COMPANY BRIEFS

BD TO DOUBLE SYRINGE PRODUCTION CAPACITY IN TATABÁNYA

Becton Dickinson (BD), one of the world’s leading medical technology companies, has announced an investment, in Hungary, of USD 210 million that amounts to nearly one-fifth of its global development budget earmarked for the upcoming years. The project, which will create more than 300 new jobs, will result in three new production lines thanks to which the production of pre-filled glass syringes can be doubled in the Tatabánya plant, west of Budapest, the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency reports. With a presence in 190 countries, BD opened its pre-filled glass syringe manufacturing plant in Hungary in 2009 and has been continuously developing ever since; therefore, among others, the company has brought the production of product groups requiring high expertise such as biotechnological reagents to Hungary.The US company, which has a history of 125 years, will invest USD 1.2 billion globally in the coming years to improve and expand its manufacturing technology, and one of the most important elements of the program is the Tatabánya project. BD Hungary Ltd.’s development will enable the production of hundreds of millions of syringes, the new production lines are expected to be operational by the end of 2024.

NEW COOPERATION BETWEEN ABBVIE AND GEDEON RICHTER

AbbVie and Gedeon Richter Plc. have announced a new co-development and license agreement to research, develop and commercialize novel dopamine receptor modulators for the potential treatment of neuropsychiatric diseases. The collaboration is based on the results of preclinical research carried out by Richter and includes several new chemical entities selected for development. AbbVie and Richter have collaborated for 15 years on Central Nervous System (CNS) projects, including globally launched products such as cariprazine (VRAYLAR® / REAGILA®). "In collaboration with Richter, we will continue to build on our research that seeks to provide additional insights into our understanding of cariprazine’s clinical pharmacology and explore novel chemistry to identify new dopamine receptor modulators,” according to Tom Hudson, MD, senior vice president, R&D, chief scientific officer, AbbVie. "AbbVie is committed to driving progress and finding solutions for patients living with complex neuropsychiatric conditions," he added. Richter CEO Gábor Orbán stressed that he was “very pleased to extend our existing co-operation under this new collaboration with AbbVie as it opens the way towards new products that could help alleviate the debilitating psychiatric and cognitive symptoms of many neuropsychiatric conditions, leading to an improved quality of life for patients suffering from these conditions around the world... I greatly value AbbVie’s capabilities in the field of development and commercialization of drugs acting on the Central Nervous System and we are looking forward to entering this collaboration on new therapeutic options for patients and doctors.” Under the terms of the agreement, the collaboration includes both preclinical and clinical R&D activities with shared financing by the parties. Richter will receive an upfront cash payment, along with potential future development, regulatory and commercialization milestones. In addition, Richter may also receive sales-based royalties. AbbVie will have worldwide commercialization rights except for traditional markets of Richter, such as geographic Europe, Russia, other CIS countries and Vietnam. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2022, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including applicable regulatory approvals.

NEW BUS FACTORY PRODUCTION HALL IN MOSONMAGYARÓVÁR

The Kravtex-Kühne Group's new 4,000-square-meter production hall was inaugurated in Mosonmagyaróvár, NW Hungary this March, expanding the bus factory's floor space to more than 20,000 square meters. István Krankovics, chairman of the group's board of directors, said that the Credobus plant, part of the Kravtex-Kühne group, has been expanding continuously since 2008, and this is the third stage of the bus factory's investment. The government has contributed a total of HUF 470 million to the HUF 2 billion development. According to a press release issued by the company, the investment has created a domestically-owned bus manufacturing capacity that could supply the entire Hungarian market. After the hall is equipped and the production equipment is installed, 1,000 bus chassis structures can be produced in Kühne and transported to nearby Győr for assembly in multiple shifts from 2023.

NEW AEROPLEX HANGAR INAUGURATED IN BUDAPEST

Talking at the opening event this March, the Managing Director of Aeroplex Central European Aircraft Technical Center Ltd., Árpád Demény said that the new hall at Budapest’s Ferenc Liszt International Airport will create almost 200 new jobs and significantly increase the company's capacity. It is just as important that the development would enable them to offer airlines exceptional services at a European level, he added. The construction of the 8,000-square-meter hangar, which can

ULTRAFILTRATION MEMBRANE PLANT UNDER CONSTRUCTION

The new buildings have been erected and the production of the new manufacturing equipment is also on schedule at the site of the French SUEZ Group in Oroszlány, west of Budapest where the progress of its investment of some EUR 30 million was celebrated in a ceremony this March. By expanding its ultrafiltration membrane manufacturing capacity and building a new storage unit, the project of SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions Hungary Ltd. is aimed at setting up the largest such membrane facility in Europe. Paris-based SUEZ Group that serves 450,000 customers worldwide is one of the most renowned industrial water treatment service businesses in the world. It produces ultrafiltration membrane only in Hungary for both retail and industrial purposes, which is one of the most dynamically developing segments of the water treatment equipment market. The technology is suitable for filtering and purifying water and sewage extensively, thus it is of key importance for the purpose of handling the global drinking water situation. Part of the investment that is set to expand capacity by 30% and create 85 jobs is building a brand-new light-structure storage unit; furthermore, the sewage treatment facility of the company itself will be also expanded. SUEZ doesn’t solely focus on manufacturing: it also operates an R&D center that employs thirty chemists in Oroszlány and nearby Tatabánya, and it is committed to deploy high value-added activities in Hungary.

also be used for the maintenance of wide-body aircraft, cost HUF 10 billion. The investment received government support, the state news agency MTI reports. Aeroplex Central European Aircraft Technical Center Ltd. was established in 1992 as part of Malév Hungarian Airlines and became a partly owned subsidiary. After the airline's dissolution in 2012, it continued as an independent company, but had to be reorganized in 2016 due to losses. The company, which is now wholly state-owned, closed 2019 with a net turnover of HUF 11.7 billion and 2020 with a net turnover of HUF 15.2 billion. Almost half of this revenue came from foreign sales before last year. Profit after tax was HUF 491.5 million forints the year before last and HUF 375.3 million last year, according to the latest public accounts.

company briefs

ESZTERGOM SUZUKI PLANT DOES NOT SHIP TO RUSSIA, UKRAINE COMPLEX DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM AT KTS METALLTECHNIK LTD.

The opening ceremony of a complex corporate development project to be carried out by KTS Metalltechnik Ltd. took place in Bátonyterenye, NE of Budapest this March. Thus, the company will be able to participate as a supplier in the expansion of the electric battery production capacity in Hungary. The development project is to cost HUF 250 million, of which over 50%, that is a HUF 245.72 million conditionally reimbursable European Union funding in the framework of the GINOP PLUSZ economic development program. As part of the complex development, the company is expected to create 30 jobs in the region by building a new assembly hall and to develop its existing human resources by using consultancy and training services. The investment also includes the acquisition of a CNC machining center and an automatic cutting machine. A 15-kW solar panel system will also be installed to ensure sustainability. With the project, which is planned to be completed in the fall of 2023, KTS Metalltechnik Kft., which is 20 years old this year, intends to contribute to the prosperity of the Nógrád region.

Magyar Suzuki has announced that it stopped exporting cars to Russia and Ukraine from March because of the war. The company used to sell around 10,000 new cars a year in the two countries and now wants to sell its ‘remaining’ vehicles in other markets, planning to ensure that this redirection does not affect production levels at the plant. For this reason, production at the Esztergom unit, NW of Budapest, will continue to run in two shifts, according to the announcement. The company said that the biggest challenge remains the chip shortage, but that it is working to address this, and that the Esztergom unit's operations are also being negatively affected by the surge in energy prices and the weakening of the Hungarian currency, the forint. They added that they are trying to mitigate the cost-increasing impact of all these, but at some point, they will lead to an increase in new car sales prices.

SCHOTT EXPANDS MANUFACTURING CAPACITY IN HUNGARY

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The German SCHOTT Group adds manufacturing of pre-fillable glass syringes (PFS) in Lukácsháza, W Hungary to its portfolio in this country. The EUR 76 million investment to be completed by 2024 will create 120 new jobs and is bound to address global demand for the product concerned. 12% of the costs are borne by Hungarian taxpayers through a government decision. Mainz-based SCHOTT produces special glassware, glass ceramics and related high-end material, with its Hungarian subsidiary, SCHOTT Hungary Kft. being the largest pharmaceutical manufacturing plant of the Group. By using cutting-edge technology, syringes can be prefilled with medication in the case of drugs to be Y administered which simplifies the injection process and increases dosing accuracy. High-quality pre-fillable syringes are designed to ease the administration process, ultimately enhancing patient safety. “Our products are used to safely store a wide range of drugs, including vaccines and biologics,” Christian Helbig, Head of Glass Syringes at SCHOTT’s Pharma business unit, said. As part of the company’s global production network in 13 countries, the new production line planned for Lukácsháza, W Hungary will follow high-end processes and advanced quality assurance.

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TDK INVESTMENT IN SZOMBATHELY

TDK, one of the world's leading electronics companies, has decided to build a new factory to manufacture sensors for electric cars in response to market demand for electric cars. A HUF 26 billion investment by the Hungarian subsidiary of the Japanese electronics giant will create 250 new jobs in Szombathely, W Hungary. The Hungarian government is providing HUF 6.6 billion (around a quarter of the total investment costs) to develop this business unit that manufactures sensors for electric cars. TDK Szombathely is one of the most important European electronics development and manufacturing centers of the international TDK group. The company develops and manufactures electronic components for "smart car applications" in Szombathely, such as full keyless opening and starting, automatic high beam control, optical parking assistance systems, lane departure warning systems and various signage systems. TDK is one of the city's largest employers, with a development and production base of around 50,000 square meters in Szombathely. The company, which has been in operation for 22 years, is a Diplomacy-n-Trade.ai 1 2017. 02. 27. 11:22:30 competitive development and manufacturing center for inductors and aluminum electrolytic capacitors, supplying products to numerous automotive customers in Europe and worldwide.