Increasing the research and development capacity of Hungary’s water industry significantly contributes to the growth of the export capacity of the Hungarian national economy, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade said on Tuesday in Nagykanizsa at the opening ceremony of a water technology research centre.

At the opening ceremony of the Soós Ernő Water Technology Research Center Péter Szíjjártó said that world market challenges have led to fierce competition in every sector of the economy, but Hungary can withstand this by choosing an industry where it may gain a competitive edge based on its knowledge and experience. The water industry is one of these fields, “the accumulated professional knowledge, experience and traditions predestine us to become one of the leading countries in the global water industry”, the Minister declared.

As he said, it is not an exaggeration to say that drinking water is an increasingly important natural resource of the 21st century; water resources are invaluable and their preservation is becoming one of the greatest global challenges, a security issue of the upcoming decades. In his view, Nagykanizsa may well be called the “capital” of the Hungarian water industry and water research, where Hidrofil Kft., with its 25 years of experience in water treatment, established a water research centre that is unique in the country, partnering with the city and the university. The research centre, named after the late chemical engineer of Nagykanizsa, contributes by means of patents and technological solutions to “increasing water security and expanding the export capacity of the water industry and thus that of the Hungarian innovative sectors”.

Péter Szijjártó said that the Hungarian government will double the amount of financial resources for R&D in the period of 2014-2020, which will thereby exceed HUF 700 billion. He considered it exemplary that a Hungarian medium-sized enterprise is as competitive as the largest companies in R&D, and emphasized that the government considers small and medium-sized enterprises as „the soul of the national economy”, adding that their support will remain a priority. In the long run, however, the Hungarian economy can only function competitively if the number of competitive SMEs increased to at least 12.000, the Minister said.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade)