Chamber of Commerce Corner, March 10, 2023

Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hungary (CCCH)

Guided Tour of MOL Campus

Members of the CCCH will be able to join a guided tour of the new MOL Campus led by Neudoerfler Office Systems. The innovative HQ of MOL Group unites the company’s Budapest operations into a single location and has contributed a fresh element to the city’s iconic skyline. The Campus is a vital component of the MOL’s sustainable vision for 2030, serving as a model for future office spaces.

The building’s distinctive shape combines a 28-story, 143 meters high tower. Its advanced technology controls illumination and temperature and allows all occupants direct access to fresh air, natural light, and scenic views, creating a bright, stimulating environment conducive to productivity.

It aims to achieve Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and Breeam (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) certifications, reflecting its commitment to environmental responsibility.

When: March 30, from 9-11 a.m. • Where: MOL Campus, Dombóvári út 28, 1117 Budapest • For more information, please send email to events@ccch.hu or call +36(30)9939-789.

American Chamber of Commerce in Hungary (AmCham)

Energy in Focus at AmCham’s 1st Business Forum of 2023

Given the recent changes and challenges in the energy sector and wishing to learn about the Ministry of Energy, set up at the end of last year, AmCham invited Minister Csaba Lantos to its Business Forum on February 28.

Regarding the energy strategy of the ministry, Lantos stated that in the short term, it would concentrate on ensuring the security of supply. In the longer term, it wanted to establish a multi-legged system built on transitional energy resources such as natural gas and nuclear energy, as well as renewables such as solar, geothermal energy, biomass, and biogas.

The minister emphasized the role of nuclear energy, including production at Paks I and the planned expansion of Paks II. He also stressed the significance of electrification supporting the long-term goal of moving away from natural gas. Following the presentation, members had the opportunity to ask questions of the minister.

AmCham said the chamber values the opportunity the Business Forum presents to receive first-hand information about strategic areas and for dialogue between crucial decision-makers from the private and the public sectors.

Swiss-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce (Swisscham)

Swisscham HR Café: Motivate to Retain

Swisscham will host a round table discussion for company managers and HR professionals, covering topics such as the current trends and dynamics in the labor market, the significance of employee retention, proven solutions and tools for retaining and motivating the workforce, and how to measure motivation.

When: March 31, 9 a.m.-noon. • Where: Nevis Security Kft., Bókay János utca 44-46, 1083 Budapest • Cost: Free for members, HUF 15,000 / Person (0% VAT) for non-members.

German-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DUIHK)

10th Vocational Training Awards by DUIHK

The 10th DUIHK Vocational Training Award winners will be honored during the chamber’s Vocational Education Day, which will also feature lectures and expert discussions on vocational training in Hungary from the perspective of companies, schools and students. The event will be in German and Hungarian, with translation available. One of the guest speakers will be State Secretary for Higher Education, Innovation and Vocational and Adult Education Balázs Hankó.

When: March 21, from 3:30-8 p.m. • Where: Deutsche Schule Budapest (German School Budapest) Cinege út 8/c, 1121 Budapest. • Cost: Free

Passing the Torch: Successful Generational Handover

The Fejér County Chamber of Commerce and Industry, consultancy firm Emberfejlesztés Kft., and the DUIHK held a sold-out presentation on generational change in German and Hungarian companies. The exchange of experiences showed that succession could and should be prepared step by step, with the involvement of professionals. An important aspect is to draw up a “family constitution” to work on the entry of younger generations and the exit of the older founders.

Jour Fixe 30: Time Travel to the 1990s

The first Jour Fixe of the DUIHK’s 30th anniversary year was dedicated to our founding members and the member firms that joined at the very birth of the chamber in 1993. The venue matched the occasion, as the Kempinski Hotel Corvinus Budapest has been a member for 30 years. In his opening speech, general manager Stephan Interthal invited the guests on a journey through time. The hotel opened its doors on September 11, 1992, as Budapest’s first joint-venture luxury hotel.

Barbara Zollmann, CEO of DUIHK, recalled that in the first year after its establishment by 35 founding members, the chamber had already attracted 400 members. A panel discussion saw guests remember the circumstances of their company foundation and the socio-economic climate of the time.

Rita Mayerné Katona, Director at UniCredit Bank Hungary, pointed out that in the early ’90s, several German banks followed their German clients to Hungary, but there were hardly any Hungarian banking professionals, so many foreigners had to come to the country as expats.

In contrast, Thomas Narbeshuber, managing director of BASF Hungária, stressed that chemistry or physics are the same in every country, so BASF managed to recruit well-qualified employees from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, many of whom are still with the company today.

According to Rezső Rózsai, CEO of KPMG Hungária, one of the secrets of the Big 4 consultancy’s efficiency and success in Hungary is that, since its foundation, German and Hungarian colleagues always jointly attended meetings and negotiations, thus adopting the German corporate culture.

Dale A. Martin, the former CEO of Siemens Zrt. and until 2019, the president of DUIHK, said that transposing the German-Austrian Siemens model to the Hungarian market had given a great deal of flexibility in the days when customs borders still existed.

Keeping its tradition, the Jour Fixe also featured new and long-time members of the chamber, which counted 925 members at the end of 2022.

French-Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIFH)

Can Communication on Sustainability Encourage Employee Engagement?

How can a company’s communication on sustainability strengthen the commitment and involvement of stakeholders? Why is it important to constantly examine ESG standards and communicate the results inside and outside the company? This CCIFH Communication Club event will be presented by Éda Pogány, sustainability and communications manager at Syngenta Seeds EAME.

When: April 4, from 9-10:30 a.m. • Where: MGallery Hotel Nemzeti Budapest, József körút 4, 1088 Budapest. • Cost: HUF 8,500 + VAT for members, HUF 12,750 +VAT for non-members.

This article was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of March 10, 2023.