Hungarian automotive industry: week 13 2017 edition
Opel Szentgotthárd optimistic about future prospects after acquisition by PSA Group, Hungary expands bus manufacturing capacity. Let’s recap what the 13th week this year brought in Hungary’s automotive sector.
Manufacturers
Grzegorz Buchal, plant director at Opel Szentgotthárd, said not only does the Hungarian plant have a past but also a present and a future, and it will continue to require its employees’ knowledge, diligence and professionalism.
 |
In the meantime, the Hungarian government has made a decision to render the development of the Szentgotthárd plant a more attractive endeavour for the PSA Group by lowering corporate tax and providing R&D tax benefits and a favourable investment promotion scheme.
Ikarus have announced to begin the manufacturing of liquefied natural gas powered (LNG) buses in the second half of this year. The company is currently in talks with BKV (Budapest Transport Corporation) and regional transportation (Volán) companies about potential domestic deliveries.
Hungarian Audi plant has received PwC’s Employer Branding award. The Győr-based car manufacturer has received an award in the category of “Most Popular Automotive Manufacturers in Hungary”.
 |
InterTanker Holding have announced to build a training development centre and production hall at Határ út industrial park, where starting at the end of this year, they will manufacture 200 buses annually. Located in an airport zone in the southern industrial region, the industrial park will also be home to another, larger factory, which will build 700-800 buses in collaboration with the InterTanker and EvoBus.
Suppliers
After three male Japanese and a Spaniard, Bridgestone Tatabánya Termelő Kft. has now appointed a female Hungarian CEO. We interviewed Melinda Topolcsik last week about her new appointment.
 |
“I very much enjoy it when we have to come up with and implement an innovation solution. I consider it one of my biggest achievements when we had to modify a new gravity casting process,” it was said in an interview with three brothers, who told us about the career prospects of casting engineers at Nemak.
Modine are looking to add mechanical engineers to their Hungarian development team. Established in 1991 and boasting an annual revenue of €130m, Modine Hungária Kft.’s Mezőkövesd location is the group’s most profitable European plant and one of the county’s largest employers.
 |
Service providers
“Fast and practical steps are required in order to strengthen the SME sector’s competitiveness and prepare manufacturers and suppliers for requirements emerging with the spread of Industry 4.0. There are two main areas of development in Hungary’s automotive sector: electromobility and autonomous vehicles.
“In the former’s case we have the government-supported Jedlik Ányos Plan, which could give renewed impetus to the driver of the Hungarian economy, the automotive industry,” Róbert Ésik, the president of the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA), told autopro.hu in an interview last week.
“There is cannibalism on the automotive labour market.” According to an expert at Hays Hungary, it is crucial to first keep good labour force and only after that should they think about hiring new employees. Employees are increasingly selective, and they can afford to do so.
The government has announced that proposals for support for the purchasing of electric cars are open until May. The government has allocated HUF 2 bln for the project.
 |
Education
According to a government decision on unique terms, the Ministry of National Economy will allocate a HUF 622m (€2m) budgetary contribution to Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing Hungary Kft. to support its training workshop programme.
