Organised by Swinburne University and the Hungarian Consulate in Melbourne, the event was themed around innovation as a means to connect local Australian businesses to Central and Eastern European markets and promote cooperation with universities and reserach centres across the Visegrad countries in particular.

Péter Bakonyi, Head of the Hungarian Consulate in Melbourne talked about the growing interest in the Central European Business Forum over the past three years. The Smart Hungary exhibition was a most spectacular addition to this year’s programme presenting how the legacy of Hungarian scientists, inventors and innovators lives on today, he said.

Rita Vago, Foreign Affars Attaché of the Hungarian Consulate introduced the core idea of the exhibition initiated and collected by the Hungarian NRDI Office and supported by the Science Diplomacy Department of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Smart Hungary showcases some outstanding achievements of Hungarian scientific and innovative talents in the past and their contemporary counterparts. The primary concept is to demonstrate a living connection between the past and the present, to make you understand that mankind has always faced similar challenges throughout the centuries and the approaches to solving the challenges have also shown similarities. Not only the content but also the manufacturing of the installations stand for Hungary’s innovative entrepreneurship. All parts of the exhibition are made of recycled cardboard and are uniquely produced by Terbe Design, an advanced Hungarian SME.