B. Braun Medical expands in Hungary

The German-owned B. Braun Medical, Ltd. has begun capacity expansion in Gyöngyös, NE Hungary. 407 new jobs will be created by the EUR 100 million investment in collaboration with the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA).

When the project is complete, the Gyöngyös factory will double its manufacture of medical devices. In addition to the expansion, research and development activities and technological developments at the Gyöngyös plant will also increase the value of the products manufactured for export.

The 180-year-old B. Braun Group is one of the world's leading providers and manufacturers of healthcare solutions, with more than 58,000 employees across 64 countries. Its 2016 revenues were EUR 6,471 billion.

According to a report by HIPA, the group is represented in Hungary by three firms: B. Braun Medical Ltd., B. Braun Avitum Hungary Co. Ltd., and B. Braun Trading Ltd. These companies employ 2,000 people in Hungary and the group, with combined revenues of HUF 40 billion (about EUR 130 mn), is one of the largest players in the Hungarian healthcare market.

The group serves many segments within healthcare, including the manufacture and distribution of medical devices, operation of the national dialysis network, development of medical software, and provision of medical training. B. Braun has invested more than HUF 60 billion in Hungary over the past 25 years.

B. Braun Medical Ltd. employs more than 1,000 people at its Gyöngyös factory alone, making it one of the area's largest employers, where it manufactures 800 different types of disposable medical products for international and Hungarian healthcare institutions.

B. Braun Medicals development division is particularly important, as this is where the design of hardware and software for dialysis fittings and software for infusion pumps takes place. 100 Hungarian design engineers are employed in the Budapest office that functions as B. Braun's international medical software development center. Outside of Germany, Hungary is the only location where B. Braun Group carries out R&D.