Revealed comparative advantage: a case study for Austria versus the Czech Republic and Slovakia

Trade in Services is a rapidly growing phenomenon. In this paper we describe patterns of competitiveness for Austria over the period from 2006 to 2015, with differentiation among 12 individual service activities. To study Austria's competitiveness and its progress, the applied index - the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) - is calculated. This Index was developed by Balassa and has evolved through several studies. With the use of analysis, we consider whether Austria is a rival for these two countries. Austria's competitiveness lies in traditional, yet globally declining sectors such as travel, transport, other business services, financial services and construction, while the country is weak in telecommunications, computer and information services, insurance, royalties and licence fees, personal, cultural and recreational services.