Nearly 300 guests participated in PwC Hungary’s first Debrecen Business Forum, including Hungarian leaders of the largest multinational companies, to exchange their views on the new development prospects for Eastern Hungary. Prizes were also given to representatives of the most successful local businesses.
On 9 April, PwC Hungary hosted the Debrecen Business Forum 2024, the first in a series of annual business summits, at Debrecen’s Kölcsey Center. In attendance were the leaders of medium-sized and large enterprises who gathered to talk about the future of Debrecen and Eastern Hungary, as well as about current industry and business trends.
Dialogue for the future of Debrecen
“There has never been a business event of this magnitude in Hungary before outside Budapest, which clearly shows the role of Debrecen and the opportunities for the city and the region,” PwC Hungary’s CEO Tamás Lőcsei pointed out in his opening speech. Mr. Lőcsei repeatedly said that the future is being built in Debrecen, Hungary’s second largest city, the region’s knowledge and investment center. PwC Hungary got involved in building this future last November when it announced the opening of a new office in Debrecen. By establishing a local presence, the company is better positioned to provide a full range of services to local and regional businesses.
“At PwC, we look for connections in places where there is both knowledge and opportunity to form new, valuable and future-proof ideas and alliances. Where we can learn from each other and where everyone benefits from dialogue. We believe that trust is the cornerstone of everything we do in business, and it is building trust with our stakeholders that makes us successful in solving important problems,”
“By inviting local and multinational companies, small and large enterprises, educational institutions and business organisations to Debrecen, we are fostering dialogue for a successful future.”
Exponential growth vs. increasing labour shortages
Referring to PwC’s 13th Hungarian CEO Survey, Mr. Lőcsei noted that CEOs in Eastern Hungary (31 out of the 297 respondents) are much more pessimistic about the labour shortage than the national average (81% compared to 48%). They are also more pessimistic about capital shortages, financing and supply difficulties, while addressing HR matters (such as organisational culture, workforce retention, and performance management) has become more of a priority for them (90% of CEOs from Eastern Hungary reported this compared to the national average of 80%). PwC Hungary’s Business Forum and new office in Debrecen provide a platform for discussing these topics, learning from each other, and implementing innovative solutions as widely as possible.
In particular Mr. Lőcsei stressed the importance of supporting innovation, R&D, and education. Concerning the latter, from September 2024, the University of Debrecen will be offering a tax course taught by PwC’s experts. In the next few weeks, PwC will organise professional events on various topics such as transfer pricing, cybersecurity and NIS 2. PwC Academy’s adult education courses on IFRS, accounting, ESG and sustainability matters will also be offered in Debrecen.
In his address, László Papp, Mayor of Debrecen, emphasised the city’s structured economic development strategy and successes in investment promotion, especially the development of the industrial park and related infrastructure. Mr. Papp said: “It is possible to build an economy in the East that is recognised in the West. In the past ten years, thanks to an economic restructuring, Debrecen has been able to catch up with the most dynamically growing cities in Central Europe.”
Debrecen’s highly diversified economy, as well as the qualitative and quantitative improvement of its educational infrastructure, guarantee the city’s and the region’s development. City officials estimate that, by 2030, Debrecen’s economy will grow to six times the size it was in 2020.
“Today, Debrecen contributes to Hungary’s economic development with its unique and robust economy. This is because it has been able to attract industrial enterprises with top-notch technological know-how in the fields of electromobility and energy storage. However, this endeavour will only be successful in the long term if we pay due attention to environmental protection and sustainability. And in this we all have an important role to play,”
Sustainably and corporate synergies are key to success
In the panel discussion following the opening remarks, the CEOs of multinational companies operating in Debrecen (BMW, LEGO, CATL, WizzAir) shared their experiences and expectations regarding the region’s development. All participants agreed that sustainability and building on local capabilities and resources should be a priority for all companies investing in Debrecen and the region.
Marc Olric, international expert at PwC Germany, talked about the economic revitalising effect of generative AI, while Richárd Végh, CEO of the Budapest Stock Exchange, discussed current capital market trends and market opportunities for companies. During a podium discussion, the leaders of the Tranzit Group, Xanga, Hajdu and KITE discussed the prospects, plans for growth, and supplier potential of Hungarian-owned companies operating in Debrecen and the region.
Excellence awards for the most successful local businesses
At the end of the morning session, two awards were presented by Tamás Lőcsei, CEO of PwC Hungary, and László Papp, Mayor of Debrecen. Dr. László Ábrahám, Managing Director of Sensirion Hungary Kft. was awarded the Business Excellence Award 2024 in recognition of his exemplary professional and civic achievements in the economic development of Eastern Hungary. The Company of the Future Excellence Award 2024 went to DataExpert Services Kft. for its innovativeness and significant contribution to the region’s economic development.
The presentations were followed by breakout sessions in three locations. The German-Hungarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DUIHK) organised a panel discussion on the role of technical and R&D activities in the region’s development. The workshop of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hungary (AmCham) focused on a sustainable labour market. The Hajdú-Bihar County branch of the National Association of Entrepreneurs and Employers (VOSZ) examined the relationship between generational change and digitalisation in the breakout session on the features of successful companies.
Business Excellence Award 2024
Dr. Ábrahám László
Company of the Future Excellence Award 2024
DataExpert Services Kft.
Notes to editors:
PwC, one of the world’s leading business consultancy firms, announced the opening of a new office in Debrecen last November. PwC has been present in Hungary for over thirty years, providing assurance, tax and legal, and advisory services to clients. In addition to these three key areas, we also provide specialised services tailored to our clients’ needs. Now we are bringing our services closer to businesses in Debrecen and Eastern Hungary.
You can find earlier press materials on our website.
Our most recent Sustainability Report is available on our Corporate Responsibility website.
With offices in 151 countries and more than 327,000 people, we are among the leading professional services networks in the world. We help organisations and individuals create the value they’re looking for, by delivering quality in assurance, tax and advisory services. If you would like to find out more about our firm, please visit us at www.pwc.hu.
© 2024 PwC. All rights reserved. In this document, “PwC” refers to the PwC network and/or one or more of its member firms in Hungary, each of which is a separate legal entity. For more information, please visit http://www.pwc.com/structure.
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