The 97th SWHEC Benchmarking meeting was hosted at the premises of Hidrofilt Ltd. in Nagykanizsa. Drinking water produced with Hidrofilt technology is consumed by more than 1.2 million people in Hungary and almost 2.7 million people worldwide. The aim of the event was to exchange experiences between the cluster members on the business year 2024 and the outlook for 2025.
The event was opened by Balázs Csirke, Chairman of the SWHEC and Krisztina Borsos, Managing Director of Hidrofilt Ltd. Afterwards, the participants were invited to a plant visit where they could gain insight into the development and manufacturing processes of innovative water treatment solutions. The activities of Hidrofilt Ltd. provide solutions to a number of sustainability issues, including the removal of heavy metals, solvents, pharmaceutical residues, oils, paints, wastewater recycling and seawater desalination.
Company profile and market trends
At SWHEC’s 97th benchmarking meeting, cluster members discussed the experience of the 2024 financial year and the outlook for 2025. Several companies have successfully opened up into new industries such as electromobility, food, pharmaceuticals and waste water treatment, while others have expanded into railways, energy and defence.
Deferring investment in the automotive and construction sectors has been a challenge for some members, while other sectors such as chemicals and food have provided some stability. Many companies are developing from their own resources due to limited funding.
Cluster members are basically optimistic about 2025, with several firms’ capacity already committed months in advance. However, uncertainty remains in the market, to which companies need to respond with a flexible strategy.
Research and development opportunities and support
One of the key topics of the benchmarking session was the financing of R&D and the tax incentives that this entails. Andrea Glósz, Managing Director of Glósz & Társa Ltd, gave a presentation on accounting and bookkeeping benefits.
20 February 2025