According to State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations Péter Szijjártó, the Hungarian car industry is in exuberant form, and its performance is proof that the Government has pursued the right strategy in response to the economic crisis.
At a press conference held at the National Investment and Trade Agency (HITA), the State Secretary said that the investment decisions by the vehicle industry in 2013 were in large part contributing to economic growth in the country, adding that the expected performance of the Hungarian car industry in 2014 will help the economy achieve sustainable growth.
At present, more than 700 automotive industry companies operate in Hungary, employing some 116,000 people. The production value generated by Hungary's automotive industry reached 17.8 billion euros last year and accounted for about 20 percent of manufacturing sector output, Péter Szijjártó noted. 93 percent of the sector's output was exported, accounting for 18 percent of Hungary's total exports, he added.
The biggest companies - Audi, Daimler, Opel and Suzuki - employed 17,400 people last year, including more than 2,000 new staff. The four companies have contracted 229 Hungarian suppliers in total and also have good working relations with several Hungarian educational institutions.
Péter Szijjártó highlighted that a number of automobile industry companies are in strategic partnership with the Hungarian Government. These pacts are important as they also related to increasing the share of Hungarian SMEs within the supply network.
The Government also cooperates with its strategic partners in R&D and innovation. In 2013, a record HUF 118 billion was spent in this field, and a further HUF 706 billion will be earmarked to these purposes between 2014 and 2020.
(Prime Minister's Office)
