History
For more than 70 years, PORR has been successfully involved in the planning, construction, and operation of healthcare facilities. At PORR HealthCare, this expertise is expanded and consolidated to include competencies in holistic planning, including operational organization, functional planning, and biomedical engineering. A step into the future of modern healthcare projects.
© VSG
2025Acquisition of VSG by PORR – Founding of PORR HealthCare
At the end of 2025, PORR AG acquired the VAMED subsidiary VSG, thereby combining PORR’s over 150 years of construction experience with VSG’s over 40 years of healthcare experience to form PORR HealthCare.
By 2025, VSG has completed over 300 projects in Austria and other European countries, encompassing master plans, studies, turnkey construction as a general contractor, and various partnerships in the private and public sectors.
© PORR
2010s150 Years of PORR
In 2013, the company name is changed to PORR AG. Following the restructuring, project markets such as Qatar, Norway, and the United Kingdom are tapped in the subsequent years. Furthermore, in 2019, PORR celebrates its 150th anniversary as one of Austria’s largest construction companies and ranks among the top players in Europe. As a full-service provider, it offers all services in building construction, civil engineering, and infrastructure construction across the entire value chain in seven home markets.
© VAMED Vitality World
2000sImplementation of “VAMED Vitality World”
In 2006, the “VAMED Vitality World” brand is launched, establishing a nationwide network of thermal and health resorts and further driving the Austrian wellness market.
© VSG
1990sHealthcare Infrastructure & Founding of VSG
Numerous construction projects in building and civil engineering as well as in various specialized fields were added in the following years. Production facilities and technical environmental protection systems were built and expanded. PORR also achieved milestones in healthcare infrastructure. The construction of the Bruck an der Mur Regional Hospital from 1990 to 1993, with a total of 335 beds, represents a significant step forward in healthcare provision for the region.
Almost simultaneously, VAMED launched its first project in Germany in 1991. In 1998, in addition to the first-ever end-to-end management of a healthcare project from concept to execution, the company successfully entered the spa and wellness market. Here, too, projects were implemented holistically for the first time, from planning through to management. A total of 6 thermal resorts were developed, built, and operated. With the founding of VAMED Standortentwicklung und Engineering (VSG) in 1999, the company was entrusted not only with projects in Austria but also with construction projects in other European countries.
© VSG
1980sAKH Linz & the Founding of VAMED
In Eastern Europe, PORR primarily carried out large-scale airport projects—in Hungary, Germany, Switzerland, and Romania. The patented Slab Track rail system for high-speed rail has been successfully deployed internationally since its joint development with ÖBB in 1989.
In the healthcare sector, construction of a large 270-bed ward block at the AKH in Linz begins in 1982. In the same year, VAMED is founded to complete the Vienna General Hospital and, two years later, begins its first projects in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.
© Arnim Kilgus
1970sPORR Goes International
The New Austrian Tunneling Method revolutionizes civil engineering worldwide, laying the foundation for efficient tunnel construction. Ready-mix concrete is increasingly adopted in cities, and PORR is also involved in the development of new road surfaces. With the establishment of branches outside Austria, PORR positions itself as an international group starting in the 1970s.
© PORR
1960sBuilding for Energy
The 1960s saw accelerated work on a series of projects to harness the Danube as an energy source. PORR remained significantly involved in the construction of the Tauern Glockner-Kaprun Power Plant well into the 1990s. During the construction of the Ybbs-Persenbeug power plant, an innovative excavation technique was used for the first time: to make the excavation pits watertight, sheet piles were driven into the riverbed before the actual work could begin.
© PORR
1950sReconstruction & the First Healthcare Project of the Postwar Years
After World War II, PORR played an active role in the reconstruction of Austria through numerous prestigious buildings. Additionally, the construction of the right wing of the Linz Occupational Accident Hospital between 1949 and 1951 marked the first healthcare project of the post-war years. In 1953, the 200-bed Meidling Accident Hospital was added.
1940sThe Era of World War II
As the oldest company listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange, PORR AG is committed to a comprehensive and transparent examination of its past. You can find all relevant information on the PORR Group website.
Following Austria’s annexation by the German Reich, the Allgemeine Baugesellschaft – A. Porr AG was also brought into line and underwent a complete transformation. At this time, all major companies employed prisoners of war and “foreign workers” as well as inmates. This was followed by construction contracts as a subcontractor for IG-Farbindustrie AG for pile driving and building construction work, then the construction of a switch house in Auschwitz and foundation work in Parchwitz.
© PORR
1930sGroßglockner High Alpine Road
Under the name “Allgemeine Baugesellschaft – A. Porr Aktiengesellschaft”, a challenging construction project of superlative proportions began in 1930 with the Großglockner High Alpine Road. It required the utmost precision, as the work had to be carried out in largely undeveloped terrain at altitudes of up to 2,600 meters.
© PORR
1920sSuccess with Infrastructure Projects
Despite the decline in residential construction following World War I, PORR secures its success by erecting numerous support and guyed masts in hard-to-reach areas. PORR also consolidates its position in road construction and makes a significant contribution to the expansion of transportation infrastructure in Austria.
© PORR
1869Founding of PORR
PORR began its business operations as the “Allgemeine österreichische Baugesellschaft.” On April 8, 1869, the company was first listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange. Under the leadership of civil engineer Arthur Porr, over 100 buildings were constructed in Vienna by the turn of the century.