The expert workgroup of Magyar Suzuki Zrt. (Suzuki), the Government and the Hungarian Investment and Trade Agency (HITA) have agreed in 2011 on restarting the Suzuki Supplier Program, with the goal of enabling a wider involvement of Hungarian small and medium enterprises in the supplier chain.

The third phase of our investment promotion municipalities targeted activities was completed in the second half of May. Furthermore we strengthened economic ties with the Balkan region. HITA signed a cooperation agreement with Bosnia and Herzegovina Investment Promotion Agency and Republic of Macedonia Investment Promotion Agency and also a Slovenian-Hungarian Innovation Forum was jointly organized by HITA, the Embassy of Republic of Slovenia in Budapest and National Innovation Agency.

At the press conference that was held by HITA Erzsébet Dobos talked about the results of 2012 and Peter Szijjarto about the plans being made realized in 2013. In the relation to the background material we have chosen interesting curiosities from all the way the HITA’s export promotion plan, through up to the potential results of the FDI changes and the results of the „opening towards the East” policy as well as the organizational transformation of HITA. Furthermore we give information about the business delegation that accompanied the Hungarian Prime Minister to Portugal and about the avionics success in Friedrichshafen.

Several events were organized by HITA in the second half of April. All of them aimed to support the Hungarian SMEs’ export efforts and to promote foreign investments. Trade and technical training was organized in Kecskemét and also a training held at the Academy of Suppliers in Székesfehérvár. The innaugural meeting of the recently established Hungarian – Moldavian Joint Economic Committee ended with the signing of an agreement between HITA and MIEPO. The Hungarian instrument production that has a long tradition in medical technology was represented by five national companies in China. Their presence was supported by HITA in the largest Asian medical exhibition.

Successful presence at two international fairs plus two cooperation agreements – this is the quick balance of the first half of April for the Hungarian Investment and Trade Agency.

It is the second time that HITA awarded companies providing the best investment performance. As a new category the best Hungarian suppliers were also recognized. In the second half of March HITA signed a cooperation agreement with State Agency for Investment and National Projects of Ukraine and with the Hungarian Service and Outsourcing Association. Hungarian agricultural machinery manufacturers introduced themselves at the year’s biggest trade fair in Nitra and a large business delegation went to Jordan realizing the government’s new policy regarding the „Eastern Opening”.

HITA spent the first half of March taking part in international exhibitions .We supported the introductions of 12 companies in the CeBIT exhibition in Hanover , which is one of the most important IT exhibitions in the world. 8 companies came with us to the Zuliefermesse in Leipzig. The event is considered to be one of the biggest suppliers’ meeting in Germany. Some Hungarian firms appeared in the Milanese fur and leather exhibition where they realized significant interest in the Hungarian fur products.

The last two weeks was eventful for HITA, what is represented by the following keywords: Budapest, Barcelona, Dubai, Kiev, Lebanon, Rimini; supplies, building industry, ICTs, food industry, furniture industry. Being backed by HITA many Hungarian enterprises introduced themselves in several professional exhibitions while the Supply Department of HITA presented their qualified supplier database. HITA organized businessmen delegation for the journey to Lebanon of the Hungarian Prime Minister. In addition Enterprise Europe Network of Hungary demonstrated their achievement and success at their annual reception.

The Hungarian Investment and Trade Agency (HITA) is the first to set up a supplier database in Hungary. Hungarian companies seeking to supply goods to the automotive and electronic industry and suppliers that wish to broaden their customer base are invited to register. The database is a platform combining the demand of enterprises and the spare capacities of Hungarian companies that occupy a lower tier in the supplier pyramid, thus functioning as a direct, virtual marketplace operated by HITA.

In recent times HITA’s main events were in the fields of business development and export promotion. We supported the travel of fourteen firms to Dubai where one of the largest medical exhibition of THE world, Arab Health took place. We joined in the „Gombold Újra” fashion design competition. From this year on, the annual contest for designers in Hungary is opened up to designers for the other Visegrád Group countries: the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia. With regard to the formal interest and success we advertised our export promotion training called KKV Akadémia (SMEs Academy) again. Our passive houses were active on the Clean Energy Building exhibition in Stuttgart. And we created virtual bridge between Paris and Budapest.