Hungarian automotive industry: week 15

Manufacturers

More and more people say that in addition to automotive manufacturing it is time we noticed and did something about the market niche that is the agricultural sector in Hungary.

It seems instead of large companies it is a family business from the south of Hungary who will be the pioneers by reintroducing tractor manufacturing in Hungary's automotive production portfolio.

Last week we interviewed Tamás Renner, technical director Jánoshalma-based Renner Bt., about the company's prospects.

Last week, ten Rába pumpers and five Iveco tower fire engines were delivered to 11 county-level chief directorates for disaster recovery.

he Rába vehicles are the first locally made fire engines manufactured under the programme's framework. The total value of the vehicles amounts to HUF 2.5 billion.

Last week, Rába also reported on a HUF 10.5 billion technology development and capacity expansion project. Preparations for the investment will commence this year, while the project is expected to be finished by 2019.

Suppliers

AGC celebrated its ten-year anniversary in Hungary.

The glass manufacturer's Hungarian subsidiary was registered in 2004. The following year saw the construction of a factory at Tatabánya-Környe Business Park, while mass production and the first deliveries to automotive OEMs began 10 years ago, in 2006.

Linardics, a family business engaged in CNC machining and powder coating, has built a new production hall and purchased machinery with a HUF 280 million investment.

The 500 sqm production hall was built with a HUF 102 million investment from the company's own funds, creating six new jobs. The company also purchased an automatic powder coating machine for HUF 178 million.

Datalogic has built a new manufacturing plant in Balatonboglár with a nearly €10 million investment. The Italy-based electronic components manufacturer announced at the opening ceremony that the new 7,000 sqm production hall, employer of 200, will soon be expanded on a nearby plot, which they have already purchased from the local government.

Eckerle has purchased new injection moulding machinery with a HUF 370 million investment. Engaged in the design, manufacturing, injection moulding of plastic components and the development of automated production lines, the group said they will install 60 new injection moulding machines at the Bóly location in order to fulfil increasing order volumes.

The Prysmian group, a manufacturer of cable system for the energy and telecommunications industries and formerly part of Pirelli, handed over a major investment in Kistelek on April 14.

The investment boosts the factory's production capacity from 18,800 tons to 25,800 tons a year.

Schaeffler Group member and bearings manufacturer FAG Magyarország Ipari Kft. has announced to build a new production hall with a HUF 25 billion investment.

The company is likely to become the region's largest employer as it is set to increase its headcount by 500.

Graboplast has reported on doubling their profits to HUF 467 million in 2015, according to the company's latest financial report published last week.

In March, Budapest-based navigation software developer NNG Kft. appointed a new CEO. It will be the English-born Giles Shrimpton's task to lead the company during an intensive growth course as the company is turning towards internet-based automotive software solutions.

Service providers

Murrelektronik is a company active in tooling manufacturing, warehousing, food industry, logistics, automation, airport solutions but since the beginning, one of their most important field has continued to be the automotive industry.

Andreas Chromy, CEO of Murrelektronik Austria & CEE, sat down last week with Autopro.hu to discuss the company's strategy and current trends.

Andreas Chromy, CEO of Murrelektronik Austria & CEE

Last week we sat down with representatives of British firms and organisations at an event on Industry 4.0.

Their opinion is unanimous: Hungary ought to be laying a much bigger emphasis on its automotive successes in its global communication.

Education

Opel Szentgotthárd has donated a car to local Savaria Vocational Technical School to assist students in becoming acquainted with the industry.

TechTogether

TechTogether Junior was held in Győr on April 15. The region's most talented students could once again show off their skills in front of sponsoring companies from the automotive industry.

Autopro.hu created the event to help automotive firms with difficulties in finding recruitment to find a way to address their challenges. Péter Földesi, rector of Széchenyi István University of Győr, said curious students make the best engineers.

In 2014, three students at the university's Faculty of Engineering at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics founded a team to develop and build a manned solar-powered, fully electric boat.

Last week, Széchenyi István University held the 10th National Conference of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineer Students, GMHOK.

The tenth instalment of the conference was sponsored by ten local automotive companies and attended by nearly 100 mechanical and mechatronic engineer students.