• Description of the Region
• Cluster Profile
• Global Players
• Contact Details

In Hungary, seven statistical regions were adopted by means of the decision taken by the Parliament in 1998. The Region of West Pannonia includes the counties Gy?r-Moson-Sopron, Vas and Zala. The region borders on four countries: on Austria in the west, on Slovenia and Croatia in the southwest and on Slovakia in the north. It has more than 1 Million inhabitants. The territory of the region is 11 183 km2 which constitutes 12 % of the territory of Hungary.

The region West Pannonia has a very high quality of human resources, a high level of economic activity and a low level, of unemployment, approximately 6%. Furthermore, it provides a balanced economic structure consisting of 4% agriculture, 43% industry and 53% services. With respect to the Gross Domestic Product indicator, this region is the second most advanced region of Hungary, after Central Hungary containing the capital Budapest as well. There is a high ratio of foreign investment and the automotive sector is gaining more and more importance The same applies to the machinery parts and ICT manufacturing. One of the regions' most important values is its large attractiveness for tourists guaranteed by thermal water, the natural environment, which was conserved for decades by the Iron Curtain, various cultural programs and its traditional values.

Although the West Pannon Region is one of the most developed regions in Hungary, there is an innovation paradox. The number of researchers employed in the region is half of the Hungarian national level. Therefore, we concentrate on activities such as incitement of innovation, technology transfer and the development of business cooperation networks, which lead to the estabhlising of the Pannon Novum Regional Innovation Agency and the Pannon Business Initiative.

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• Pannon Automotive Cluster (PANAC) was the first cluster ever in Hungary, established in the year 2000. It is strengthening the effectiveness of cooperation between the main automobile firms in the region and its surroundings (such as Audi, Volkswagen, Renault, Suzuki, Mercedes, BMW, Peugeot and Fiat) and the suppliers of the region, it speeds up the formation of new supplier relations, supports the launch of investments aiming at improving competitiveness, enhancing quality and the innovation activities of SME's. Furthermore, it is forming regional business and service networks.
Pannon Wood and Furniture Cluster was established in the summer of 2001 by 15 organisations. Now it comprises more than 100 members such as mainly SMEs, scientific training institutions, industry related and other organisations.
Major tasks of the Cluster include ensuring that wood as raw material leaves the Region processed at the highest possible level, helping SMEs in the wood and furniture industry: be competitive also in the international market and offering low-cost and cost-effective manufacturing processes
• Pannon Thermal Cluster is one of the most successful clusters in the region as it was launched with the help of the Pannon Business Initiative in summer 2001, and is now independent. This cluster aims at developing the West Pannon Region to an internationally important therapy, prevention and recreation centre as well as at increasing the number of overnight stays in general in the region. The members of the cluster gear their activities at finding new guests and being recognised by their common, new image. This may be aided by common product development, marketing and quality management activities. The European Spa World is a cross-border initiative with the Austrian regions Burgenland and Styria, and Slovenia in order to form a common tourist area and to attract more guests.
• Pannon Logistics Cluster has been coordinating major players in the West Pannon logistics market, and works hard to boost their competitiveness by promoting their cooperation, by providing services tailored to their specific needs and by presenting their development plans to the competent regional and national bodies since the autumn of 2005.
  In this globalising world the constantly increasing scale of goods transported makes it vitally important to constantly develop and considerably enhance the range of logistics services offered. In order to adequately meet an increased level of demand and requirements it is also essential for enterprises to establish a voluntary cooperation network.
• Pannon Textile Cluster has been established in 2005 to enhance the competitiveness of the Region's SMEs in the textile industry. Some main activities of PANTEX are establishment of professional cooperation, exchange of professional experiences, organisation of further education, arrangement of practical skill development programmes, creation of training packages and training plans which are adjusted to market demands, market research, organisation of study trips and human resource development.
• Pannon Local Products Cluster has been trying to collect the agricultural produces and handicraft products available in the Region, to promote their effective manufacturing and production, to help producers and manufacturers come forward with a unified marketing image, and to facilitate their market access for two years.
  In addition, it is an equally important objective to enhance local employment and provide local opportunities to ensure income for the people by manufacturing local products and producing in rural areas.
• Pannon Mechatronics Cluster In the nineties, the West-Hungarian region had a lead position in attracting and receiving operating capital into the country. The volume of the investigations into the electronic sector was significant among the streaming capital. Due to this fact, besides the automotive sector, the electronic sector had become an important power at national level, also.
  The Pannon Electronics Cluster (shortly: PANEL) was founded on 20th March 2002.
  Mechatronical turn: In 2002, the confines of organisational operation had been worked out. However, the transformation in the electronics sector, which had been started in 2003 and which still exists today, affected changes within the cluster by the end of 2004.
  In connection with these changes in 2005 the activities of the cluster has been reconsidered and the structure of the cluster has been reorganised. The results were the following:
  • turn to the higher added-value, innovation-oriented high-tech sectors
  • reconsidered industry focus: the focus of the cluster has been extended by mechatronics (mechanics, electronics, informatics)
  • reconsidered structure: the member base was extended by SMEs. The aim is to reach a minimum of 50% SMEs in the cluster.
  A formal change was the change of the cluster name to Pannon Mechatronics Cluster (PANEL).
• Pannon Renewable Energy Cluster The aim of the cluster is to establish a network of organisations and enterprises dealing with renewable energy sources so as to increase the share of the member enterprises on the renewable energy market. The cluster would like to strengthen cooperation among economic organisations, enterprises, governmental and non-governmental organisations, support the member enterprises' innovative activities, and attract new investors.
  Activities:
  • development of a common image
  • network development
  • organising events, providing consultancy in order to increase the proportion of renewable energy usage
  • common research, innovative activities

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In West Pannonia, there are international companies such as:

• Audi Hungaria Motor Ltd.
• Opel Hungary Automotive Ltd.
• Rába Automotive Group
• LuK Savaria Ltd.
• EPCOS Ltd
• Flextronics International Ltd.

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