Born in 1953. Upper Austria. Ing. Mag. Dr. in business management, Industrialist (blacksmithing, plasma and vacuum industries); Member of the Upper Austria Land Assembly and Chairman of the EU Membership Committee (1991-1995); Member of the Austrian Nationalrat (1996); Chairperson of the WIFI Austria, Institute for Economic Promotion of the Upper Austrian Economic Chamber(1990-1996); Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce in Upper Austria; President of the SME Union since 2001; Vice-President of the Paneuropean Union in Austria. MEP since 1996.