Liquid Frontiers

A high level of specialisation, above average investment in research and development and a consistent orientation with the global market are amongst the key characteristics of those often owner-managed, medium-sized companies that are happy to be described as “hidden champions” due to the lack of correlation between their levels of success and name recognition. In Austria, there are currently around 200 companies that fall into this category and feature amongst the global market leaders in their sectors.

One of the few examples of such companies from Vienna is the security technology specialist EVVA, which was established in the city in 1919 with the programmatic name “Erfindungs-Versuchs-Verwertungs-Anstalt” and now employs around 500 people in the heart of the city in the manual and industrial production of keys and locking systems that are used worldwide. 

In order to mark the centenary of the company a temporary and essentially mobile exhibition was designed, which employed a range of materials and media in an attempt to demonstrate, from a series of perspectives, how EVVA has managed to remain innovative and to continuously develop during such a long period.

The multimedia and largely interactive exhibition entitled “Permanent Progress” consists of ten chapters with, alongside the history of the company and the family, much attention being paid to the present and to future plans. Historic objects, film and audio documents, photos, graphic elements and current prototypes help to create a portrait of not only the company but also its special culture, which has played such an important role in the long-term success of EVVA.