Upper Austrian Vetmeduni Branch Locations Confirmed

The decision has been made on the locations for the planned Upper Austrian branch of the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna (Vetmeduni): HBLA Elmberg and HLBLA St. Florian will become Vetmeduni’s two locations in Upper Austria. In doing so, the federal government, the Province of Upper Austria and Vetmeduni are taking another important step towards strengthening veterinary education and ensuring the long-term provision of veterinary services in rural areas.
 

“With the Elmberg and St. Florian sites, we are bringing Vetmeduni’s proven quality directly to Upper Austria. To me, this is cooperation in action rather than parochial thinking: we are building on what already works well and collaborating with strong partners in the region. Future veterinarians will have the opportunity to become familiar with local farms and businesses at an early stage. This is important to ensure that the region continues to have access to high-quality veterinary care in the future.”

Federal Minister for Women, Science and Research Eva-Maria Holzleitner, BSc
 

“With the locations in Elmberg and St. Florian, we are further strengthening the links between veterinary education, agricultural practice and our family farms. Those who experience agriculture firsthand develop a better understanding of the importance of livestock medicine. Our goal is to inspire young veterinarians to pursue their professional careers in close cooperation and ongoing exchange with our farmers. This is an important step towards a strong agricultural sector and reliable veterinary care.”

Federal Minister for Agriculture Mag. Norbert Totschnig, MSc



“With Elmberg and St. Florian, we are bringing veterinary education and research directly to Upper Austria, linking science with agricultural practice. Our students, our farming enterprises and rural areas as a whole will all benefit from this. Above all, we are laying the foundation for training more veterinarians in the future where they are most needed: in our regions.”

Governor of Upper Austria Mag. Thomas Stelzer

 

“Comprehensive veterinary care is indispensable for our family farms. Particularly in the areas of ruminants, pigs and poultry, we will continue to need a sufficient number of veterinarians in the regions. The new branch therefore represents an important building block for strengthening livestock medicine and safeguarding veterinary care in rural areas over the long term.”

Provincial Councillor for Agriculture Michaela Langer-Weninger, PMM

“For Vetmeduni, the Elmberg and St. Florian locations expand the opportunities for modern veterinary education. Students will be able to address clinical issues directly with animals and apply theoretical knowledge to specific cases. At the same time, new opportunities will arise for applied research as well as continuing education and professional development. This will enable us to further enhance the quality and practical orientation of our teaching, particularly in livestock medicine.”

Rector DDr. Matthias Gauly

Two Strong Locations for Upper Austria

Both locations offer particularly favourable conditions for this purpose. With their strong agricultural focus, existing infrastructure, and proximity to farms and regional veterinary practices, Elmberg and St. Florian provide a practice-oriented environment for the education of future veterinarians.

The academic focus will be on ruminant, pig and poultry medicine, thereby specifically covering those areas that are of particular importance to Upper Austria as a major agricultural region.