Environment-consciousness and sustainable approach will be more and more important directions within the automotive industry in the upcoming period – this was the key takeaway of the Automotive Conference organised by the HIPA at Várkert Bazár, Budapest.
The Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA), in partnership with the German-Hungarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DUIHK), organised their annual Automotive Conference for the ninth time in 2023. Focusing on OEMs and Tier-1-2 suppliers, this event serves as a platform to share experiences, best practices, and promote discussions about the short- and long-term outlooks of the industry – locally and globally as well.
In the panel discussion titled ‘Global trends from local perspective’ representatives of Hungarian OEMs discussed how major international trends effect the vehicle industry in Hungary, not only in terms of electromobility, but also concerning greener production processes and supply chains, especially in the current energy price-crisis. “BMW Group Plant Debrecen is our answer to most questions of the automotive industry today. It is a brand-new plant designed and built by the iFACTORY concept that makes production lean, green and digital. And this is where the next generation of fully electric cars will be produced” – emphasised Eske Herrström, CFO of BMW Group Plant Debrecen.
BMW Group Plant Debrecen will meet high sustainability standards. This includes, among others, planting thousands of trees, establishment of an onsite solar park, and the development of a long-term, comprehensive biodiversity strategy tailored to Debrecen. In addition to the most environmentally friendly production technology possible, the NEUE KLASSE models, debuting in Debrecen, will be manufactured, to a significant extent, from recycled and reused materials (plastics and metals) in line with the principles of circular economy.
The development of BMW Group Plant Debrecen entered a spectacular phase in 2023: not only the buildings are taking shape at the site day-by-day, but the increase in the headcount is also continuous and remarkable, as the 380th employee is now onboard with May. The already intensive recruitment activity is expected to gain further momentum in the coming months, with a growing number of direct, blue-collar jobs opening alongside indirect, white-collar positions. The constantly updated list of almost 100 open positions and the application platform is available at https://www.bmwgroup.jobs/hu/en.html.
The BMW Group is building a full vehicle plant in Debrecen with a press shop, body shop, paint shop, and assembly, as well as a high-voltage battery assembly unit, which will allow the in-house assembly of the battery cells into the battery housing. Located on an area of more than 400 hectares in the north-western part of Debrecen, the plant will start production in 2025 with more than 1,500 employees, and the all-electric NEUE KLASSE will debut here at the same time.
