The Széchenyi István University has signed a cooperation agreement with the HUN-REN Centre, responsible for the management and operation of the independent research network, and its Research Centre for Energy Sciences, Research Centre for Natural Sciences and for Research Institute for Earth Physics and Space Sciences. The partners have concluded agreements to coordinate their professional research activities and to establish a framework for cooperation in order to achieve scientific results.

The HUN-REN Centre is an independent budgetary institution established by the Hungarian Parliament in 2019 to manage and operate a centrally funded, independent research network, which is the cornerstone of Hungarian scientific life. Its eleven research centres, seven research institutes and 116 funded research groups carry out basic and applied research in a wide range of fields, from mathematics and natural sciences to life sciences, humanities and social sciences. And Széchenyi István University is committed to future-oriented research and technological development that promotes sustainability. This is the basis of the cooperation documents signed on 22 April at the Győr campus.

Participants of the ceremony at the main entrance of the New Knowledge Space building of Széchenyi István University (Photo: András Adorján)

"Our university also conducts its teaching, research and third mission activities in a broad partnership. We are building an economic ecosystem that contributes significantly to the competitiveness of the region. Our academic performance is further strengthened by our cooperation with the HUN-REN Centre and its research institutes. Within this framework, we are planning joint research projects that will serve development in a wide range of areas of life, from materials science to autonomous transport and health technology innovations, " said Dr. Bálint Filep, President of Széchenyi István University.

"On behalf of HUN-REN, we are delighted to enter into this new type of alliance between institutions at the forefront of the education, research innovation and development ecosystem. Universities and research institutes are different, but they are the key to increasing the quality of domestic research: they contribute in different ways to the most successful operation of the ecosystem. Together, they seek answers to the greatest national challenges, they are able and mandated to implement major projects ", stressed Balázs Gulyás, President of HUN-REN, on the occasion of the signing ceremony.

According to the framework agreement, Széchenyi University and the HUN-REN Centre will cooperate in the organisation of joint proposals, research projects, national and international conferences and training courses. The partners aim to strengthen doctoral training and provide the HUN-REN Cloud research e-infrastructure for teachers and researchers.

The cooperation that will come into force with the signing of the agreement is based on a broad experience: the University's Automotive Industry Research Centre has had a strategic cooperation agreement with HUN-REN and the HUN-REN Research Institute for Computer Science and Automation (HUN-REN SZTAKI) since 2020 in the fields of autonomous vehicles, e-mobility, intelligent transport systems, precision farming, infocommunication, artificial intelligence, and Industry 4.0 education, research and applications. As a partner of Széchenyi University, HUN-REN SZTAKI also collaborates in the development of the automotive and manufacturing industries in the National Laboratory of Autonomous Systems and the National Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence to strengthen Hungary's role. The HUN-REN SZTAKI also has a so-called Industry 4.0 Centre of Excellence and Innovation at the University of Győr, developing production planning and management systems.

The university and the HUN-REN Institute of Earth and Space Physics have identified possible areas of cooperation in the fields of magnetic field probe calibration, precision positioning, materials science research, operation and evaluation of the data from the UsRadar triple-frequency ground penetrating radar, the construction of a ground penetrating radar test track, and life science research. The parties will strengthen the partnership through information exchange, joint participation in national and international scientific and educational tenders and conferences, publications, support for PhD theses.

The partnership between the university and the HUN-REN Energy Research Centre covers areas such as materials science and health technology research, sensor development and nuclear safety. Plans include the creation of joint training courses, the development of project assignments in the field of technical and IT education, the publication of scientific student research papers and theses, the launch of a PhD programme, joint scientific events, publications and tenders.

In cooperation with the Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry of the Széchenyi University and the HUN-REN Natural Sciences Research Centre, the latter will focus on research and development for the innovative use of renewable raw materials and energy sources, key elements of the transport system: battery and hydrogen technologies, and innovative solutions for heat and electricity storage. The University's Innovation Park in Zalaegerszeg will also play an important role in the cooperation, with research activities related to the development of new and renewable energies for the automotive industry, their validation and testing of batteries.