The former hospital on Zrínyi utca is one of Győr's most significant facility complexes. The property was formerly the site of the Petz Aladár University Teaching Hospital and was taken over by Széchenyi István University in November last year under the Property Benefit Act. The institution is creating a Health Technology Campus and Competence centre on the 2.7-hectare property, consisting of 15 buildings. The launch event was held on 1 March.

Speaking at the event, Minister of Innovation and Technology László Palkovics said that health and health-related research plays a key role in Hungary's innovation performance, as shown by the fact that around 40 percent of the Innovation Fund's direct expenditure is allocated to these areas. “Compared to 2016, companies and universities operating in Hungary have increased their R&D spending from HUF 400 billion to HUF 800 billion. The number of researchers in Hungary has also doubled since 2010,” the minister said.

Dr László Palkovics added: "The cooperation between Széchenyi István University and Semmelweis University will not only bring excellent technological, innovation and scientific results, but will also contribute to improving healthcare in Győr and its surroundings. The partnership with Petz Hospital is a guarantee for this, he said.

The participants of the event were Dr Péter Zoltán Baranyai, Rector of Széchenyi István University, Szabolcs Szeles, Deputy Mayor of Győr, Róbert Balázs Simon, Member of Parliament, Dr László Jávor, Director General of Petz Aladár University Teaching Hospital, Dr Béla Merkely, Rector of Semmelweis University, Dr Erzsébet Knáb, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Széchenyi István University Foundation, Dr László Palkovics, Minister of Innovation and Technology, Dr Balázs Hankó, Deputy State Secretary for Higher Education, Ákos Kara, Member of Parliament, Dr Zoltán Németh, President of the Győr-Moson-Sopron County Municipality, Dr Bálint Filep, President of Széchenyi István University and Dr Zsolt Kovács, Chancellor of Széchenyi István University. (Photo by József Csaba Májer)

Dr Erzsébet Knáb, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Széchenyi István University Foundation, said that in the field of health technology, which is a key determinant of quality of life, the key to the future lies in modern technologies such as 5G, digitalisation and artificial intelligence. "This is the basis not only for new healthcare training and services, but also for research and development activities in which the various disciplines cultivated at a high level by Széchenyi István University can be linked and strengthen each other in the interests of health technology innovations. In doing so, we can also draw on our experience in the field of health care, as Health Education has a two and a half decade history at our University," Dr Knáb stressed.

Dr Bálint Filep, President of Széchenyi István University, gave a presentation on the development to the invited guests. "The plans for the first phase include the renovation of four buildings. This will provide an opportunity to expand the educational portfolio of the Faculty of Health and Sports Sciences of Széchenyi István University. In cooperation with Semmelweis University and the Petz Aladár University Teaching Hospital in Győr, we will launch new, “gap-filler”, attractive and practice-oriented courses such as conductive pedagogy, physiotherapy, dietetics and the outsourced Pető Point," he said. He noted that their researchers, together with ones from Semmelweis University, are exploring the medical applications of telecommunications, information technology and materials science, which could lead to marketable, economically successful services and technologies. "We also consider it important to develop high quality health services supported by modern infrastructure for effective prevention and health promotion," he said, thanking the government for the support the University received for the launch of the programme through the Regional Centre of Excellence tender.

Dr Béla Merkely, Rector of Semmelweis University, said that their main goal is to improve the health of citizens, to which they aim to contribute with the highest level of education, research and development, innovation and patient care. "In order for our institution to be able to move even further ahead, to compete internationally and to respond to the technological challenges of the 21st century, we need to cooperate and share our knowledge. Széchenyi István University and Semmelweis University have a mission in common: we are calling for technological developments that not only contribute to the universities' prestige and research infrastructure, but also advance Hungarian healthcare," he said.

Simon Róbert Balázs, Member of Parliament for Győr, said that, like the Science and Innovation Park to be built on the site of the Győr biscuit factory, this development is a milestone in the life of the city and the University. The politician compared Győr's development over the past 10-15 years to the turn of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when at the same time as the Zrínyi utca hospital, the Frigyes barracks and the City Hall were being built, and the wagon factory established.

In his speech, Szabolcs Szeles, Deputy Mayor of Győr, expressed his pleasure that the fate of the building complex has been resolved and that the health functions to be developed in it will be worthy of the hospital's past. He said that the development would increase the attractiveness of the city and the prestige and popularity of the University.