One of Hungary’s largest automotive and mobility events, Debrecen Drive, officially opened on Friday in the Nagyerdő area of Debrecen with a professional conference focused on the future of the automotive industry.
Organizers said the event, running between 29–31 May around the city’s stadium complex, features more than 1,000 vehicles displayed across a 50,000-square-metre exhibition area.
Opening the conference, Debrecen Mayor László Papp said the 21st-century economy is increasingly shaped by key sectors such as the automotive industry, electromobility, digitization and green technologies.
He stressed that Debrecen aims not merely to observe these transformations but to actively shape them by building a modern industrial and knowledge hub where local talent, Hungarian businesses and international corporations can work together.
According to the mayor, the city’s strength lies in its integrated approach combining industrial development, education, research, infrastructure and quality of life improvements. He noted that companies from the United States, Germany and Asia have all established a presence in Debrecen.
Papp added that nearly €13 billion in investment has arrived in the city over the past decade, laying the foundation for around 21,000 new jobs.
Addressing the controversial issue of the battery industry, the mayor said energy storage technologies are essential for electromobility and the green transition. He argued that Hungary must remain an active participant in European automotive supply chains rather than becoming an outsider.
At the same time, Papp stressed that environmental protection and public health remain non-negotiable priorities. ‘Technological development can only be accepted under the strictest Hungarian and EU regulations, continuous monitoring and full transparency,’ he said.
At the conference, Zoltán Bács said the arrival of global industry players has created challenges that require cooperation between universities, the city and businesses.
The rector noted that the University of Debrecen has significantly transformed its educational structure over the past decade, strengthening engineering programmes while also adapting to broader corporate needs.
He pointed to the incoming BMW factory in Debrecen as an example, noting that the company initially established ties with the university’s law and economics faculties before expanding cooperation into engineering and even agricultural studies.
Bács said universities must move beyond a purely educational role and build constructive partnerships with industry, adding that Hungary’s university model reforms have played an important role in enabling this cooperation.
Throughout the weekend, visitors to Debrecen Drive can attend aerial and ground demonstrations, exhibitions, family programmes, competitions and interactive experiences. Organizers said the traditional Metal-Sheet Night Drive show on Friday evening will officially launch the festival weekend.
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