The BMW Group officially inaugurated its new car factory in Debrecen on Friday, where serial production of the company’s latest model, the Neue Klasse iX3, has begun.
Inauguration of the BMW factory in Debrecen
Debrecen, 26 September 2025 – A drone image shows the BMW Group’s Debrecen factory on the day of its official opening. MTI/Czeglédi Zsolt
Hans-Peter Kemser, CEO of BMW Manufacturing Hungary Ltd., recalled that when the company decided to build a new factory in Europe, Debrecen proved the perfect location: strong, committed partners, reliable suppliers, and modern infrastructure.
He added that, for the first time in BMW’s history, everything was designed in the virtual space before being built exactly as it appears today.
“All innovation and high-tech is produced in Debrecen,” he said, highlighting that the factory has no connection to the public electricity grid, relying instead on the country’s largest solar park for energy supply. “This is not just a factory; it is a cornerstone of progress,” Kemser emphasized, noting that the plant provides livelihoods for over two thousand people, with another thousand linked indirectly.
“We have integrated into Debrecen and into Hungarian society,” he added, noting that the Debrecen factory is a symbol of BMW, built with the highest standards and sustainability in mind.
László Papp (Fidesz-KDNP), Mayor of Debrecen, described the completed plant as “the world’s most modern, sustainable, and forward-looking factory,” whose opening marks the culmination of years of work and ushers in a new era for Debrecen and Hungary’s eastern region.
The mayor said the day symbolized faith, resilience, and the spirit of Debrecen, highlighting the challenges overcome in the automotive sector, the pandemic, the energy crisis, and numerous issues related to a project of this scale.
He added that the creation of the BMW factory in Debrecen was made possible through strong collaboration: the Hungarian government, the BMW Group, and the city of Debrecen demonstrated that even the greatest obstacles can be overcome.
According to Papp, the factory is not simply an industrial investment but a “historic mission showing that the industry of the future and the city of the future can develop in harmony.” Industrial areas in the city have increased tenfold, more than one million square meters of industrial property have been built, and 21,000 new jobs have been created.
At the same time, significant attention was given to environmental protection, livability, and sustainability, which is reflected by Debrecen being among the three finalists for the European Green Capital 2027 award, Papp noted.
Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the BMW Group Board of Management, said the construction of the Debrecen factory opens a new chapter in BMW’s history. The brand-new plant will produce a brand-new model: the Neue Klasse iX3, which is efficient, sustainable, and digital. He emphasized that the iX3 model is the first step in a new generation.
He recalled that the location decision for the Debrecen factory was made seven years ago, the groundbreaking took place four years ago—amid the Covid pandemic—and the factory has been operational since March 2023. Thanks to virtual planning and execution, over a thousand robots were pre-positioned precisely, producing real cars today.
“No future without sustainability,” Zipse stressed, noting that the factory reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 12,000 tons annually. He also highlighted the “network cooperation” achieved during construction, which serves as experience for BMW’s other factories worldwide.
According to Zipse, “Debrecen has brought together the best workforce in the world”: over two thousand local employees alongside colleagues from 15 countries, with Hungarian and English as the official languages of the factory. He also underlined the importance of good cooperation with suppliers, as well as continued collaboration with the city and universities.
At the end of the inauguration, participants were shown the first Neue Klasse iX3 cars rolling off the production line.
(MTI)
