Széchenyi István University has finished its initial cooperative activities with its new corporate partner in connection with its Science and Innovation Park located in the Győr campus neighbourhood. The university plays a defining role in the development of the national drone industry, similarly Rotors & Cams Zrt. is an important player in this sector – their relationship goes beyond research-development and serves to strengthen the continual education and training development of professionals in the field.
Széchenyi István University builds its activity on broad industry partnerships, which help to expand such fields of innovation activities with new and significant cooperation projects. A major example is the “Establishing a Science & Innovation Park at Széchenyi István University ”, known by its identification number GINOP-2.3.1-20-2020-00005. This project focused on the reconstruction of the iconic building of the former biscuit factory in Győr and its filling of strategic tenets. Therefore the university, in connection with this, made a long-term agreement with the important national player in the unique UAV systems market, Rotors & Cams Zrt.
The goal of the agreement was to create a long-term relationship within the framework of the emerging innovation program between the university and corporate partners, which provides an opportunity for the creation of joint extended research projects that are easily commercialised. The Széchenyi István University is a significant player in the realms of national drone research and this is why it possesses a strong competence and capability to support corporate partners. In turn corporate partners – as market participants – also can help to support the market introductions of university inventions and related methodology processes. In regard to Rotors & Cams Zrt, the parties want to collaborate on joint tutoring programs to further develop drone usage and technology in Hungary and beyond.
At the cooperation agreement’s signing ceremony, Gábor Dósa, Head of the Centre for Higher Education and Industrial Cooperation at Széchenyi University, emphasised that the partnerships established within the framework of the Innovation Park serve the strategic goals of the university. The results of joint research, development, and innovation activities will also be translated into joint technology exploitation and the creation of new patents.
“One of the most important aspects is to ensure that these collaborations have an impact on education, thereby increasing the number of master’s and doctoral students and producing even higher quality research results. The aim is to bring industry closer to the students, to establish direct contact between them, which can be translated into thesis and scientific student conference topics – publications, practical projects and later into job opportunities,” he said.
Gábor Dósa, Head of the Centre for Higher Education and Industrial Cooperation of Széchenyi István University, Zsolt Molnár, CEO of Rotors & Cams Zrt., and Prof. Dr. Ferenc Friedler, Vice Rector and Scientific President of Széchenyi István University, signed the cooperation agreement.
Following the event, Zsolt Molnár, CEO of Rotors & Cams Zrt., emphasised that Széchenyi István University today offers one of the most extensive innovation portfolios for both students and economic players. “Together with the university, we are planning projects that will create added value for the drone technology industry and economic participants,” he stressed. One example of a unique Hungarian innovation in the industry today also has a Győr connection, is ProTAR, a globally unique air defence target drone developed by Rotors & Cams Zrt. Furthermore, the company is very committed to the city of Győr, with their planned activities with the Széchenyi University of Győr in mind, have decided to set up their first branch outside Budapest in the Science & Innovation Park located here.
Prof. Dr. Ferenc Friedler, Rector and Vice President for Academic Affairs of Széchenyi István University, said that the institution is building its activities upon a broad partnership program, in which innovative companies at the forefront of technological development are integrated and play a significant role in the program’s success.
“These professional collaborations also contribute to ensuring the supply of highly qualified professionals, as our students can acquire up-to-date knowledge, practical skills and competences that are relevant and market valuable,” he said. He added that the university’s new innovation park will create a place for long-term scientific collaboration that will ensure the joint development of cutting-edge technologies and the professional career paths of its graduates.
Founded in 2014, Rotors & Cams Zrt. is a leading player in the domestic market for unique UAV systems. Its solutions cover a wide range of industry, security and military applications. The company offers its partners the development, production, and deployment of customised, optimised multi-rotor, fixed-wing and hybrid drone systems with integration of state-of-the-art technologies. One of the company’s outstanding developments is the ProTAR drone designed to support air defence capabilities, which was commissioned by the Hungarian Defence Forces.
The Széchenyi István University bases its vision on sustainable development and advanced technologies. With its wide-ranging competencies in 11 disciplines, it contributes to strengthening the region’s competitiveness and global recognition by carrying out valuable research, development and innovation activities in areas such as drone technology. It offers its approximately 14,000 student strong community practical training, advanced contemporary knowledge bundled together in a valuable diploma to enter the labour market in cooperation with industry leading corporate partners.