In the successful restructuring of the Hungarian economy since 1990, foreign direct investment was of crucial importance. The continuous inflow of foreign direct investment contributed and contributed decisively to the increase in productivity, technological modernization, the expansion of export capacities necessary for a healthy growth structure and the creation of new jobs.
Most investments were made in the service sector as well as in the competitive industries of the manufacturing industry (production of cars, production of PCs, electronic and optical products).
78.6% of direct investment in Hungary came from the European Union, of which 26.4% came from Germany. Most investments were made in the service sector as well as in the competitive industries of the manufacturing industry (production of cars, production of PCs, electronic and optical products).
Over the past few years, the automotive industry has seen a surge in direct investment. The Daimler Group opened its new, most modern factory in Kecskemét in 2012 and the two car manufacturers Audi (in Győr) and Opel (in Szentgotthárd), which were already established in Hungary, expanded their production capacities. In 2019, BMW starts building its new factory in Debrecen, which will offer more than 1 000 new workplaces in Eastern- Hungary. These developments led to an increase in the number of car suppliers.
The chemical companies supplying the automotive industry also recorded significant developments. One of the largest is the new BorsodChem plant worth € 200 million in Kazincbarcika, or the expansion of the South Korean tire manufacturer Hankook in Rácalmás.
A rapidly developing industrial sector is renewable energy sources. In particular, thermal sources of energy and photovoltaic solar collectors have seen significant developments in recent years.