Győr university, Audi inaugurate EUR 43.9m research centre

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó on Tuesday inaugurated a 14.25 billion forint (EUR 43.9m) Higher Education and Industry Cooperation Centre (FIEK) in Győr, in north-west Hungary, established by the Széchenyi István University and automotive company Audi Hungaria.

The Győr centre is expected to raise Hungary’s appeal as an investment venue by making it one of the most important hubs for automotive research, the minister said.

Szijjártó noted that the annual value of the Hungarian automotive industry jumped to 8,500 billion forints (EUR 26bn) in 2018 from 4,000 billion in 2010. It is set to soon surpass 10,000 billion forints, he said.

Economic development is rooted in education, Szijjártó said. Education should offer solutions that contribute to maintaining the country’s economic growth above the EU average, he said. The Győr FIEK, he said, is a hub of developments based on the real needs of the industry.

Audi Hungaria’s managing director Achim Heinfling said projects are already being undertaken at the centre such as friction and emission tests and VR research.

The centre is one of eight the government is establishing with European Union and state funds to optimise links between universities and businesses, accelerating the transfer of academic research to practical applications.

Other FIEK centres are focusing on materials technology, pharmaceuticals, agriculture informatics, crop production, livestock farming and the health industry.

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