Debrecen4U October 6, 2025

The University of Debrecen could become a new automotive industry hub

“The University of Debrecen has everything it needs to properly connect to the complex system of the automotive industry from a research and training perspective,” said Professor László Palkovics to hirek.unideb.hu, who will head the institution’s new organizational unit, the Automotive and Artificial Intelligence Coordination Institute, as of October 1.

The strategic goal of the new institute will be, among other things, the horizontal collaboration of the sciences related to vehicles, their technical, autonomous, and energy supply and artificial intelligence operating in various educational units of the University of Debrecen, their border areas, and the coordination of the educational and industrial needs of the organizational units. The institute can plan the development and work of automotive labs and technical equipment in line with these strategic goals and will search for tenders and other sources for development and operation.

Professor László Palkovics, who heads the institute, told hirek.unideb.hu that BMW also decided to choose Debrecen largely because the university offers an ideal environment in several respects.

“The University of Debrecen has been consciously building and developing its training and research concept related to the automotive industry since 2017. The Automotive and Artificial Intelligence Coordination Institute can keep educational and scientific activities related to the automotive industry in an appropriate unity. The university offers a number of training courses that are extremely important for the large company. The automotive industry is currently undergoing significant technological changes; new drive technologies and energy storage options may appear, as a result of which vehicles must no longer be interpreted in isolation but as part of a functioning system. Questions may arise, the answers to which provide countless opportunities for universities. The University of Debrecen is a scientific university that quickly adapts to emerging needs. In this case, it is not only necessary to build on classical engineering training but also on the knowledge of mathematicians, computer scientists, material scientists, and chemists. The University of Debrecen has everything to properly connect to the complex system of the automotive industry from a research and training perspective,” the professor added.

According to László Palkovics, the development of the local automotive industry and the cooperation between the university and BMW are of great importance in education, research, and shaping the social and cultural environment. As he said, “The role of the institute established at the university can be key in this as well.”

“Basically, the automotive industry is a complex thing, and the situation is that whoever can manufacture a car can manufacture everything. We have represented two concepts in the name of the institute. One is artificial intelligence, and the other is the automotive industry. My job is to try to make available the knowledge and experience that I have acquired over the past 40 years, as well as to support the work of the university’s management and operational units. In Kecskemét and Győr, the automotive industry investments have had spectacular results, and these have had a huge impact on the local environment, as well as on scientific and educational workshops. The same can be expected in Debrecen. BMW is a very good partner, as it not only builds the factory consistently but also counts on its partners. The process has already begun, during which several suppliers and automotive industry partners have appeared in the city, and I myself have participated in this work on several occasions. So an ecosystem is starting to develop that needs further support in order for this cooperation to be truly effective,” the expert emphasized.

The head professor also spoke about finishing his work at Széchenyi István University in Győr and having managed to build up a scientific background in the city that was necessary for the university there to not only be able to train but also to be a partner for companies in the fields of vehicle control and artificial intelligence, among other things. His new role in Debrecen is primarily to maintain contact between the university and automotive companies, as well as to support UD’s innovative research activities, which is why he will often appear at the University of Debrecen from now on.

Source:dehir.hu | Photo credit: Facebook Debrecen városa