Debrecen4U September 26, 2025

A new era in the automotive industry, a new era in the life of the city: BMW Group Plant Debrecen has been handed over

No region has made such progress in such a short time as Debrecen, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said at the handover.

On Friday, the BMW Group Plant Debrecen was officially handed over, where the series production of the first model of the Neue Klasse, the recently introduced all-electric iX3, will soon begin. One hundred thousand cars will roll off the production lines each year.

Hans-Peter Kemser: This is just the beginning.

At the opening, Hans-Peter Kemser, President and CEO of BMW Group Plant Debrecen, thanked those who participated in its creation. He highlighted that after a comprehensive and thorough analysis of many regions in Europe, Debrecen was found to be the most suitable location. Strong and committed partners, excellent infrastructure, and reliable suppliers—these are what created the conditions for the implementation of such a large and ambitious project, according to Hans-Peter Kemser. “This is just the beginning of a unique and long-term successful cooperation between BMW and the city of Debrecen,” he explained, adding that in addition to providing jobs for more than 2 ,000 people, they also actively cooperate with Debrecen as the city’s cultural and educational partner. “Today we celebrate the results achieved: the handover of a modern, world-class factory,” he said and emphasized that they are committed to setting new standards in the fields of efficiency, innovation, and sustainability. “Sustainability has always been our fundamental guiding principle. The Debrecen plant will operate entirely on sustainable, renewable electrical energy,” he concluded.

László Papp: A new era for the European automotive industry begins in Debrecen.

“I welcome you to the opening of the world’s most modern, most sustainable, and most forward-looking factory—in short, the BMW plant in Debrecen,” László Papp began his speech at the opening. The mayor of Debrecen emphasized, “Today we are also writing history here in Debrecen. Today is the result of many years of work, which opens a new era in the life of Debrecen and the eastern region of the country.The big cities further west of us found the path to development sooner, and for a long time it seemed that the big cities of the eastern part of the country, the Great Plain, would not be competitive enough compared to the historically more developed, more industrialized cities of central and western Hungary. However, the people of Debrecen always want to be better, bigger, and more successful. So we had no choice but to seize every opportunity from 2014 that would help the development of this city. For us, this day is about faith, Debrecenism, and the ability to fight.” He added, “We can proudly say that the new era of the European automotive industry begins in Debrecen. The Debrecen plant is the starting point of the new era of the European automotive industry. Debrecen has entered the world’s most elite league in terms of economic development. We have increased our industrial areas tenfold; one million square meters of industrial real estate have been built, and thanks to this, more than 10,000 new jobs have been created. In 10 years, we have caught up with the leading edge of Europe,” the mayor stressed. Finally, he thanked those who helped this process. “I would like to thank Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his government for the special attention and support, which made it possible for Debrecen to become not only the guardian of freedom but also a guardian of the Hungarian economy. I would also like to thank BMW’s management, especially Oliver Zipse, for sticking with his decision throughout, even in the most difficult times, and today we can stand at the gates of the future,” he concluded.

Oliver Zipse: The Debrecen plant is the master plan for the future of car manufacturing.

Oliver Zipse, CEO of the BMW Group, said that today a new chapter in BMW’s history is being opened. “The BMW Group is one of the few players in our industry that is truly global. Our production network includes 32 locations on four continents. More than 30 million parts are delivered to these locations every day,” he detailed. According to the CEO, this network is now being expanded with the most modern, most advanced technology factory of our time: the new Debrecen facility. “The BMW iFACTORY, which you can see here, is the master plan for the future of car manufacturing. This is not just another factory—it means efficient, sustainable, and digital production,” he pointed out. He said that three significant milestones can be celebrated on the opening day. “Firstly, a new factory. This is a significant investment that clearly shows that BMW is thinking long-term but is also able to make quick and decisive decisions. Secondly, in this new plant, we will start producing a completely new model—one that has never been produced in any of our other factories before. For the first time in the brand’s history, we have decided to build a brand-new factory and start producing a completely new model in it at the same time. Thirdly, the BMW iX3 model is just the beginning of something much bigger: it will start a completely new vehicle generation that will redefine the BMW brand,” he said. Oliver Zipse highlighted in his speech that Debrecen is a factory of superlatives. As he put it, “If we have to decide today, we would choose this city just as we did seven years ago.” Finally, he highlighted the importance of their “Virtual Factory,” meaning digital manufacturing, which allows them to simulate production processes in advance. He also drew attention to sustainability, which will characterize the entire plant. According to him, the Debrecen plant can be a good example for the entire automotive industry.

Viktor Orbán: From today on, you can also drive a BMW on the road to success.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán recalled that when he and then-Chancellor Helmut Kohl agreed on Hungarian-German industrial cooperation in 1998, this is how they imagined it would be. “The size is fantastic and impressive; the quality is fantastic and impressive,” he pointed out, adding that only good things came out of the cooperation between German car manufacturers and Hungary. As he said, “BMW is a popular car in Hungary. We Hungarians love the pace and the brave shifts; we love going across the road, but at the same time we expect stability and safety, and a BMW is such a car. BMW is a cool car, and we like to think of ourselves this way. I wish that more and more Hungarian families could afford to own a BMW. Fortunately, there is a path that is not only sufficient for survival and staying afloat but also leads to success, development, and a secure future. We feel that we, Hungarians, are on this path, and from today on we can also move forward on this path with BMW, and even the entire BMW Group can come with us. Not isolation, but connection; not slowing down, but speeding up; not over-regulating, but remaining flexible; not raising taxes, but lowering them; not dictating to companies, but working with them; not pushing the green transition against companies, but together with them,” he listed. As he said, people in Debrecen are aware of this, with German, Hungarian, and Chinese engineers working side by side, bringing the world’s most advanced technologies to Debrecen. He emphasized that the factory alone will create 3,000 jobs in Debrecen, and he congratulated the city on the fact that industrial development is taking place in such a way that Debrecen has been named one of the three finalists in the European Green Capital competition.

The Prime Minister emphasized that no region has made such progress in such a short time as Debrecen.

Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu