Offering High-Quality Business Services

It was at the end of May this year that the German-Hungarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DUIHK) elected Dr. Róbert Keszte as its new President. He emphasized that he would work in this position to ensure that the opinions and initiatives of the DUIHK are heard and taken into account in the dialogue with economic policy makers as well as provide optimal support to the highly diverse membership in their business activities and represent their interests effectively.

This November, the DUIHK held a large-scale German-Hungarian Business Forum in Debrecen, E Hungary. Explaining the location, the President highlights to Diplomacy&Trade that in recent years, the DUIHK has become increasingly active in key industrial regions outside Budapest. “After all, around 40% of our members are based there, and with the regional branches of companies from central Hungary, the figure is even higher. Debrecen is the center of one of Hungary's most dynamic economic regions. A large ecosystem of manufacturers, suppliers and service providers has sprung up around the recently opened BMW plant. German companies are strongly represented in the region, with 30 Chamber members active in the three eastern counties alone.”
He adds that they received strong support from the city. Mayor László Papp was personally committed to the forum, and the city’s development agency EDC was a very professional partner in organizing it. The main aim of the forum was to strengthen networking between companies, economic development institutions and educational and research institutions from both countries. Vehicle manufacturing was naturally an important topic, but the forum also focused on strengthening SMEs, cooperation with suppliers and the role of regional industry clusters.

No noticeable recovery expected
Commenting on the results of the latest DUIHK economic sentiment survey, also published this November, the President says member companies expressed very cautious expectations regarding their business in the coming year. On average, they do not anticipate any noticeable recovery in their own business operations, and thus, investments and employment are only expected to stabilize at current levels, rather than seeing a significant upturn. “In other countries in the CEE region, some reported a notably more optimistic sentiment, but others perform similarly poorly as Hungary. Companies see weak domestic and foreign demand as the greatest risk to their business, but the rapid rise in labor costs as well as economic policy are also among their key concerns,” he points out.

Readiness to innovate
DUIHK has recently hosted a sourcing tour of German companies to Hungary. Róbert Keszte emphasizes that connecting and matching German companies with suppliers and production partners in Hungary has for decades been a key element of the Chamber’s activities. “We do this for individual companies, but also as part of large events such as our sourcing tours. This gives German companies an insight into the Hungarian economy and the Hungarian procurement market and allows them to present themselves to potential partners, followed by one-on-one meetings to explore possibilities of business cooperation in more details. At the most recent event, procurement managers from seven German companies conducted over 100 meetings with around 80 Hungarian companies. Visits to production sites and relevant stakeholders in Hungary are also part of such events, with the range of industries covered extending from the metal industry to mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and electronics to the plastics industry.”
Regarding the German buyers' expectations, it has been found that they focus increasingly on suppliers' capabilities and readiness to innovate – they should no longer be mere contract manufacturers but should drive product innovation themselves and work with customers to jointly increase competitiveness, he says.

Study trips to Germany
There are study trips regularly organized by DUIHK to Germany as part of its activities to promote Hungarian-German business opportunities. “We bring Hungarian participants into direct contact with important players in the respective industry in Germany. The trips always focus on a specific industry or technology and are often combined with a visit to one of the many international trade fairs in Germany. The trips allow participants to learn about innovative technologies and manufacturing solutions, for example during company visits in Germany. At the same time, they have the chance to establish direct contacts with potential business partners. This year alone, we have organized eight such study trips, e.g. in booming industries such as defense, aerospace, recycling and waste management and energy, but also on topics such as supplier development,” the DUIHK President notes.

Training programs
Education and dual vocational training are another important activity at the German-Hungarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce as well-skilled, motivated staff is a key factor for the success of companies. That is why vocational training and adult education have always been extremely important to the DUIHK, according Róbert Keszte. The Chamber’s Knowledge Center (DUWZ) therefore offers companies a wide range of training programs, particularly in the areas of management and soft skills, vocational training, courses for industrial professionals as well as on energy efficiency, ESG and industry standards. “Our focus is on practical relevance and tangible benefits for companies. Our newest trainings include courses on AI management, digitalization and the usage of AI in industry. In our energy management courses (Eurem), participants can implement cost-saving projects in their own companies already during the training period. Companies especially appreciate the fact that we use proven and certified German teaching content and formats and provide graduates with certificates according to German standards,” he adds.

Providing optimal support
Róbert Keszte was elected Chairman of DUIHK some six months ago. Regarding his first experiences at the top of the Chamber and his priorities for his term, he underlines that
he had been a member of the Chamber's Board already since 2024, “so, when I was elected President, I was able to draw on my experience of working on the Board and on a motivated and well-coordinated team of board members. As President, you naturally have a different perspective and bear more responsibility for the whole organization. However, my key ambition did not change: to provide optimal support to our highly diverse membership in their business activities and to represent their interests effectively. During my term, I would like ensure that member companies find the best possible conditions for sustainable investment. This also includes raising awareness of the paramount importance of German companies and the German economy as a whole for the Hungarian economy. And finally, we will continue to offer companies in both countries high-quality business services – for market entry, training activities and increasing their long-term competitiveness.”