Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency

Switzerland is the 11th largest investor in Hungary in terms of foreign direct investments: the volume of direct capital investment originating from this country amounted to EUR 1,662.7 million, according to the most recent data, i.e. those of 2016. More than 820 companies under Swiss management are currently operating in Hungary – of which four are strategic partners of the Hungarian Government – that employ nearly 30,000 people altogether. Among these companies the most dominant are the interests in the food industry (Givaudan, Glencore and Nestlé) and the participations in the pharmaceutical industry (Novartis, Roche).

From the presentations the professional audience consisting of Swiss investors and consultants could learn about the unique advantages and opportunities offered by the Hungarian investment environment, HIPA's investment promotion services and the available subsidies for job creation, technology development and R&D purposes. The HIP (Hungarian Investment Projects) portfolio and the associated services have been presented, as well as five Hungarian enterprises that are part of the portfolio from the professional fields of health care, energetics and smart city solutions.

In his keynote speech held at the forum, Peter Spuhler, ex-CEO and current Group Chairman of Stadler AG, summarised his positive professional and personal experiences gained in relation to the operation of his company in Hungary. The combination of the stable economy, the cooperative government and local municipalities and the skilled workforce make out an ideal environment to invest in.

In the past two years a positive investor decision was taken in favour of our country in the case of 5 projects with Swiss participation and with the cooperation of HIPA, as a result of which 1,252 new jobs will be created and some EUR 190 million will be invested in Hungary.

The HIP projects presented in Zurich:

• Narke: The world's first electronic jetski with high-tech carbon-fiber design
• iGes: Multifunctional electric vehicle charger family containing city information system with integrated payment terminal and digital advertisement surface
• Mobilsign: The first European Trust Service Provider for biometric signatures with the ability to create legally binding documents from biometry
• BioFive: A closed system with positive energy balance, its unique technology turns the costly sewage sludge and other organic contented communal wastes disposal into a revenue-generating process by the sale of the produced heat and the recycled valuable by-products, such as phosphorous and resulting CO2 quota savings because it does not use fossil fuels
• Insimu: The interactive patient simulation tool for medical educational to improve diagnostic skills