The Business Meets Government Summit, hosted in partnership with the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency-HIPA on October 16, brought together key stakeholders from the business community, government, and academia for the 11th time to address Hungary’s competitiveness and sustainable growth. This year’s discussions focused on the key drivers of competitiveness, from AI and EU regulation to skills, innovation, and cooperation.
Opening Remarks and Key Messages
Kicking off the event, Ákos Janza, President of AmCham Hungary, highlighted the power of collective action to build a resilient and forward-thinking business environment.
“In such a complex and fast-changing environment, unity is more important than ever. We must cooperate to ensure that regulations support innovation and growth enabling businesses to operate in a clear, predictable, and stable environment” –Janza stated.
István Joó, Government Commissioner, CEO of the Hungarian Investment Agency pointed to record investment activity, noting that in the first eight months of 2024–2025, HIPA supported 115 reinvestment projects, representing 83% of all projects.
The program continued with a keynote address by Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, who spoke about the state of trade partnerships, highlighting an upturn in relations and investment volumes from the U.S. in recent months.
Barnabás Virág, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Hungary, outlined the global economic outlook before turning to Hungary’s economic direction, stressing the importance of keeping inflation in check, advancing wage convergence, driving productivity through AI, and diversifying the energy mix— all essential to maintaining stability and driving sustainable growth.
Expert Insights and Roundtable
In his presentation, Tamás Móró reflected on recent dynamics of global power relations and their implications for the EU emphasizing the need of encouraging investment in technology and training while avoiding over-regulation.
A roundtable discussion with regional experts shared valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities for Hungary and the CEE region to strengthen their competitive edge in the global market. Panelists underlined the need for more agile, innovation-friendly regulatory frameworks at both national and EU levels to attract FDI and talent and turn research into market-ready innovation. They also touched upon the impact of AI and digitalization on competitiveness, noting that Europe has considerable potential for growth in AI adoption. At the same time, the U.S. and China are currently setting the pace.
Policy Agenda 2026–2030
A key highlight of the Summit was the launch of AmCham’s Policy Agenda 2026–2030.
Írisz Lippai-Nagy emphasized that the document, built around three core pillars — A Competitive and Inclusive Workforce, A Predictable and Attractive Business Environment, and Smart and Sustainable Growth — was developed over ten months of close collaboration with members. It sets out the Chamber’s strategic advocacy priorities and provides a solid foundation for continued dialogue with policymakers. The launch of the publication also set the stage for further discussion during the afternoon breakout sessions.
Breakout Sessions
The afternoon program featured three breakout sessions, each focusing on a key area of Hungary’s competitiveness.
The Business Environment session focused on creating a competitive taxation and incentive system to attract FDI and discussed how this can be supported by a predictable regulatory framework and reduced administrative burdens to help businesses plan and grow with confidence.
The Healthcare session examined how Hungary can boost the competitiveness of its life sciences sector by attracting investment and fostering stronger public–private collaboration, with a focus on innovation and long-term sustainability.
The AI – Sustainable Growth session focused on how artificial intelligence can be harnessed responsibly to drive innovation, productivity, and economic growth, while ensuring that technological progress supports sustainable development.
The event concluded with a clear takeaway: shared action, smart regulation, investment in people, and digital transformation are key to building a competitive and sustainable Hungary.
We would like to thank our event partners for their support in bringing the Summit to life, including Andersen, Aumovio, BT, Citi, Deloitte, ExxonMobil, EY, Howmet, Iron Mountain, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, Medtronic, Novartis, PwC, Roche, and TATA Consultancy Services