By joining EIT Digital, Hungary has “become a part of the digital elite” and its research and innovation potential now makes up part of one of Europe’s top research centres, Zoltán Balog said at an event organised by EIT Digital.

He said the Hungarian hub of EIT Digital could create hundreds of new jobs, namely in the R and D units of Ericsson Hungary, Magyar Telekom, Nokia Hungary as well as small and medium-sized firms.

Balog said the government plans to continue to increase its R and D budget, with spending in this field reaching 1.8 percent of GDP by 2020. The government also plans to help expand the number of researchers in Hungary by 40 percent over the coming years. Over the past ten years, the number of full-time researchers in Hungary has increased from 1,550 to 2,500, he said.

Hungary’s membership in the research consortium is an acknowledgement that the country can be a viable partner to western European “brain trusts”, Balog said, adding that the membership would also make Hungary an attractive destination for talented researchers, developers and promising business ventures.

The Budapest hub of EIT Digital was established in 2012 with the aim of speeding up the development of innovation in Hungary and central and eastern Europe.

Photos: www.facebook.com/EITDigital

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.