PRESS RELEASE QUARTIER BELVEDERE

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1 PRESS RELEASE QUARTIER BELVEDERE THE CONTEMPORY EDGE OF VIENNA. (For the first time in Munich.) Vienna's ambitious urban development project, Quartier Belvedere, will make its international debut in early October 2012 at the Expo Real trade fair in Munich. Over the next few years around four billion Euros will be invested in the area surrounding the new central train station of Vienna. Quartier Belvedere is the urban core area around the railway station and covers an area of 25 acres. The close proximity to the historic city centre is just one of the features that makes Austria's largest construction site truly unique. As the name suggests, the Belvedere Palace, with its spectacular art collections, is merely a five-minute walk away. In just ten minutes you can be standing at Vienna's famous ring road. Staatsoper, Stephansdom, Karlskirche, the famous Viennese museums and concert halls are all well within one's reach. A new centre for modern, cosmopolitan Vienna. Quartier Belvedere is not an extension of the historical splendour of Vienna but rather its counterpoint: a sophisticated, contemporary centre. "Quartier Belvedere will be the best travelled neighbourhood of Vienna; the true Globetrotter among the Grätzeln", is the vision of the developers and city council. The investors have created a clever combination of offices and apartments, shops and restaurants, culture and education, thereby ensuring that the neighbourhood is vibrant by day and by night, seven days a week. The project will be presented via its own desk at the "Wien - Europa - Mitte" pavilion. "We have big plans, but we won't get carried away...", explains Gerald Antonitsch, board member of Erste Group Immorent, the largest developer in the Quartier Belvedere project, "...because it will still take several years for this giant construction site to become a lively urban landscape." Cooperation makes the vision a reality The vision for the development of Quartier Belvedere is a result of intensive cooperation of the respective owners and developers; collaboration that farexceeded the physical boundaries of the individual projects. The pioneer investors, which includes Erste Group, Erste Group Immorent, S IMMO, Seeste Bau AG and Strauss & Partner Development, are all currently working closely with the Austrian

2 Federal Railways (ÖBB) and the City of Vienna on the development of the project vision and marketing. Other investors in Quartier Belvedere may also join this group. In fact, ÖBB only recently sold the major construction site, "A.01", which is situated right next to the new rail station. Signs of development The distinctive roof landscape of the main station already runs diagonally through Quartier Belvedere, with partial operation set to commence in December In just two years this central hub of the European railway network will be in full operation. The Erste Campus project is also already beginning to take shape; located diagonally opposite the baroque Belvedere palace. The new headquarters of the Erste Group is the flagship project for the district and is scheduled for completion at the end of The construction of homes, offices and hotels is also well underway at the south end of the project. Though not yet realised in their steel and concrete forms, the ideas that will transform this area into an urban centre are already on paper and fixed in the minds of the project investors. World-class plans are already being forged, with an array of cultural, educational and recreational facilities. And those who are familiar with Vienna will know that cuisine and culinary indulgence will also play a central role. Who's-building-what, and where SEESTE-Project The SEESTE group plans to develop a total of eight towers to be located opposite the "21er-Haus" museum, each of which is to be built on stilts, hovering over a green oasis. The project was awarded to the internationally renowned architect, Renzo Piano, whose urban concept is designed to create vistas, views and tastefully landscaped space under the buildings. The project is divided into functional areas and hotel accommodation, and comprises approximately 64,000 m 2 gross floor area. SEESTE CEO Michael Möstl: "It's certainly a novelty for Vienna to have managed to bring together such a distinguished consortium of project developers to successfully develop this new part of Vienna." Living and working at Schweizer Garten Erste Group Immorent is developing a multifunctional project on the area between the SEESTE project and Erste Campus. Using the title, "Living and working at Schweizer Garten", the project will comprise approximately 200 high-quality, privately financed apartments and attractive office space, as well as special purpose units. Three buildings have been planned in total, resulting in some 65,000 m 2 of gross floor area.

3 Quartier Belvedere Central Erste Group Immorent AG, Strauss & Partner Development GmbH and S IMMO AG all formed a consortium to develop the "Quartier Belvedere Central" subproject. The site is located in the heart of the new district, between the future BahofCity project, Erste Campus and the new railway station. Around 130,000 m 2 gross floor area will be created at this site. Friedrich Wachernig, CEO of S IMMO AG: "We are indeed delighted to be part of this consortium, with its highly reputable partners, and thus contribute to the development of what is, without a doubt, the most exciting and promising district in Vienna. As a real estate investor, we see an outstanding potential for our shareholders that is geared towards sustainability, right here in this location in our own home town." A clever blend of offices, hotels, shops, recreational and cultural facilities will represent the most essential uses of the central site in Quartier Belvedere. The mixture of uses in the Quartier Belvedere Central project will be - also in terms of comprehensive service offerings - developed in various teams from the participating investors. Cross-project urban concepts and open spaces complete the overall picture. Erste Campus While the new train station will be the central hub of Europe, the neighbouring Erste Campus facility will be the new headquarters of the Erste Group, thus making it an enterprise location with international significance. Boasting a gross floor space of some 116,500m² on what is now Vienna's old southern train station, the campus will provide work space for at least 4,000 people, not to mention a multitude of service units and leisure facilities. The choice of this location for the Erste Campus was not by mere chance: in former Imperial & Royal times this area was viewed as the gateway to the monarchy and at the same time was the station the Emperor was most proud of. "As the leading Bank in Central and Eastern Europe, we now have our headquarters geographically placed in the direction of these countries. At the same time, we remain true to our origins as a traditional Austrian bank", says Andreas Treichl, board member of Erste Group. Among the most important criteria of the tender, which was awarded to the architect duo Henke-Schreieck, were efficiency, ecological sustainability, and a dynamic and harmonious combination of architecture with user-friendliness. Since the foundation stone ceremony for Erste Campus in June 2012, up to 1,000 workers from more than 100 companies are busy every day on the construction site of the new headquarters, which is about the size of three football fields.

4 Quartier Belvedere in Hauptbahnhof Wien Development Area. The Facts.

5 Erste Group Erste Group is the leading financial services provider in Central and Eastern Europe. Approximately 50,000 employees in 3,000 branches serve 17 million customers in 8 countries (Croatia, Austria, Serbia, Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Hungary). The total assets of Erste Group as on 30 June 2012 amounted to EUR billion; the operating profit EUR 1,751.3 million, with a cost-income ratio of 51.9%. Erste Bank and Sparkassen form the largest provider of financial services in Austria. Some 14,000 employees in over 1,000 branches and 182 banking offices serve over 3 million customers. Its customer share in Austria is around 30%. Erste Group Immorent AG Erste Group Immorent (EGI) is the Erste Group specialist in finance and development of real estate and infrastructure projects. Ranging from project development and financing to the actual construction services, EGI covers all aspects of the value chain for real estate and infrastructure projects, providing everything from a single source. The offer is aimed at developers, investors, and the public sector alike. Erste Group Immorent AG currently has over 800 employees in Central and Eastern Europe (including Austria) and manages a lease and loan portfolio in the amount of around 13 billion Euros. Thanks to its 40 years of expertise, Erste Group Immorent is now one of the top two real estate finance providers in Central and Eastern Europe. ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG und ÖBB-Immobilienmanagement GmbH ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG is responsible for the planning, construction and financing of ÖBB infrastructure, as well as safety and punctuality of the rail transport network. ÖBB-Immobilien Management GmbH - a 100-percent subsidiary of OBB Infrastructure AG - is a comprehensive real estate agent for the OBB Group and on the free market. It is responsible for the efficient development and utilization of non-core real estate, management of stations, and the care of offices and apartments. and Strauss & Partner Development GmbH Strauss & Partner Development GmbH - a subsidiary of PORR Group - is one of the leading contractors and project developers. In the first quarter of 2012, the strengths of Strauss & Partner Immobilien GmbH and Porr Solutions Immobilien GmbH und Infrastrukturprojekte GmbH were merged. Under the new name, Strauss & Partner Development GmbH, the company now covers several market segments including office, commercial and residential real estate, infrastructure projects, health and concessions in Central and Eastern Europe. Strauss & Partner Development GmbH offers products that range from planning and development to construction, marketing and the management of all services from a single source. The group concerns itself exclusively with high-quality, sophisticated and high-yield real estate for own use or investment. SEESTE Bau AG This private project developer and contractor has been on the internal market for over 40 years, with offices in Giesshübl in Vienna, Bolzano and Leipzig. SEESTE develops residential, commercial and investment properties, as well as international holiday and ski resorts, e.g. in China. Economic solutions, sustainability and energy efficiency are always the cornerstones for each project. S IMMO AG Since 1987, S IMMO AG has stood for experience, a balanced portfolio and sustainable growth, and was the first Austrian real estate investment company to be listed on the exchange. The strategic core shareholders of the company are Erste Group and Vienna Insurance Group, two of the largest financial services providers in the region. S IMMO AG invests in residential, hotel and commercial real estate in Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria. For further information: Erste Group; Erste Group Immorent AG Linda Michalech ; +43/ ; linda.michalech@erstegroup.com Strauss & Partner Development GmbH Brigitte Philipp; +43/ ; philipp@strauss-partner.com Seeste Bau AG Petra Vitula; +43/ ; p.vitula@seeste.at S IMMO AG Bosko Skoko; +43/ ; bosko.skoko@simmoag.at