The last glass panel has been put in place on the facade of the Science and Innovation Park of Széchenyi István University in Győr, which is being built only 500 metres from the central campus on the former site of the Győr Biscuit and Waffle Factory. The institution held an inter-project tour to show the current status of the development, which is being funded by a HUF 6 billion 766 million non-refundable EU grant under the Economic Development and Innovation Operational Programme. The university intends to to stimulate the development of the region through the innovation park by building on its main research areas.  

Széchenyi István University's Science and Innovation Park in Győr will be created by transforming the city's iconic industrial monument, the "cube building". It will also house the Design Department of the Faculty of Arts, the Digital Development Centre, several leading companies in the region and the Győr-Moson County Office of the National Association of Entrepreneurs and Employers.

Dr. Bálint Filep, President of Széchenyi István University, recalled the important milestones of the journey the institution has travelled so far (Photo: Csaba József Májer)

Dr. Bálint Filep, President of the Széchenyi István University, looked back on the start of the institution in 1968 and recalled the milestones that made it a true university, the country's leading technological centre. "We have come a long way with the support of the university community, government, corporate and social partners. And today we can stand here and say that, like the best universities in the world, we have every opportunity for further development, as demonstrated by the construction of our Science and Innovation Park in Győr. The international and domestic companies that will locate here, as well as the physical proximity of the university, will help us to serve real market needs and to continuously innovate our research and training, stimulating us all”, he said. He added that in the era of globalisation and rapid technological change, institutions must also find their new role in order to contribute to social and economic development.

"For Széchenyi István University, a close partnership with businesses in the region is essential. This is partly the secret of the success of the world's top-ranked universities. Just like our university", emphasised the President.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said that innovation capabilities and research and development capacities are crucial for the competitiveness of the Hungarian economy. (Photo: Csaba József Májer)

In his speech, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said that a new world economic order is being built, in which one of the most important resources of our country is the higher education system. "In this competition, only those at the forefront of innovation can win, so innovation capabilities and R&D capacities are crucial. How universities can cooperate with companies operating in Hungary is therefore a key question for the future of the Hungarian economy.", adding that in order to achieve closer and more successful cooperation between universities and the economy, the structural transformation of higher education, steps towards internationalisation, increased funding for institutions and the creation of science and innovation parks were decided earlier.

"This will create an innovation environment that will help Hungarian start-ups to grow, create a direct and seamless transition between academia and industry, and enable the talented people who grow up at universities to engage in corporate innovation",  the Minister concluded his speech by referring to Győr's earlier slogan: "the competitive Hungarian economy of the future is being built in Győr through the cooperation of the university, the city and industry".

Alfons Dintner, Chairman of the Board of Audi Hungaria Zrt. spoke about the close partnership between the company and the university (Photo: Csaba József Májer)

Alfons Dintner, Chairman of the Board of Audi Hungaria Zrt., spoke about the close relationship between the company and the university. As he said, from the beginning, the graduates of the Széchenyi István University have always played a key role in Audi. 

The company also takes its share from the training, and as part of the cooperation, the Department of Internal Combustion Engines was launched, followed by the Audi Hungaria Group of Departments, then in 2015 the Audi Hungaria Faculty of Automotive Engineering, and subsequently the Audi Hungaria External Department.

He pointed out that almost eighty percent of their 2,155 engineers graduated from their partner universities, more than half of them from Széchenyi University. He concluded by saying that the Science and Innovation Park will be a home for future solutions for sustainability, enabling new meetings and fostering new forms of cooperation.

Dr. István Szászi, head of the Bosch Group in Hungary and the Adriatic region, emphasized the power of joint action (Photo: Csaba József Májer) 

"According to our strategic agreement with Széchenyi István University, we will be able to cooperate with each other in the Győr Science and Innovation Park after ZalaZONE. Together we want to build an ecosystem where academics and industry professionals can work with the most advanced technologies, share experiences and learn from each other, and as a result become innovators of the future."– stressed Dr. István Szászi, Head of the Bosch Group in Hungary and the Adriatic region. He emphasized that together they can find solutions to the biggest challenges of the future, and that within the walls of this building world-class ideas will emerge.

According to Prof. Dr. Csaba András Dézsi, Mayor of Győr, the biscuit factory represents the glorious past, the science park the fantastic future (Photo: Csaba József Májer)

Prof. Dr. Csaba András Dézsi, Mayor of Győr, recalled his memories of the biscuit factory. He said that it was beyond the dreams of the time that the iconic building would be brought back into the world of industry by the university, at a higher level than ever before, in the service of innovation. 

"The biscuit factory represents the glorious past, the science park, the fantastic future. If the university develops, the city of Győr develops.", he underlined.

The link between tradition and innovation was highlighted by Balázs Simon Róbert, Member of Parliament from Győr (Photo: József Csaba Májer)

Róbert Balázs Simon, Member of Parliament for Győr, also recalled his memories of the former factory. He added that the six-storey, 4,000-square-metre building is now a very impressive sight thanks to the investment.

"It combines tradition with the future and innovation. The wisest decision was made by the government when Széchenyi István University was given this site for use.", he concluded. 

An important moment of the event was when the facade of the cube building was closed with the insertion of the last glass panel (Photo: Csaba József Májer)

The representatives of the press were able to see the inside of the building, which is being constructed by West Hungária Bau Kft. and Euro Generál Zrt. and will be fully completed by autumn.