Defence industrial products made in Hungary increase security

Speaking at an event held on the occasion of signing a joint venture agreement between the Ministry of Defence and Dynamit Nobel Defence GmbH, the Minister of Defence said that the joint venture will help start the rebuilding of Hungary’s defence industry, which had earlier been dismantled “mainly due to decades of irresponsible political decisions”. The Hungarian armed forces will have equipment that guarantees the security of Hungarian people, said the minister.

Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky reminded his audience that the joint venture agreement was the result of years of hard work by many people – among them former Technology Minister László Palkovics, the CEO of the national defence industry innovation company N7 Holding Ltd, who signed the agreement on behalf of the Hungarian side –, and since his appointment to minister, he himself has actively joined the preparations. He pointed out that this cooperation serves the strengthening of the Hungarian Defence Forces and through them that of Hungarian national industry, as one of its important stages.

Hungarian economy is going to be strengthened with another “cylinder”, the cylinder of defence industry, he said, adding that this cooperation will create jobs, generate tax revenue and enhance the good reputation of Hungarian economy through the foreign sales of products. He added that the defence industrial products manufactured in Hungary also bolster security.

As he noted, if due to a war or a pandemic, there occurred a “disruption” in the supply chain of military equipment procured from abroad, it would significantly increase Hungary’s exposure. He was of the opinion that the joint venture may be used to prevent such disadvantages and take the advantages.

The agreement was signed by Dynamit Nobel Defence CEO Michael Humbek and N7 Holding Ltd CEO László Palkovics. After the signature, Avishay Regev, Chairman of Dynamit Nobel Defence Supervisory Board said that they are proud to be able to carry Alfred Nobel’s name in the defence industry, and meet the expectations of this legacy with the efficiency and quality of their defence systems.

He said that as a German company, they have been seeking for sites for their production units beyond the national borders of their country, and finally found a proper site in Hungary. He added that the government of Hungary ensures the defence of Hungary’s borders and those of the European Union, and is committed to strengthening the defence industrial capacity of the country.

“The environment we have found here favors and encourages investments”, he said, adding that they have found skilled workforce in the job market and at universities. He highlighted the good cooperation between the two countries’ armed forces, mentioning that some of the systems they use are identical, and they continue using identical defence systems in the future as well. Avishay Regev emphasized that beyond all these, they have found such partners in Hungary who know what development, production and innovation mean, and are committed to them.