The Investors of the Year awards were presented in Budapest on Thursday. The Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA) presented its awards for outstanding technological development projects realised in 2018 to eight companies.
At the award ceremony gala, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó highlighted that 4.2 billion euros in investments arrived in Hungary last year via the HIPA, adding that these results could not have come about without the diligence of the Hungarian people, the peak performance represented by large investor companies, and the successful economic policy of the Hungarian Government. “It is thanks to the latter that the Hungarian investment environment is the most attractive in Europe”, he added.
The Minister highlighted the fact that 98 companies chose Hungary as the destination for their major investments last year, investing 4.2 billion euros.
“The average salaries paid with relation to the workplaces creates by the investments that arrived in Hungary via the investment promotion system increased by 40 percent last year to 425 thousand forints”, he added.
Concerning Hungary’s role within the global economy, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade pointed out that while the country is in 88th place in the world with relation to its population, it is placed 34th according to its export performance. “The competitiveness of the work of the Hungarian people is proven by the fact that Hungary is now among the world’s top 20 countries with relation to the automotive and pharmaceutical industries, both of which are dictating the tempo of the transformation of the global economy”, he stated.
Mr. Szijjártó said it was a particular success that in addition to Germany and China, Hungary is the only country in which all three major German premium car manufacturers have production capacities.
However, he also stressed that Hungary’s economic success is to a high degree dependent on to what extent the country succeeds in achieving success in the new automotive industry era. According to Mr. Szijjártó, it is precisely for this reason that it is important that 3 out of the 5 global Asian companies searching for European locations for the production of their electric batteries for vehicles have chosen Hungary.
President of HIPA Róbert Ésik said that a total of 98 major investments arrived in Hungary last year, more than ever before, thanks to which 17024 workplaces are being created in the upcoming years.
“This year, the HIPA is concentrating on reducing regional difference, because the previous West-East divide is now beginning to be replaced by a kind of North-South divide as a result of major investments. Accordingly, this year the Agency will be pacing greater emphasis on the country’s southern areas”, Mr. Ésik said.
The award for the highest volume greenfield investment of the year was won by BM Manufacturing Hungary Limited. SK Battery Hungary Limited won the ward for technologically intensive investment of the year. Robert Bosch Limited received the award for creating the most workplaces. The excellence centre of the year award was presented to Thermo Fischer Scientific. Jaguar Land Rover was presented with the award for the engineering office investment of the year went to AVL Autókut Engineering Limited’s tech centre. The Komárom Industrial Park won the award for industrial park of the year, while the Hungarian supplier of the year award went to Bálind Limited.
(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)
