This fall, BMW will commence mass production at its Debrecen factory, giving a significant boost to the Hungarian economy, announced Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, on Wednesday in Budapest.
According to the ministry’s statement, after discussions with BMW executives, the minister reported that all necessary buildings have been constructed, and the required machinery has arrived at the German automotive company’s Debrecen site. This means there are no remaining obstacles to the launch of mass production for a fully electric model this fall.
“The entire focus of BMW is now, without exaggeration, on Debrecen, as the success of this plant is critically important for the entire company in this revolutionary era of the automotive industry, where the transition to electric mobility is the defining challenge for manufacturers,” Szijjártó emphasized after meeting with Milan Nedeljkovic, BMW Board Member for Production, and Hans-Peter Kemser, Director of the Debrecen plant.
“So, this fall, mass production will begin at BMW’s Debrecen plant. Naturally, this will provide a huge boost to the Hungarian economy and a significant push for Debrecen and the surrounding region,” he underlined.
He also touched on the renewal of educational institutions in the region, highlighting that “the world’s eyes are on the University of Debrecen and local vocational training institutions to ensure they can provide the necessary workforce for BMW.”
Péter Szijjártó pointed out that the German company already employs over 2,000 people in Hungary, and as production ramps up, the number of employees will continue to increase.
“The Hungarian government has fulfilled all its commitments. All necessary infrastructure developments in energy supply and transportation required for the factory’s launch have been completed,” he stressed.
He added that the development of a container terminal is still in progress but is expected to be completed by September.
He also noted that Debrecen’s airport is likely to experience increased traffic as a result of the plant’s operation.
Regarding the international landscape, the minister stated that “the European Union has recently made several decisions that have harmed the competitiveness of the continent’s automotive industry.”
As an example, he cited the tariffs imposed on the Chinese electric vehicle industry, which have also caused significant difficulties for European manufacturers.
“This is why Hungary supports the initiative of car manufacturers to challenge the European Commission’s decision on these tariffs before the European Court of Justice,” he reaffirmed.
Finally, he emphasized that the new protectionist economic policy of the United States is creating an entirely new global economic environment. In this situation, “it would be crucial for EU leaders not to behave like cowardly rabbits but to come forward with initiatives that would finally bring some positive impact for the European economy.”
“Hungary and BMW will continue to closely cooperate on all issues affecting the competitiveness of the European automotive industry. Hungary is one of the flagships of European car manufacturing, and thus, the performance of the Hungarian economy is heavily influenced by the success of the automotive sector,” he concluded.
(MTI)
