History

The OIER has a long history of successful international networking and pioneering in development and promotion of global economic processes. The Organization was founded in Vienna, Austria in 1947 as the Danube European Institute. Its initiators were the Minister of Trade of Austria; Dr. Eduard Heinl, and in further consequence the Austrian vice-chancellor Dr. Fritz Bock and distinguished personalities of contemporary history from Europe and other continents.

With the organization an international platform developed, from which new partnerships of international policies, industry and trade could be developed and economic relations could be manufactured. The OIER has evolved to become a platform for the establishment and extension of economic and trade relations crossing all borders. Extending its scope far beyond its original objective the organization has developed to a worldwide forum for discussion of economic, social, scientific and governmental topics. Its main activities are aimed at identifying global trends and important future-oriented issues relating to sustainability, innovation, communication and mobility.

Apart from organizing a range of economic conferences, symposiums and meetings, represented by heads of states and governments as well as international economic and financial experts the organi-zation extended its efforts over the years to initiate and co-operate with a range of institutions and NGOs.

The organization was obtained consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC) in 1972 and to the European Council in 1973. In 2011 OiER was awarded consultative status to the United Nations Industrial Organization.

To supplement its range of activities, the OIER established the United Global Academy (UGA) in 2004 as an innovative platform to promote the transfer of knowledge between sciences, the business community and governments.

Over the years, the OIER has been recognized and honoured on frequent occasions for its achieve-ments in the field of international cooperation.

The organization has always advocated the cause of European integration and has contributed substantially to the historic transformation of the European political landscape.

Always prepared to take up new challenges, the OIER will continue to play an innovative and constructive role worldwide in the dynamic process of far-reaching global economic, technological and social change in our time.