG The auction house Dorotheum Österreichische Staatsdruckerei (federal printing plant) Flughafen Wien AG (Vienna International Airport) Schoeller-Bleckmann Siemens AG Österreich VA Technologie AG (VA Tech)
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