At the foundation stone laying ceremony at the location of Rheinmetall’s future factory Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky stated that while the German company is primarily known as a defence industry investor, the new Szeged plant will have ties to the defence industry but will remain independent from it. The factory, which will create three hundred new jobs, will produce equipment with cutting-edge technology for electromobility and hydrogen-powered vehicles.
The minister emphasized that the new factory will be one of Europe’s defining research and development projects, and the government is proud that it can be realized in Hungary and in Szeged. Collaborating with the University of Szeged (SZTE), Rheinmetall will establish a new ecosystem and knowledge base that will offer exceptional opportunities for many Hungarian and foreign youth. ‘Hungarians don’t need to go anywhere else, as the world comes to us,’ Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky nailed down.
Head of Rheinmetall Power Systems division Christoph Müller noted that Szeged will be the group’s first hybrid site, where the civil business and defence technology activities will operate under one roof. The initial step will be the construction of a 15,000 square metre plant on the 85,000 square metre area adjacent to the ELI ALPS laser research centre, providing jobs for three hundred highly skilled professionals. The area offers further opportunities for expansion, the specialist added. Szeged will be the fourth Rheinmetall site in Hungary, alongside the Zalaegerszeg armoured vehicle factory, the Várpalota ammunition factory, and the Budapest digitalization centre established in partnership with its industrial partner, 4iG. The division head emphasized that Hungary provides an investor-friendly environment for businesses. The government and HIPA have been supportive, open, and friendly, which is not common in Europe today, he remarked. The Szeged plant will be Rheinmetall’s twenty-second factory, with its primary goal being to support electromobility, Christoph Müller added.
Szeged Mayor László Botka recalled that the municipality established a joint venture with the university in 2007 to create a world-class laser research centre on the city’s outskirts. The plan received support first from the government and then from the European Union. Next to the centre, a 70-hectare industrial park awaits investors, where Rheinmetall, one of Europe’s leading industrial companies, will create three hundred new jobs for the region’s residents.
Rector of the University of Szeged László Rovó reminded that as the country and the region’s premier higher education institution, the university strives for close cooperation with companies settling in the region, providing them with skilled workforce as well.
According to the press material distributed on site, the factory, which is planned to start operating at the end of 2025, will be established with a 63 million euros investment. The Szeged Rheinmetall site will primarily manufacture products for the automotive industry, including electric components such as nanoscale capacitors, as well as devices usable in hydrogen mobility and energy production. The company also intends to manufacture certain products of the military division of Rheinmetall Electronic Solutions in Szeged.
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Sources: Hungarian Conservative/MTI
