Hungarian automotive industry: week 26
Hungary´s automotive sector had a last busy week: OEMs, suppliers and research institutions announced new investments, awarded employees and formed partnerships. Let´s recap what happened during week 26 in Hungary´s auto industry.
Manufacturers
Audi are looking to invest EUR millions in engine development and double the area of the logistics centre at the car maker's Hungarian plant but no new models are on the agenda, announced the company last week.
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| BMW Group: no plans to expand in Hungary |
It was also said by the company that an agreement has been signed by Audi Hungaria and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA) to promote cooperation in basic research and innovation during the development of new vehicle technologies.
At the debut of the new six-door Mini we asked Peter Schwarzenbauert, BMW board member responsible for the BMW and Rolls-Royce brands and BMW motorcycles, if the car maker had plans to build a new manufacturing or assembly plant.
Peter Schwarzenbauert said BMW are striving to better exploit their existing production capacities so they are not expecting to build a new plant in addition to the Oxford, Dutch and Austrian locations.
Suppliers
Continental will carry out their largest investment yet in their Makó-based subsidiary. ContiTech Fluid is an automotive supplier of rubber parts and plastic thermal pipes and fast connectors.
Epcos, the largest employer in Szombathely, awarded their most loyal employees for the 15th time on June 23. Over 10 percent of the 1,950 employees at Epcos have worked at the company, a member of the TDK group, for 10, 15 and 20 years. It is a tradition at the company to acknowledge their best-performing, most loyal employees.
Veszprém-based Valeo have introduced a new product to their production with a HUF 2.5 billion investment, creating 25 new jobs at the plant. The investment project was handed over on June 26.
It was announced last week that Jászberény-based Jász-Plasztik Kft., a company engaged in plastic processing, tool, battery and plaster manufacturing, are creating 120 new jobs thanks to a technology development project.
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| Audi Hungaria CEO Thomas Faustmann: Audi to continue development in Hungary |
BI-KA Logisztika Kft., a company engaged in hauling, freighting, logistics and customs brokerage, have created 25 new jobs, it was announced last week.
At trade fair GACS Expo held in June earlier, Tier 1, 2 and 3 automotive suppliers, including a number of Hungarian firms, presented their latest products and technologies The event lined up 300 exhibitors from 25 countries, showcasing products such as brakes, sensors, dampers, rubber and metal products, batteries, switches, seats, electronics devices and plastic manufacturing technologies, reported the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA) in a statement about the event.
Dutch supplier of automotive interior products Snoeks Automotive, an exclusive partner of major European van manufacturers, is looking to expand its supplier network in Hungary.
Germany-based Logistics firm Hellmann will open a new department at their Pécs location in September this year. The company is leasing a property in the town centre and lookig to hire 10 people in the first phase and another 100 people at a later state.
Last week, the Szentgotthárd Opel plant celebrated the 8 millionth engine manufactured at the plant. Every tenth Opel is fitted with an engine made in Hungary.
Education
A record number (500) of trainees are currently spending their internships at Audi Hungaria this summer. Since the Győr-based car maker launched their training programme, the number of applicants has seen a steady increase.
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| BME FRT working on new car for this year's Formula Student Hungary |
The Formula Student team of Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME FRT) are building a completely new racing car for this year's Formula Student Hungary event in August.
Check our gallery from the team's workshop.
Labour market
In March–May 2015, the number of unemployed people was 320,000, down 37,000 from a year earlier. In the same period, unemployment rate decreased by 1.0 percentage point to 7.1%, reported the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH).
In comparison with the previous three-month period, unemployment decreased by 18,000, while the unemployment rate improved by 0.4 percent. The last time unemployment was this low was in August–October 2014.
