"The food industry has also received the attention appropriate to its strategic significance within the work of the government" – said State Secretary Endre Kardeván at the opening of the EUREKA Chairmanship Conference held at the Ministry of Rural Development. The topic chosen for the meeting by the European organisation set up to further research was innovation in the food industry.

The EUREKA organisation for cooperation in industrial research was founded in 1985 by 18 countries; today, its membership includes 40 states and the European Union. The organisation seeks out both state and private resources to support research and development. Hungary is the current rotating president of EUREKA from July 1 2011, to June 30 2012.

/>"The Hungarian food industry will only be competitive and will only be able to increase its role on both local and export markets, if it intensifies its innovative activities, its research and development" – pinpointed State Secretary for Food Chain Control Supervision and Agricultural Administration Endre Kardeván. One of the main goals of the National Rural Strategy is the reinforcement of practice-orientated Hungarian agricultural research and development, the support of innovation in the agricultural and food economies, to increase the competitiveness of producers, and the restructuring of the professional consultancy and training system.

The State Secretary added – "An innovative solution may only be justified if it remains not just at the research and development level, but also stands its ground on the market and returns a profit. For this reason, support and encouragement must be given to both basic research, and applied research that can be employed in practice."

"New technology is usually expensive, so cooperation and the joint financing of costs and expenses is of great importance. Acquiring a market advantage requires innovation throughout the current Hungarian food sector." – stressed Endre Kardeván.

(Press Office of the Ministry of Rural Development)