Central Europe is an active shaper of the future of transport

A conference about ‘The Future of Transport’ was held in the European Parliament, where the ZalaZONE proving ground facility in Zalaegerszeg was presented. Fidesz’s Vojvodina MEP Andor Deli as the host of the event, emphasized that the Central and Eastern European region – including Hungary – actively plays its part in technological developments affecting the automotive industry. Former Minister of Innovation and Technology László Palkovics reminded: the Hungarian government provides significant support to companies engaged in research and development, thereby repositioning Hungary on the vehicle industry map. They pointed out: the ZalaZONE proving ground is a fine example of the research and test environment developments created with the help of the government.

“The aim of the event is to demonstrate how the Central and Eastern European region, including Hungary, can participate in shaping the future of transport. Huge technological changes are taking place in the automotive industry. It is essential that we also play our part in influencing these processes,” emphasized the Fidesz MEP in his opening speech.

“Cars must be equipped with a control system that supports, complements, or, where appropriate, completely takes over human control capabilities. Therefore, in 2016, the Hungarian government decided to support companies operating in Hungary, which are mainly involved in production but increasingly in research and development, by creating a test infrastructure. The government’s decision regarding the construction of the ZalaZONE proving ground was the best possible decision, thus repositioning Hungary on the vehicle industry map,” said László Palkovics in connection with the event.

“We have something to show the audience in Brussels and something to be proud of, because with the help of the Hungarian government, very intensive construction has taken place in recent years. It is not only about foreign investments in the automotive industry but also about the creation of a real Hungarian research and development environment. One of the best examples of this is the automotive proving ground in Zalaegerszeg, i.e. the ZalaZONE project,” MEP Deli pointed out.

Background: The event was jointly organized by Fidesz MEP Andor Deli and the EuroAtlantic Zrt. Presentations were held by László Palkovics, managing director of Autóipari Próbapálya Zala Kft., and Zoltán Hamar, managing director of AVL ZalaZone Kft. At the end of the event, Dorien Rookmaker, a Dutch ECR MEP, also shared her thoughts on the ZalaZONE project.