EIF and UniCredit Bank Austria Partnership Advances Innovation, Digital Transformation and Sustainable Growth at KE KELIT

EIF and UniCredit Bank Austria Partnership Advances Innovation, Digital Transformation and Sustainable Growth at KE KELIT

(IN BRIEF) The EIB Group and UniCredit Bank Austria visited Austrian pipe and climate-control systems manufacturer KE KELIT at its Linz production site to highlight the company as an example of successful SME financing under EU-backed guarantee agreements. KE KELIT, a family-owned company employing around 500 people and exporting worldwide, has used financing provided by UniCredit Bank Austria under European Investment Fund guarantee arrangements to expand production capacity, digitalise operational processes and invest in energy-efficient infrastructure. The company’s investment programme includes the expansion of in-house manufacturing, a new energy-efficient production facility, and advanced logistics and production management systems, including barcode-based tools and paperless workflows. The visit underlined how cooperation between the EIF and UniCredit Bank Austria supports Austrian SMEs in innovation, digitalisation and sustainability while helping to secure regional jobs, strengthen suppliers and improve long-term competitiveness. Since 2012, the EIF and UniCredit Bank Austria have worked together through guarantee agreements totalling €880 million, giving Austrian SMEs improved access to financing for future-oriented investments.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUXEMBOURG, 28-May-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Representatives of the European Investment Bank Group and UniCredit Bank Austria visited KE KELIT, the Austrian manufacturer of pipe systems and climate-control solutions, to review how EU-backed financing has supported the company’s technological development, production modernisation and long-term growth.

The visit took place at KE KELIT’s production facility in Linz, where the company presented investments focused on innovation, digitalisation and sustainability. KE KELIT, a family-owned Austrian business employing around 500 people, specialises in sustainable heating, cooling and technical building services, with products exported to international markets.

The company is one of several hundred Austrian enterprises that have received financing from UniCredit Bank Austria since 2012 through successive guarantee agreements with the European Investment Fund, part of the EIB Group. These agreements, with a combined value of €880 million, are designed to improve access to finance for Austrian small and medium-sized enterprises, supporting investments that strengthen competitiveness, encourage innovation and help secure regional value creation and employment.

During the visit, EIB Vice-President Karl Nehammer underlined the importance of innovation-led businesses for Austria’s economic future. He noted that Austria’s competitiveness depends on companies that advance digitalisation, embrace sustainability and invest in modern technologies. KE KELIT, he said, shows how European financing can help family-owned businesses prepare for the future, increase innovation capacity and safeguard jobs across the regions.

With financing from UniCredit Bank Austria made available under the EIF guarantee framework, KE KELIT has expanded its production capacity, digitalised key operational processes and developed more energy-efficient infrastructure. The company’s investment programme includes the expansion of in-house manufacturing, the construction of an energy-efficient production facility and the introduction of advanced digital systems for logistics and production management.

Among the digital upgrades are barcode-based solutions and paperless workflows intended to create fully digital, more efficient operating processes. These investments are expected to strengthen KE KELIT’s international competitiveness while also supporting Austrian suppliers, partner companies and regional employment.

EIF Senior Regional Representative Marcel Müller-Marbach said the cooperation with UniCredit Bank Austria enables companies such as KE KELIT to modernise production processes and pursue sustainable growth. The EIF’s role is focused on improving financing conditions for SMEs, particularly those investing in innovation, digitalisation and green technologies.

KE KELIT CFO Kristine Egger welcomed the visit and the exchange with representatives of the EIB Group and UniCredit Bank Austria. She said the meeting offered KE KELIT an opportunity to present its innovative capabilities, technological expertise and future direction. Egger emphasized that sustainable product development and a strong commitment to Austria as a production location remain central priorities for the company, adding that KE KELIT is pleased to advance these goals together with its financing partners.

UniCredit Bank Austria Head of Medium Corporates Sabine Hönigsberger said the bank is proud to support KE KELIT alongside the EIF. She noted that Austrian SMEs require dependable financing partners, particularly during economically difficult periods, and said the EIF guarantee allows UniCredit Bank Austria to offer more attractive financing solutions to corporate clients as part of its SME growth initiative.

The cooperation between the EIF and UniCredit Bank Austria forms part of a broader European Union effort to mobilise public and private investment for the green and digital transitions. Through EU-backed risk sharing and improved lending terms, the partnership supports Austrian SMEs in financing projects that contribute to innovation, sustainable growth, competitiveness and long-term value creation.

EIB Group  

The European Investment Bank (ElB) Group is the financing arm of the European Union, owned by the 27 Member States, and one of the largest multilateral development banks in the world. In 2025, the EIB Group signed €100 billion of new financing and advisory services for over 870 high-impact projects in eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, territorial cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, strong global partnerships and the savings and investment union. Beyond long-term loans for large infrastructures, the EIB Group crowds-in private investment for high-risk innovative projects and businesses, with a growing role in Europe’s markets for venture debt, venture capital, guarantees and securitisations.

The European Investment Fund (EIF) is the subsidiary of the EIB Group specialised in providing guarantees and equity to improve access to finance for small and medium size businesses and startups across Europe. Acting as an anchor investor, through its extensive network of partnering banks and investment funds, the EIF mobilizes private investment and nurtures the ecosystem of venture capital funds to support innovative European entrepreneurs.

In 2023, the EIF together with six Member States (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands) launched the European Tech Champions Initiative, a fund of funds to scale-up innovative startups. This initiative has already enabled the creation of 12 European venture capital mega-funds and scaled up 38 companies, including 11 unicorns (with more than €1 billion in capital).

Photos of the EIB Group’s spokespeople and headquarters, logo files and video B-roll for media use are available here.

About UniCredit
UniCredit Bank Austria is part of UniCredit, a pan-European commercial bank with a unique service offering in Italy, Germany, Austria, and Central and Eastern Europe.

Our vision is to be the bank for the future of Europe. Our goal is to empower communities so they can thrive by providing first-class services to all stakeholders and enabling our customers and employees across Europe to reach their full potential.

Our core markets are in Italy, Germany, Austria, and Central and Eastern Europe and are served by three high-performing product factories within the Group: Corporate Solutions for our corporate clients, Individual Solutions for our retail clients, and Group Payments Solutions for payments. This allows us to be close to our customers and leverage the scale of the entire Group to develop and offer the best products for all our markets.

We provide comprehensive service to approximately 15 million customers worldwide. Our market-leading solutions, complemented by the extensive expertise of our partners and supported by powerful digitalization and data processing, create genuine added value for our customers, who are at the heart of everything we do.

Digitalization and our commitment to ESG principles (Environment, Social, Governance) are essential prerequisites for our services. They help us deliver outstanding performance for our stakeholders and create a sustainable future for our customers, our communities, and our employees.

To learn more about UniCredit’s latest financial results, sustainability initiatives, and corporate strategies, visit the UniCredit Group Official Website.

KE KELIT

KE KELIT is an Austrian family-owned company headquartered in Linz and is recognised as one of the international innovation leaders in sustainable piping systems and building technology. Since its foundation in 1945, the company has been developing, manufacturing and distributing innovative systems for drinking water, heating, cooling, industrial applications and district heating. Today, KE KELIT operates globally, exports to international markets across several continents and has production sites in Austria and Malaysia.

With more than 150 patents and utility models, KE KELIT stands for technological innovation, highest quality standards and sustainable solutions supporting the energy transition in the building sector. The company delivers projects in demanding international markets and develops energy-efficient systems for modern building and infrastructure projects worldwide.

As a successful Upper Austrian family-owned business, KE KELIT combines industrial expertise, research and sustainable “Made in Austria” production, thereby making an important contribution to strengthening Europe’s economy and innovation landscape.

Media Contacts:

Clara Wanjek-Bauer
EIBG Press
c.wanjek-bauer@ext.eib.org
+43 664 5608656
www.eib.org/press

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SOURCE: European Investment Fund