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For Immediate Release
Alan Fogg
Director of Communications
afogg@fceda.org, 703-790-0600 (o) or 571-213-5065 (m)
Hungary chooses Fairfax County
for first U.S. technology office
Center to act as incubator for Hungarian IT firms expanding to the U.S.; Hungarian ambassador to the U.S. keynotes opening celebration
Fairfax County, Virginia, October 1, 2003 — The Republic of Hungary today opened its first Hungarian Technology Center in the United States. The center is located at the headquarters of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA). The Hungarian Ambassador to the U.S., His Excellency András Simonyi, delivered the keynote address at an opening event with Virginia and Fairfax County officials.
“This is a chance to build the relationship between Hungary and the United States,” Ambassador Simonyi said. “Many U.S. companies have invested in Hungary, and now this is an excellent opportunity for Hungarian technology companies to expand here.”
Hungary chose the Fairfax County location because of Virginia’s reputation as a technology powerhouse and because of its proximity to Washington, D.C., and east coast markets, the ambassador said.
Hungary has had one of the fastest growing economies in central Europe for a decade, and technology enterprises account for a quarter of the country’s industrial output. The Hungarian Technology Center is Hungary’s first effort to expand its technology industry into the U.S. market. Selected companies will use the center as an incubator to develop contacts in the U.S. Six companies will inhabit the technology center for its first year. The government also will use the center to raise Hungary’s profile for U.S. companies interested in investing in central Europe.
“We are honored that Hungary chose Fairfax County as its doorway to the U.S. market,” said Gerald L. Gordon, president and CEO of the FCEDA. “Our 4,800 technology companies and our proximity to Washington, D.C., make this a great jumping-off spot for foreign companies that want to get a leg up in the U.S.”
Also attending the event: Virginia Center for Innovative Technology President Peter Jobse, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Katherine K. Hanley and Northern Virginia Technology Council president Bobbie Kilberg.
About the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (www.fairfaxcountyeda.org)
The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority promotes Fairfax County, Virginia, as a business and technology center. The FCEDA offers a wide range of free services to help companies locate and expand into the U.S. market. The FCEDA has marketing offices in London, Frankfurt, and Tokyo.
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