Minister for National Economy Mihály Varga and representatives of several institutions and car industry companies active in industrial R&D have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on building and operating a test track for alternative technology vehicles. As the Minister pointed out, Hungary can only be an initiator and active participant of Europe’s industrial revival if it can contribute to the development of the latest industrial procedures in a constructive way.

One of the stumbling blocks of developing new technologies has been the lack of testing capacities, he stressed. The building of the test track in Zalaegerszeg, of which the Government decided last week, will bolster Hungary’s long-term competitiveness and its position as car industry leader, but it will also boost FDI, the cooperation between companies and tertiary education institutions as well as the creation of jobs, he said, adding that within a radius of 500 kilometres there was no similar test track, and thus this facility could also serve the demands of motor vehicle manufacturers based in our region.

Under the terms of the MoU, signatories will pursue cooperation in the field of autonomous road vehicles, electromobility, intelligent road-vehicle systems (connected cars), real driving emissions (RDE) and active safety systems.

Along with the Minister for National Economy, the MoU was signed by Avl Autókut Engineering Ltd CEO Zoltán Reinitz, Budapest University of Technology and Economics Rector János Józsa, Continental Automotive Hungary Ltd Managing Director Henning Döll and Plant Manager Róbert Keszte, Evopro Ltd CEO Csaba Mészáros, MTA SZTAKI Director László Monostori, National Instruments Hungary Ltd CEO László Ábrahám, Robert Bosch Hungary Ltd CEO Javier González Pareja, SMR Automotive Hungary Representative Péter Stasztny, Thyssenkrupp Presta Hungary Ltd CEO Marc de Bastos Eckstein, Tüv Rheinland Intercert Ltd Managing Director Aodh Mac Fhionnbhairr and Zf Hungária Ltd Production Manager Tibor Nagy.

(Ministry for National Economy)