Hungary’s latest Investor of the Year 2025 awards offered more than recognition for standout companies. They also reflected how the country is trying to reposition itself within the global investment landscape — not just as a manufacturing hub, but increasingly as a centre for knowledge, research and high-value services.
Speaking at the awards ceremony in Budapest’s Museum of Fine Arts, István Joó, CEO of the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA), argued that companies choosing Hungary are investing not only in factories but also in skills, expertise and long-term development.
According to Joó, Hungary closed 2025 as one of the strongest investment years in recent history. HIPA supported 108 investment projects, representing more than €7 billion in total investment and creating over 18,000 new jobs. In terms of both capital volume and employment impact, it marked the agency’s third-best year on record.
Beyond Factories: A Shift Toward Higher Value
For many years, Hungary’s investment strategy has centred on manufacturing, particularly automotive production. But government officials increasingly emphasise the next phase: projects that generate higher value-added work.
Joó highlighted a significant increase in research and development (R&D) investments last year. HIPA supported a record number of such projects, creating nearly 600 jobs for highly skilled specialists. These projects also contributed to 21 new patent registrations in Hungary through innovation-support schemes.
This shift suggests that Hungary’s investment environment is evolving. Manufacturing remains central, but the ecosystem is gradually expanding into technology, engineering, and research-driven sectors.
Currently, HIPA is negotiating 39 additional R&D and business service centre (BSC) investments. If all are realised, they could create nearly 4,000 additional jobs, many of them requiring advanced technical or managerial expertise.
Manufacturing Still Matters
Despite the growing emphasis on knowledge-based sectors, Joó stressed that manufacturing remains a cornerstone of Hungary’s economic strategy.
Industrial facilities, he argued, continue to provide livelihoods for hundreds of thousands of people and underpin the country’s export performance. Factories, logistics hubs and service centres together form the backbone of Hungary’s economic growth model.
In that sense, the government sees industrial investment not as outdated, but as foundational infrastructure for economic development.
Local Supply Chains Gaining Importance
Another trend highlighted at the event was the increasing role of local supply chains.
More foreign investors are committing to source goods and services locally where possible, strengthening domestic supplier networks. This can create spillover benefits across the wider economy, helping smaller Hungarian firms integrate into global production systems.
Strengthening local partnerships is increasingly viewed as essential for making foreign investment more deeply embedded in the domestic economy.
New Projects on the Horizon
Joó suggested that many of the investments announced in recent years are only now beginning to reach the operational phase.
As new factories, service centres and research facilities come online over the next few months, they are expected to give a noticeable boost to Hungary’s economic output. Infrastructure, utilities and logistics networks required for these projects have already been developed in cooperation with investors.
In that sense, the coming years may represent the payoff period for several large-scale investment initiatives launched earlier in the decade.
Recognising the Year’s Leading Investors
The Investor of the Year 2025 awards also recognised several companies and organisations for their contributions to Hungary’s investment ecosystem.
Among the winners:
- Supplier of the Year: CsabaCast Kft.
- R&D Investor of the Year: Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing Hungary
- New Investor of the Year: Vulcan Shield Global
- Reinvesting Investor of the Year: Master Good Group
- Largest Training Programme: Janus Henderson Investors
- Industrial Park of the Year: Municipality of Szekszárd
- Lifetime Investor Award: Dana Hungary
The diversity of award recipients — ranging from manufacturing to financial services and technology — reflects the broadening scope of Hungary’s investment strategy.
A Long-Term Bet on Growth
For Hungary, foreign investment remains one of the most important drivers of economic growth, exports and employment.
The message from HIPA’s leadership was clear: attracting capital is no longer just about building factories. It is about building capabilities — in engineering, research, digital services and advanced manufacturing.
If current trends continue, Hungary’s investment landscape may gradually shift from one dominated by production alone to a more complex ecosystem combining manufacturing, innovation and high-skilled services.
And according to the country’s investment agency, the companies choosing Hungary today are betting precisely on that future.
