According to a statement from the ministry, the American medical device manufacturer, a global market leader in its field, is launching a new investment worth approximately HUF 17 billion, which includes the construction of a sterilization facility next to its existing syringe plant. The Hungarian government is supporting the project with HUF 3 billion.
The minister noted that the development is strategically important not only for Hungary but also for Becton Dickinson’s global operations, as the new plant will be unique within the company’s worldwide network, which operates in 61 countries.
Szijjártó welcomed the fact that nearly one-third of the company’s suppliers are already Hungarian, adding that the investment will further strengthen opportunities for local businesses. He also emphasized that the company supports vocational training for young people and that 98 percent of the products manufactured in Környe are destined for export markets.
He pointed out that the plant’s annual production capacity, currently around 700 million units, is expected to nearly double, approaching 1.5 billion units. Referring to lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, he stressed the importance of striving for self-sufficiency in the production of medical devices.
The minister said Hungary’s recent economic successes are largely due to the country’s ability to maintain competitiveness despite successive crises, a strength rooted in the knowledge, skills, and diligence of Hungarian workers and engineers.
He strongly rejected disparaging political narratives that describe Hungary as an “assembly plant,” arguing that assembling essential products requires expertise, preparation, and high-level skills in today’s economy. Speaking on behalf of workers employed in Hungarian factories, he said such dismissive remarks should be firmly rejected.
Szijjártó also highlighted that industrial output in Komárom-Esztergom County has tripled over the past decade, surpassing HUF 5,000 billion last year for the first time, while unemployment has fallen to around 2.5 percent. He attributed this performance partly to government support for 141 major investments in the county over the past ten years, totaling approximately HUF 2,000 billion.
Despite recent global and regional crises, including the war in neighboring Ukraine, Hungary has achieved major economic milestones, he said, citing the creation of one million new jobs, the preservation of regulated household utility prices, and Europe’s lowest labor taxes.
The minister concluded by noting that the past four years have been the most successful period in Hungary’s economic history in terms of investments, with American companies playing a particularly significant role. He added that record-breaking U.S. investments demonstrate that “new winds are now blowing” in Hungarian–American economic relations.