Business

Despite security concerns, Huawei commits to Hungary

Chinese telecommunication giant Huawei will participate in Hungary’s ICT sector development, despite the many security concerns that the company has faced across the world.

Huawei will continue the organisation of technology study trips to China for Hungarian university students, and will launch Huawei engineer training programmes. It intends to provide engineering skills for some 200 young Hungarians in the next five years. The establishment in the near future of the company’s authorised information and network academy (HAINA) in Hungary will also support knowledge transfer.

“The declaration of intent could open up new opportunities in relations between Hungary and Huawei as our country’s best experts could take part in the Chinese company’s projects using and developing cutting-edge technologies,” commented the Minister for Innovation and Technology László Palkovics after signing a memorandum of understanding with Wu Biqiang, CEO of Huawei Technologies Hungary. “It is especially delightful that the company undertakes to train young people, the engineers and scientists of the future. We are proud that Huawei has been present on the Hungarian market for years, and together we will be able to achieve further significant results.”

Early this year, the Czech Republic’s taxation authority excluded Huawei from a 20 million-euro public tender procedure to build a tax portal. The decision came after the Czech National Cyber and Information Security Agency (NCISA) warned of security threats posed by the Chinese telecoms supplier and asked 160 public and private operators to conduct an analysis of risks and act accordingly.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, during a visit in Budapest in February, also expressed concern over Huaweiʼs presence in Hungary.