Brussels, Thursday 23 May 2024 (MTI) – Hungary spends a total of HUF 34 billion a year on internationalisation programmes that fund research anywhere in the world that will advance our economic interests, Balázs Hankó, State Secretary for Higher Education, Innovation, Vocational Training and Adult Education of the Ministry of Culture and Innovation (KIM), said in Brussels on Thursday.

The National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NRDI Office) has announced a new HUF 8 billion call to support the launch of international research projects led by excellent Hungarian research teams and involving the world’s top universities and research institutes focusing on solving social and economic challenges of importance to Hungary and worldwide.

The OTKA programme, which has been supporting Hungarian scientific research for almost four decades, continues from 2024 under the name of the National Research Excel-lence Programme (NKKP), renewed in line with the highest international standards. For this purpose, following last year’s allocation of HUF 13.5 billion, this year a significantly increased grant fund of HUF 19 billion is available, which exceeds the previous amount by over 40%. The distribution of these funds will be decided by the newly established Re-search Council of Hungary, led by Hungarian Nobel laureate physicist Ferenc Krausz, based on the recommendations of international professional evaluation committees.

On 30 April 2024, the Hungarian Association for Innovation (MISZ) held a board meeting at the Bécsi út Campus of its member institution, Óbuda University. An unusual and unique item on the agenda of the meeting was the signing of a long-term tripartite strategic cooperation agreement.

Budapest, 26 March 2024 – Hungary’s innovation scene sprang to life again when the 2023 Hungarian Innovation Grand Prix and 7 other innovation prizes were awarded on 26 March 2024 in the Upper House of the Hungarian Parliament.

This text is a practical, easy-to-understand guide on how Hungarian institutions can join consortia and implement tasks in Horizon Europe while the Council Decision 2022/2506 is in effect.