Long-term agreements to ensure HUN-REN operates predictably and stays competitive

19.12.2025

HUN-REN, the Hungarian Research Network, has concluded a 25-year framework agreement with the government, which includes a public task financing contract for the 2026–2031 period. As a result of this cooperation, a long-term framework has been created to ensure HUN-REN’s predictable, efficient, and competitive operation. The documents defining the research network’s new operating conditions were signed on December 15, 2025, by Balázs Hankó, Minister for Culture and Innovation, and Balázs Gulyás, President of HUN-REN.

“We’ve put Hungarian science and innovation on a new path. The framework agreement signed today gives the HUN-REN Hungarian Research Network security, predictability, and flexibility all the way to 2050,”

emphasized Balázs Hankó, Minister for Culture and Innovation, in his speech.

The minister in charge of the portfolio added that under the new six-year funding agreement, HUN-REN will have 523 billion forints at its disposal—but in return, the Hungarian Research Network is expected to deliver strong performance.

“We agreed that HUN-REN will produce 140 patents a year, have at least 20 spin-off companies, and generate 10 billion forints in external revenue annually. When it comes to Hungarian talent, our goal is for 3,500 high school students per year to get involved in HUN-REN’s day-to-day activities, and for 600 PhD students a year to be part of the organization,” emphasized Balázs Hankó.

The six-year financing agreement also calls for a significant increase in the number of Q1 and D1 publications, and HUN-REN will need to strengthen its international partnerships and visibility over the next six years.

Under the agreement, HUN-REN’s funding will rise to 76.8 billion forints in 2026, and from 2027 it will reach 89.3 billion forints, half of which the state will provide on a performance-based basis.

“Today is a milestone in HUN-REN’s history, because this newly signed public task financing agreement guarantees the organization’s stable and predictable operation. Under the HUN-REN Act, a 25-year framework agreement has been concluded between the state and the Hungarian Research Network, and as part of this, funding for the next six years is also secured,”

said Balázs Gulyás, President of HUN-REN, at the press conference following the signing.

The six-year agreement lays out a transparent, performance-based funding system and defines the priority research areas. These priority areas - aligned with Hungary’s innovation strategy and the Neumann János Program - include healthy living, the digital transition, energy and environmental security, as well as security and defense.

“These are the fields where the meeting point of science and the economy is shaping Hungary’s future,” said Balázs Gulyás.

The new system brings together research excellence, international collaboration, talent development, and innovation within a unified, measurable, and motivating framework. The goal is to recognize and incentivize the research community, strengthen the international standing of Hungarian scientific output, and ensure HUN-REN’s long-term stability and competitiveness.

“We’re convinced that the most promising ideas and discoveries shouldn’t just start out from Hungary, they should become world-famous from here. Performance-based funding combined with six-year planning horizons is designed to help our researchers build their careers at home. We want them to flourish here and channel their international success back into strengthening Hungarian science and the Hungarian economy,” emphasized Balázs Gulyás.

The indicators for performance-based funding rest on four main pillars

The first and most important is boosting scientific output and increasing both the quantity and quality of publications. The second is strengthening HUN-REN’s international role, primarily through research collaborations and success in international grant competitions.

The third pillar focuses on nurturing the next generation of researchers by engaging young scientists, as well as university and even high school students. The fourth pillar is enhancing innovation performance, which includes the number of registered patents, the creation of spin-off companies, the real-world uptake of research results, and the scale of industrial partnerships and contracts.

Each indicator is tied to clearly defined, quantified annual targets, and performance is reviewed every year.

With the signing of the agreement, scientific considerations, academic freedom, financial and economic factors, and policy priorities have been brought into alignment. The result is a model that ensures HUN-REN can fulfill its mission as defined by law: generating new scientific and innovation outcomes, preserving and nurturing national culture, and contributing to the enrichment of global science and culture.

Long-term, predictable funding and a strategic mindset will enable HUN-REN, through its scientific research and innovation activities, to help address the social, economic, and environmental challenges facing the Hungarian economy and the nation as a whole.

The Hungarian Research Network is promoting value-chain thinking by connecting key players in the scientific community, universities, and the business world, so that new results and discoveries can be put to use immediately and generate real impact.