Hungarian automotive industry: week 25 2017 edition
Wage talks bring strike and finally concluded at Volkswagen plant in Bratislava. Major investment announced in Nyírbátor, Tatabánya spring plant under continual development. Let’s recap what last week brought in Hungary’s automotive industry.
Manufacturers
70 percent of the workers at the Slovakian subsidiary of Volkswagen went into strike last week after unsuccessful wage talks with the management, during which the trade union demanded a 16 percent pay rise.
The company’s counteroffer included a 4.3 percent increase from June, and an additional 4 percent in the following year. This Monday finally brought an agreement between the two parties.
Dr. Erzsébet Knáb, Audi Hungaria board of directors member for human resources, held talks last week with Professor József Bokor, vice-president of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and Professor László Monostori, director at the Computing and Automation Research Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA-SZTAKI), on the future challenges in the automotive industry and potential ways of cooperation.
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Audi’s 2.5-litre TFSI engine has won the “International Engine of the Year” Award in the 2.0-2.5-litre category. The engine has been in production at Audi Hungaria since 2008, and has been awarded for the eighth consecutive time.
Suppliers
Siemens is relocating the production of new-generation gas and steam turbine blades to Hungary. Thanks to yet another advanced technology development project, the company is looking to hire 150 engineers to its Budapest-based Power and Gas plant.
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Delphi have launched the prototyping of data transmission systems. The company’s portfolio has seen continual transformation as a result of the constant evolution of electric and electronic automotive solutions.
Soon after handing over a 1,300sqm production hall, the construction of yet another 1,500sqm facility is now on the agenda along with technology developments. Development is continuous at Tatabánya Rugógyártó Kft.
German-owned aviation supplier Diehl Aircabin Hungary have launched a HUF 3.7bln (€11.9m) investment in Nyírbátor, to be subsidised with a HUF 1.38bln (€4.4m) state support (cover photo).
Service providers
Waberer’s International Zrt. are looking to allocate €32 million from the €190 million expected from their recently-announced IPO on the acquisition of Poland-based haulier Link, while the remaining resources will be spent on corporate and capital investments, Ferenc Lajkó, CEO of Waberer’s International, said last week.
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In the meantime, György Wáberer announced to revoke the right to use the company’s brand name as of summer 2018 with the expiry of the related contract.
Labour shortage is the most crucial problem in the Hungarian automotive industry, according to József Nyírő (pictured below), the newly-elected chairman of the Hungarian Vehicle Component Manufacturers (MAJOSZ).
As assistant professor at the Department of Manufacturing Engineering of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, he has good oversight on the significance of training and a well-trained labour force.
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A consortium comprising DS Smith, the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) and plastics processor Polifoam Műanyagfeldolgozó Kft. has won a HUF 552m (€1.8m) support.
Education
35 secondary school students from Budapest had the opportunity last week to gain an insight into the supplier’s vehicle brake tests at Tököl Airport.
A consortium comprising the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME), Siemens Zrt., Richter Gedeon Nyrt., Nokia Solutions, Networks Kft., Magyar Villamos Művek Zrt. has established the BME Centre for Cooperation between Higher Education and Industry.
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Alba Innovár digital experience centre will open in September, where children can become acquainted with humanoid robots, Lego robots, 3D sculpting and 3D printing, interactive tables and social robots, and try an escape room full of puzzles and challenges related to the world of digitisation.
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TechTogether
The German E-Race was held on the second weekend of June, considered as the test race of the Formula Student season. Scheduled before the first race of the season, teams can see the performance of their one-year project in action. BME FRT team leader Gábor Sipos told us about the successful results of the Hungarian team.
