Rheinmetall Szeged Groundbreaking Ceremony
The groundbreaking ceremony of Rheinmetall's new plant in Szeged was held on Tuesday, March 26.
German giant Rheinmetall will open a new plant at the Szeged Science Park, next to the ELI-ALPS Laser Research Institute. In the first round, a 15,000-square-meter factory will be built on an 85,000-square-meter area, with a 63 million euro investment. Research and development activities will also take place at the factory, planned to open at the end of 2025 and provide jobs for 300 employees. Rheinmetall's Szeged plant will be the automotive and arms manufacturer's twenty-second factory, and its primary goal will be to support electromobility.
The Szeged plant will be the group’s first hybrid site, where civil and defense technology activities will operate under one roof, explained Christoph Müller, head of Rheinmetall's Power Systems Division. Szeged will be the fourth Rheinmetall site in Hungary, alongside the Zalaegerszeg armored vehicle factory, the Várpalota ammunition factory, and the Budapest digitalization center established in partnership with its industrial partner, 4iG, he added.
Müller also presented the device, which will be manufactured at the Szeged plant. The "little box full of technology" as he referred to it converts electricity, thus helping the mobility of cars. The inner structure of the box consists of 2,000 thin layers, and despite its small size, a 60-ton machine is needed for its production, Müller added.
Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, also attending the groundbreaking ceremony, emphasized that the new factory will be one of Europe's defining research and development projects, producing cutting-edge technology which will be a huge step for Hungary in terms of electromobility and hydrogen-powered vehicles.
László Botka, mayor of Szeged, recalled in his speech that the municipality established a joint venture with the university in 2007 to create a world-class laser research center on the city’s outskirts. The plan received support first from the Hungarian government and then from the European Union as well. Mayor Botka also welcomed the opportunity to create 300 new jobs and assured Rheinmetall of the support of the municipality.
Rector László Rovó reminded that the University of Szeged is the country's and the region’s premier higher education institution, and the university strives for close cooperation with companies settling in the region, providing them with skilled workforce.
After the speeches, Szalay-Bobrovniczky, Müller, and Botka were joined by MP Béla Mihálffy, Chancellor of the University of Szeged Judit Fendler, and Managing Director of ELI-ALPS Gábor Szabó, to turn the first sod and sign engraved shovel statuettes, to mark the occasion.
Photos: Szilvia Molnar / Szegedify
