The Russian investors are also arriving faster

The preserving force

Both Russia and Hungary expect that the launch of the Debrecen-Moscow flight will further intensify the Hungarian-Russian cooperation in the field of economy, culture and tourism. The flight, which facilitates on Monday and Friday, creates an upswing in the export market and it has a positive effect on economic co-operation, as well as on the recovery of tourism traffic. At the Hungarian-Russian bilateral economic meeting, which was organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Hajdú-Bihar County, opportunities and future plans were discussed by the representatives of the City, the County, the Chamber and the members of the Russian delegation.

The participants of the meeting were greeted by Zoltán Póser, Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Hajdú-Bihar County. Subsequently, László Papp, Mayor of Debrecen, presented in detail the city's mid- and long-term plans. László Papp declared that Debrecen's population preserving power is one of the best in the region, in which significant business investments play an important role. "Debrecen has a medium and long-term strategic plan. In the medium term, the New Phoenix Plan is a HUF 200 billion development program planned for implementation by 2022-23. The plan focuses on six main areas: economic development and job creation, transport, culture and education, welfare, social and health care. We are the country's most successful city in terms of economic development, "he said, adding that from 2014, more than HUF 200 billion of functioning capital came to us, partly from market participants and partly as EU funding." We are not only looking for support, but we are also active participants in nesting. The city (partly involving private capital) builds a 30,000 square meter office building, as one of our main strengths is the SSC (shared service sector). The Southern Industrial Zone is waiting for investors on hundreds of hectares. One part of the area is suitable for receiving factories, and on the other part an industrial innovation park will be built, where office buildings, shopping centres and hotels will be located. Debrecen has currently the only airport in the region that has air, road and rail connections. This year, we have 310-320 thousand passengers and this number grows every year. The city has set up its investment agency, which simplifies administrative processes. Our local tax system is especially useful for the establishment of technology industries, "he continued.

It has also been said that the city's expressway network is constantly evolving and a new central main railway station is being built. Debrecen will be a similar city to Budapest for the 2020s, since it will be practically accessible from every direction on expressways. "We are a school city, from nursery school to college 80 thousand students are studying in Debrecen. This is a tremendous treasure in the struggle for skilled workforce. By the middle of the 20s, we would like to increase the number of students in Debrecen by 30 percent. The establishment of an international school supports this aim. A similar institution only exists in the capital city.  In 2023, Debrecen would like to become the European Capital of Culture, which is a serious obligation, but it is worth it, "said the city's mayor, according to whom Debrecen is becoming increasingly visible in the international space. This, of course, is quite obvious in view of the fact that in the last three years more than 4,000 new jobs have been created at the county seat.

Be attractive

László Bulcsu, Vice-President of the County Assembly, said that a major tourist destination was developed in Hajdú-Bihar County thanks to the considerable resources provided by the government. "This is in fact a somewhat enlarged, updated, innovative version of the already existing Golden Triangle (Debrecen, Hajdúszoboszló and Hortobágy). The whole sector is getting a new perspective, which mainly focuses on tourism. The county government has one task in connection with the development of tourism, which is to harmonize the county's development outside of Debrecen with the endeavors in the county seat. For example, one of the big projects is a development of a bicycle road that will link Oradea to Lake Tisza. This is a great opportunity for many local settlements to introduce all kinds of tourist attractions to their guests. There are tremendous opportunities in the county's thermal springs. We are also serious about eco- and gastroturism. We have a lot of festivals and they can be accompanied with all sorts of programs. However, it is important to emphasize that within the tourist destination nothing is self-serving, we try to harmonize the various developments, "said the Vice-President.

Knowledge is power

Bakhit Kaskeev, Head of Innovation Technology Center, explained that their task is to unite innovation centers. "Our organization was founded at Moscow University, and today there are a lot of innovation centers throughout the country, that are leased to SMEs in order to help their research and development activities. - We also provide services to science and education institutions, and we support some 70,000 people every year. More than 30,000 new jobs have been created with our intercession. We devote a lot of energy to encourage young people's creative approach when it comes to solving their tasks, therefore, we also provide professional lectures. We employ engineering centres in order to overcome the difficulties caused by the huge geographical distances within our country in the field of innovation. We are a non-profit organization in the service of knowledge technology. We believe that this way the living standard of the population can be increased as well"- he said with conviction.

Danil Khaidukov, Head of the Analytical Department of the Russian Trade and Development Council, said that the journey from Moscow to Debrecen with the first direct flight was very convenient, so this could be a positive message for Russian investors interested in the region. "We signed a 5-year agreement with Debrecen Airport with intent to continue the cooperation. Such a flight brings the business community closer and it can lead to a higher level of bilateral relations. We are here to help Russian companies to appear on the international arena in order to increase their exports. We have an agreement with over 50 international organizations on global integration. Of course, partnership is essential to this. Today's event proves that the City of Debrecen, the University and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Hajdú-Bihar County have recognized the common interest of the future"- he said with appreciation.