The Government is aiming to involve the highest possible number of Hungarian SMEs in the development and production of goods with high added value and help them join the supplier networks of large international companies, Minister for National Economy Mihály Varga said at press conference organized to present the Government’s relevant scheme.
The Minister underlined that the Government is to spend for this purpose altogether HUF 14bn this year and next.
As the Minister pointed out, Hungarian large enterprises and international corporations operating in Hungary are expected to engage a high number of Hungarian SMEs within their supplier networks in coming years through the Ministry-initiated supplier development programme. The development and promotion of Hungarian enterprises and subsequent competitiveness growth has been an economic policy priority since 2010. This programme has been elaborated in line with these goals, Mihály Varga added.
Speaking of the programme’s details the Minister noted that, on the one hand, the scheme lists conditions required to obtain a “qualified supplier” status and on the other hand it assists those who have acquired the status to implement technological development projects and launch their own research, development and innovation schemes.
The programme consists of three sub-programmes: in 2017, mainly enterprises operating in motor vehicle manufacturing and industrial digitalization will be supported; in the first and second half of 2018, bus and rolling stock manufacturing as well as the medical technology and defence sectors, respectively, will be prioritized, Mihály Varga said.
The upper limit for the implementation of a project is HUF 2bn, of which a maximum of HUF 200 million may be spent on expenditures incurred by the large enterprise partner, but the bulk of funding must go for the development of SMEs, the Minister stressed.
(Ministry for National Economy)
