Strategic cooperation agreement signed between Agrofert, a.s. and SZE
Széchenyi István University considers the continuous expansion of its industrial relations a priority. As one of the important steps in this direction, on 13 June Széchenyi Szent István University signed a strategic partnership agreement with Agrofert, a.s. in Prague, at the group's headquarters.
The Czech-based Agrofert Group is one of Central Europe's leading agricultural companies, a holding of more than 200 companies in the chemical, agricultural, food, renewable energy, forestry and wood industries. Széchenyi István University has been a key partner of the group's two Hungarian subsidiaries, IKR Agrár Llc. and Agrotec Hungary Llc. since 2022, and the current agreement is based on decades of professional cooperation.
Through the strategic agreement and the establishment this year of the Bábolna External Study Centre, the parties intend to jointly develop programmes and opportunities in the field of training and research that will facilitate the development of the university and the business. The aim is to establish a long-term partnership, strengthening the links between the innovation parks in Győr, Mosonmagyaróvár (Smart Farm) and Zalaegerszeg (ZalaZone), which are under the auspices of Széchenyi István University, and the external chairs to be implemented within the Bábolna Campus project, which is part of Agrofert, a.s. The company will support the education of students in the bachelor's and master's courses of the Albert Kázmér Mosonmagyaróvár Faculty of Agriculture as a practical site, as well as the professional activities of young researchers involved in scientific student groups and the cooperative doctoral programme.
The cooperation, supported by the University's Centre for University-Industry Cooperation and the Agricultural and Food Research Centre, contributes to the institution's core objectives of strengthening its training, scientific and entrepreneurial activities, increasing the number of patents, developing its research infrastructure and creating spin-off and start-up companies.
On behalf of Széchenyi István University, Dr Tamás Tóth, Dean of the Albert Kázmér Mosonmagyaróvár Faculty, on behalf of the Board of Directors of Agrofert, mgr. Dr Libor Nemecek and Petr Cingr signed the strategic cooperation agreement in Prague