BYD, the world’s leading manufacturer of ‘new-energy vehicles’, last week announced a commitment to base its European business headquarters in Budapest, Hungary, supported by a new European research and development (R&D)centre. Under the arrangement, BYD will create thousands of high-value jobs in the Hungarian capital, as well as supporting training and opportunities in further education through cooperation with at least three universities in the country.
The new headquarters, which will be situated in the 11th district of Budapest, marks the fifth site for BYD in Hungary, following the bus factory in Komárom, additional facilities in Fót and Páty, and Szeged, the location of our forthcoming passenger car manufacturing plant. The R&D element of the commitment will start with two specific projects, supported by significant investment. The first project will focus on the further integration of intelligence into modern mobility, while the second will help to develop advanced next-generation electrification technologies.
As evidence of BYD’s stated policy of localisation in Europe, it has committed to produce patents based on development at the Hungarian centre, and to cooperate with Hungarian start-ups and domestic suppliers. The proportion of higher-education employees at the centre is expected to be at least 90%.
BYD chairman Wang Chuanfu said: “Establishing BYD’s European headquarters in Hungary is a natural progression. As the core hub for BYD’s European operations, the headquarters will focus on three key functions — sales and after-sales services, vehicle certification and testing, and localised vehicle design and feature development. Through these synergies, we aim to deepen integration with local markets, enhance our localisation capabilities and brand influence, and ensure sustainable growth in Europe.”
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán concluded: “Our goal is for foreign investors to bring development capacities to Hungary. Not only manufacturing, but also development capacities. Our idea has always been that the factories arrive first, then the factories’ development centres arrive, and finally the research centres arrive. It doesn’t work the other way around. First production, then development, and then research. That is why today’s meeting and agreement are of great importance, because now BYD is opening a new era — the company is also bringing its development centre to Hungary.”