Since becoming self-sufficient in the manufacturing of medical equipment is a strategic goal for Hungary, the government has provided support for a number of such investments in the recent period, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said in Szekesfehervar, central Hungary, on Monday.
At the inauguration of a facility set up by the Karsai Alba Ltd, a Hungarian-owned company, for the manufacturing of laboratory and medical equipment, the Hungarian minister pointed out that the project with a total investment of more than four billion forints (10.2 million euros) was supported by the state with 730 million forints (1.86 million euros), promoting the creation of thirty-seven new jobs, said the statement issued by the ministry.
In his speech, the minister recalled the challenges faced during the coronavirus pandemic, noting that the pandemic highlighted the vulnerability of humanity, that even the largest, strongest countries struggled with severe difficulties, and that healthcare systems were overwhelmed.
We have seen how fragile these systems are, and also how such a crisis can create acute shortages of equipment whose existence is almost imperceptible in 'peacetime'. We can remember the supply problems that arose, whether in terms of medical supplies or vaccines (...) And I also remember that we fought for certain medical supplies and devices like in wild west movies,
he said. He underlined that lessons must be learned from all this in order to ensure that if forecasts that the period ahead could be an era of pandemics come true, Hungary will be as prepared as possible and the authorities will be able to protect people's health.
Therefore, the manufacturing of medical equipment, the production of vaccines and the supplies necessary for their administration have become a strategic sector in Hungary,
he emphasized. "And we know very well that the countries that can be strong, the countries that can protect themselves in such crises, are those that have the strategic capabilities that may seem unreasonable and financially inexplicable in non-crisis times, but when there is an emergency, these resources can save lives," he added. The minister therefore called it a key strategic goal for Hungary to become self-reliant in the production of medical devices. To this end, production capacities must be increased and the government has recently provided support for a number of investments, he said.
He highlighted that further 13 thousand people are now employed in the sector manufacturing medical devices and healthcare supplies in Hungary, and the industry's output has increased by 70 percent since the pandemic, reaching 360 billion forints (appr. 917 million euros), with further growth recorded this year.
Touching on the issue of international competitiveness, the minister pointed out that around 90 percent of the sector's turnover comes from exports. He also stressed that in such a strategic sector, Hungarian ownership is of paramount importance, as is the need for as many companies as possible to be in Hungarian hands.
"I don't think there is any need to argue at length about the strategic importance of Hungarian-owned companies," he remarked. Finally, Peter Szijjarto noted that Karsai Alba Ltd is the 1,103rd Hungarian company to receive government support over the last decade. In total, Hungarian businesses have invested 2,300 billion forints (6.1 billion euros), with 580 billion forints (1.54 billion euros) in government funding, resulting in over 13 thousand new jobs and safeguarding over 150 thousand, he said.
"Fejer County, where Karsai Alba Ltd is based, has particularly benefited from government incentives, with local companies receiving 1.321 billion forints (3.5 billion euros) in state-subsidized investments," he added in conclusion.
