EU Danube Region Strategy honours WIFO Research on Supply Chains. ASCII and RETHINK-GSC in Sarajevo Recognised as Lighthouse Projects

Birgit Meyer; Klaus Friesenbichler

26.11.2025

EU Danube Region Strategy honours WIFO Research on Supply Chains

ASCII and RETHINK-GSC in Sarajevo Recognised as Lighthouse Projects

As part of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR), the 14th Annual Forum on "Shaping the future of the Danube region" took place in Sarajevo at the beginning of November 2025. WIFO's RETHINK Global Supply Chains and the ASCII supply chain institute, a joint venture with WIFO participation, were honoured as lighthouse projects.

The EUSDR Lighthouse Initiative highlights exemplary projects and promotes cross-border knowledge exchange and best practices for the Danube region. WIFO economists Birgit Meyer and Klaus Friesenbichler accepted the awards after presenting their work and participating in a panel discussion on supply chains in transition.

First, Birgit Meyer presented the Horizon Europe project RETHINK Global Supply Chains. In her presentation, she shared survey results from multiple EU member countries on changes in the relationships between suppliers and customers during recent crises. She also talked about companies' experiences and expectations of their suppliers, as well as the role of intangible assets such as know-how and data in managing supply chain disruptions.

Klaus Friesenbichler then presented core activities of the Supply Chain Intelligence Institute Austria (ASCII). After providing a macroeconomic assessment of the role of supply chain disruptions, he demonstrated how big data approaches can be used to create evidence-based decision-making foundations for structural and competitiveness policies.