The impact of Debrecen’s BMW plant on our region 10. Dec. 2025

DEB AUT, a five-year multidisciplinary research project, which will be completed by 2030, is to explore the technological, economic and socio-cultural aspects of automotive development in the Debrecen region. The work will be carried out in close cooperation with the economic development organizations of the Debrecen municipality, the BMW plant in Debrecen, the companies of Debrecen’s Automotive Cluster and several faculties and research institutes of the University of Debrecen. Funding for the project will be provided jointly by the university, the local authorities and the German car manufacturer.

At the program opening conference of the research project, Zoltán Szilvássy, Rector of the University of Debrecen, highlighted the following: “BMW's settlement in Debrecen has a huge impact on the city, the region and the university, which was already common knowledge as early as when the contract for their arrival was just signed a few years ago.”

- This was when even the site preparation for the construction had not yet been started, but we had already begun working on our side of the preparations. Since then, Debrecen and BMW have established a variety of channels of interconnection, and now we are in the thick of this socio-economic, economic, industrial and emotional process, which is great in all of its aspects. From the perspective of industrial development in Debrecen and in Hungary, our responsibility is simply enormous- Zoltán Szilvássy.

The rector added that it was not only German capital that has arrived in Debrecen in recent years, but there was yet another economic power, China, also represented.

- It is paramount importance that the effects of this development should be addressed with scientific rigor by the experts in the humanities, natural sciences and economics- said Zoltán Szilvássy.

Zoltán Bács, Chancellor of the University of Debrecen, reported that, while 10 years ago, the institution was the employer of approximately 40 thousand students and staff members, in October, this figure already exceeded 50 thousand.

The university executive explained that, in addition to education and research, the institution also considers supporting the development of the local economy as an important task. In the light of this approach, there has been a new image created, together with a new operating model, a research and development strategy and several priority program areas put in focus.

- Furthermore, we have started developing our innovation infrastructure; created a considerable network of companies for our own operation and for cooperation with partners. This was not something usual in Hungarian higher education at that time either, and we started this long before the university model change-  said Zoltán Bács.

Among the investment plans, the chancellor mentioned that, in the next couple of years, a sports, music and social innovation center is going to be established in the Science, Technology and Innovation Park of UD located on the street called Vezér utca.

László Papp, the mayor of the city of Debrecen, spoke about the fact that there were three outstanding periods of development in the history of the economy of Debrecen in the past 150 years. The first one occurred during the last three decades of the 19th century, the second one overlapped with the industrialization process of the 1960s and 1970s. As regards the third one, it began in the mid-2010s and while we are still living in it, it will probably end in the early 1930s.

- Each one of these periods had a huge impact on the life of our city, its population, the urban structure, architecture, infrastructure and, of course, the entire surrounding region. It is only natural that the industrial and economic changes currently taking place will also have a similar impact- said László Papp.

The mayor expressed his sincere belief that research conducted at the university would also help answer questions about how the city’s structure, transportation system and infrastructure could be changing due to the current economic development, and what new demands could emerge in education, services and the new international environment. The chief elected official of the municipality said he hoped that this would help decision-makers decide what directions and processes to support. 

Hans-Peter Kemser, President and CEO of BMW Group Plant Debrecen, highlighted that the management of BMW would like to help create a new industrial ecosystem shaped by electric vehicles, digitalization and innovation. Signs of this change are already visible. New suppliers keep arriving in Debrecen. Local companies are strengthening their engineering teams, there are new training programs launched, and an innovative network connects the university, the city and the industry.

- Cooperation with the University of Debrecen and our regional educational partners is essential for us. We are in collaboration currently with eight of the thirteen faculties of the university. We have created new training opportunities in the fields of electromobility, the automotive industry, artificial intelligence and digital manufacturing. The new laboratories and joint research initiatives are elevating Debrecen to the status of a continuously growing knowledge center in Europe- said Hans-Peter Kemser.

The CEO added that, due to their cooperation with local educational institutions, young people can now gain industrial and professional experience within the framework of dual training programs.

- For us, this research is much more than just an analysis. In fact, we are not analyzing what is happening, but rather creating a compass for the future. It shows where we stand currently and where new opportunities would be opening up- said Hans-Peter Kemser, President and CEO of BMW Group Plant Debrecen.
Andrea Horváth, head of the research group DEB AUT and director of the Institute of German Studies of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Debrecen, reported that she and her colleagues are conducting multidisciplinary work, which has so far included contributions by researchers from the Faculty of Humanities, the Faculty of Economics and Business as well as the Faculty of Science and Technology, and will soon be joined by additional experts from the Faculty of Engineering.

- Thanks to the investments in the automotive industry, Debrecen is once again becoming a hub of European importance, as an intersection for sustainable electromobility, digital manufacturing, international work culture and university knowledge production. During the course of our research, we are eager to explore how the current transformation fits into Debrecen's centuries-old development path, how the city's society, economy and culture are being transformed and what makes Debrecen a place that Europe is paying attention to again these days- said Andrea Horváth.

The head of the research group also added that DEB AUT is not only a scientific project; it is also a partnership offering to the city, its industrial players and communities. The objective is a versatile knowledge transfer towards municipal decision-makers, the corporate sector and the institutions of training and research. The findings and results of this research will then be duly recycled into the development of industry and the city. 

As part of the conference, there were also several experts from the university presenting their latest research discoveries: Gábor Kozma, Ernő Molnár, László Szőllősi and Tamás Kiss-Polgárdi gave a talk about “Debrecen: the new center of the Hungarian automotive industry – the first steps of a research project,” while Melinda Marinka, Marcell Grunda and Szabolcs Oláh read their paper on “The social and cultural dimensions of the development of the city of Debrecen.”

Press Center - OCs