Participants at the Nyugat-magyarországi Economic Forum 2026 warned that Hungarian companies are behind the EU average in applying artificial intelligence (AI) and that a strategic technological transition is becoming unavoidable amid macroeconomic and industry restructuring. Experts at the conference said that integrating digital tools into business processes is increasingly a competitive necessity rather than a discretionary upgrade.
The situation in numbers
According to a recent Eurostat study, 20 percent of EU firms with more than ten employees use AI in daily operations, while in Hungary the share is only 10 percent. Grafton Recruitment’s survey, presented by business unit leader Farkas Tamás, found that 38 percent of domestic companies do not plan to introduce AI at all. At the same time, employee demand for corporate training jumped from 40 to 70 percent.
AI should reduce burden, not simply replace people
Pál Benedek, co-founder of Nexly, told the conference: "AI does not replace the person; it replaces the burden." He argued that deployments should start in areas where outcomes can be quantified. Based on his experience, roughly 90 percent of tasks fall into a hybrid category where humans and machines collaborate. He gave practical examples: voice-based assistants save commercial representatives about 25 minutes per store, enabling two additional partner visits per day, and offer-preparation processes can shrink from two–three days to two–three hours.
As Pál Benedek put it: "We should not use AI to halve our team size, but to get much more out of the team we already have."
Integration and HR challenges
Panelists highlighted substantial human-resources challenges tied to technological transition. Varga Zoltán, Operational Director for HR, Corporate Services, Legal and Compliance at Magyar Suzuki, said organizations should first establish principles around time savings, quality improvement, and decision-preparation when adopting ChatGPT-like tools. Kiss Gergely, chairman of Attrecto and a board member of Signifer Group, urged focusing on self-education and critical thinking rather than fearing job loss, warning that those who do not adapt risk having their jobs taken by AI.
Industrial restructuring: pressure and opportunity
Speakers discussed pressures on the automotive and manufacturing sectors from structural issues in German industry, intensive Asian competition, and the technological shift associated with electrification and AI. They argued that Hungary’s manufacturing must pivot toward higher-value segments — such as defence and AI-related production — to remain viable.
Participants noted that Central and Eastern Europe became a manufacturing hub over recent decades, but higher energy costs, rising wages and weakening competitiveness have made a low-cost labour model unsustainable. Boross Ákos, Managing Partner of Moore Hungary, said cyclical demand declines can be addressed with liquidity management, while technological transformation requires complex financing structures and long-term strategic investment.
A company’s turnaround: the Büttner example
Ifj. Büttner Tamás, CEO of Büttner Kft., reported that the company’s production was once 80 percent tool-making, of which about 70 percent went directly to Western European and German export markets; today that share has fallen to roughly 10 percent. To replace lost volumes, the firm launched four–five R&D and innovation projects and shifted to producing components related to chip manufacturing and defence industry products — for example, firearm suppressors — financing expansion with Moore’s advice and venture capital.
Multinational tech presence and new supplier roles
Speakers also emphasised the rising importance of a multinational technology sector for diversification: the Komárom-based Foxconn’s export volume is estimated to reach the combined exports of three German carmakers’ Hungarian operations. Németh Gábor, Deputy Vice President for Operations and Business Units at Foxconn Group, said Hungary should stop acting as an economic sidecar to other nations and instead become a primary supplier for new technology waves.
Future growth opportunities were identified in AI-related hardware manufacturing, defence, and high-engineering niche markets. Market participants urged that economic policy and financing environments prioritise bringing experimental innovations to market and enable the transition to higher value-added production.
Leadership and organisational culture determine success
In the conference’s final presentation, Szabó Tamás, CEO of Strategic Teamwork 24 Kft., argued that the success of strategic and technological transitions depends largely on workplace community quality and leadership structure. Using elite sport as a parallel, he cited the Győri Audi ETO KC women’s handball team’s international successes to illustrate that trust among team members and open communication are critical. He said honest feedback, eliminating toxic atmospheres, and supporting mental health build organisational resilience.
Overall, the forum’s message was that Hungary needs urgent strategic and financing measures to accelerate technological transition, while companies and employees must focus on human-centred integration and training to seize the benefits AI can deliver.
