The ITK Group has been a successful partner of the Debrecen Vocational Training Centre in dual training for many years, so it was no question that we were represented at the first Hello Profession! – Road to the Future career choice exhibition and conference.

The primary aim of the exhibition, which took place on 11 and 12 October 2021, was to provide career guidance for graduating primary school students and career support for vocational school students in an interactive setting, in several locations of the impressive Nagyerdei Stadium in Debrecen.

Over the two days, around 70 exhibitors showed young people the many opportunities they have after leaving primary school to choose a vocational or technical school. Our company, Inter Traction Electrics Ltd., has been involved in technician training and practical training for engineers for many years, so we were delighted to take part in the DSZC careers event to show young people who are about to make a choice the many exciting opportunities in vehicle design and manufacturing.

At our interactive stand, visitors could try out the unusual life of a bus driver on a simulator, and in front of the venue they could admire the Mercedes-Benz REFORM-S School school bus developed and manufactured by Inter Traction Electrics Ltd. and our fully electric Mercedes-Benz eVito closed van!

In his welcome speech, Mayor László Papp stressed that the students will be able to find a job in Debrecen after their graduation.

“Debrecen is a city of opportunities, in many ways. But if we are talking about jobs, economic development and the creation of new jobs, then by all means,” he stressed.

In this spirit, György Kossa, the CEO of our company, also gave a presentation, who praised the joint work with the city and the vocational training centre, and encouraged young people to choose a profession locally, thus supporting the economic and social development of Debrecen County City.

But the event was not just for young people, there was also an emphasis on information and training for heads of institutions and teachers at seven different conferences.

“Our main goal is to address the class teachers of eighth graders, the principals and teachers of primary schools, to inform them about the new vocational training system and the economic environment of Debrecen”, said Zsolt Tirpák, Chancellor of the Debrecen Vocational Training Centre.

In total, around 2400 students visited the event and our stand over the two days. We sincerely hope that we were able to help many of them choose a career!

As a result of the cooperation between INTER TAN-KER Zrt., the Municipality of Kecskemét and the Kecskemét Transport Centre Ltd., an investment of nearly 60 million HUF was completed at the joint site of the two companies in Kecskemét. The inauguration ceremony of the newly developed areas took place on 4 October 2021 with the participation of Dr. Tamás Homoki, Deputy Mayor of Kecskemét, Ernő Hári, Managing Director of Kecskemét Transport Centre Ltd. and György Kossa, CEO of ITK Holding Zrt. Thanks to the infrastructural development, the bus parking area has been expanded by fifteen parking spaces, so that the site can now accommodate a total of sixty-six buses involved in public transport. In addition, a car park has been added to provide secure parking for staff and guests. The project included the repair of the entire bus parking pavement and the preparation of charging equipment for electric buses.

The final phase of the development involved the grassing of open spaces and the planting of trees. The total amount of the investment has been advanced by INTER TAN-KER Zrt. and will be recovered by the end of the ten-year service contract, included in the kilometre fee paid as compensation for the provision of public transport.

“We have a very good cooperation with the municipality and the Kecskemét Transport Centre Ltd, so we can improve the quality of the service by thinking together in everyday life. By preparing the charging equipment for electric buses, we are also preparing for the future technology to be introduced in Kecskemét,” said CEO György Kossa.

Ernő Hári, Managing Director of the Kecskemét Public Transport Centre Ltd. said, “Their public service partner is very constructive, and a well-functioning relationship is necessary to ensure that we no longer have to talk about a large number of complaints about public transport in Kecskemét, but about passenger responses that improve the quality of service.”

Dr. Tamás Homoki, Deputy Mayor of the City of Budapest, said, “The city can cooperate very well with INTER TAN-KER Zrt. The site was designed to meet the challenges of the times, it was a thorough job, but in the course of everyday use new circumstances arose, to which it is advisable to respond as far as possible. And although the site was working well, it needed to be expanded to accommodate electric buses.”

Inter Traction Electrics Ltd., a subsidiary of ITK Holding Zrt., presented its own-developed and designed standard-floor long-distance bus, the Mercedes-Benz REFORM 600 IC, at a ceremony in the Nagyerdei Stadium in Debrecen on 28 September 2021. The newest model of the REFORM bus family, consisting of 14 models, was manufactured in Debrecen based on Hungarian design plans, which makes this model a genuine Hungarian product on the domestic and international market.

The vehicle is 13,160 millimetres long, 2,550 millimetres wide and 3,456 millimetres high and is powered by a 260 kW Euro VI engine with 1,400 Nm of torque. The chassis is technically designed to incorporate the vehicle safety and driving stability systems familiar on Mercedes-Benz buses (e.g. lane departure warning, emergency brake assist, tyre pressure monitoring), as well as remote on-board diagnostic and control devices developed by the ITK Group, which provide operating and functional data for remote monitoring of the vehicle and real-time map information on the bus position.

The passenger compartment has 55 seats, but this can be increased by 4 seats to 59. Passenger comfort is enhanced by a number of comfort features. These include a touch-switch LED reading lamp at the seats, a smartphone holder, on-board Wi-Fi, USB charging socket, wireless charger and a wireless landing button that is handy even when the vehicle is not in motion. Thanks to its full LED illumination, the interior lighting of the bus is an aesthetic curiosity, with a number of unique, hidden solutions that make the interior and passenger compartment lighting stand out.

As part of the event, the two windshields produced for the new bus model were ceremonially signed by the invited guests, including Tamás Schanda, Deputy Minister of Innovation and Technology, László Dr Papp, Mayor of the DMJV, Zoltán Prof Dr Szilvássy, Rector of the University of Debrecen, Zsolt Tirpák, Chancellor of the Debrecen Vocational Training Centre, Dóra Uray, President of Omnibus Hungária Kft. Managing Director of Omra Hungária, our Olympians, Dr Sándor Wladár, President of the Hungarian Swimming Federation and Tamás Darnyi, and György Kossa, CEO of ITK Holding Zrt.

ITK Group provides HUF 100 million in support

At the presentation of the long-distance bus, György Kossa announced that the Group will provide HUF 100 million in support to the Foundation for the University of Debrecen, the University of Debrecen and the Debrecen Vocational Training Centre. Within this framework, two Mercedes-Benz self-propelled chassis and a Mercedes-Benz passenger car will be donated to the institutions. The use of these assets will contribute to the improvement of the quality and functioning of the training and vocational education at the University and the Vocational Training Centre.

The Chairman and CEO of ITK Holding Zrt. emphasized that investing in the future has been a top priority in the Group’s long-term strategy for years. That is why they take an active role in the training of technical specialists in Hungary, including those studying in the Debrecen region. So far, a total of around 200 people have participated in their training programmes, completed their apprenticeships or worked as apprentices at the Group in the framework of dual training, and a further 500 people have taken part in their training programmes outside the school system. Their scholarship programme supports 10 university students and helps another 15 future engineers in their studies.

In his speech, Tamás Schanda, Deputy Minister of Innovation and Technology of Hungary, stressed that Hungary has now created an environment that encourages innovation, supports work, builds on expertise and values successful developments. The work-based economy is built on families, businesses and the skills of Hungarian workers. Entrepreneurial, creative, creative and hard-working people are the backbone of the Hungarian economy. That is why we must always focus on the Hungarian interest, Hungarian competitiveness and domestic added value. The vehicles developed and produced by Inter Traction Electrics Ltd. contain significant domestic added value, so the long-distance bus we are presenting can be considered a real Hungarian success.

“Today’s bus show is a moment in industrial history for the city and the country. We are particularly pleased that Debrecen can also be home to the resurgent domestic bus industry. Our city could soon become a major centre of European vehicle production, and we will do our utmost to ensure that local businesses succeed and contribute to the country’s performance,” said Dr. László Papp, Mayor of Debrecen.

“One of the major innovative steps of the Foundation University is that we have created a unified system of education and science in cooperation with companies, government and local educational institutions, in which the corporate community accepts the University of Debrecen as a central player. Our research is receiving positive feedback, which also confirms that we are combining academic work with industrial work culture in the right way. The combination of this influences the competitiveness of the university, to which partners such as ITK Holding Zrt. contribute significantly.” – said Prof. Dr. Zoltán Szilvássy, Rector of the University of Debrecen.

In his speech, Zsolt Tirpák, Chancellor of the Debrecen Vocational Training Centre, pointed out that there are three pillars to training highly skilled professionals. On the one hand, it is essential to show students a vision of the future during their vocational training, and on the other hand, it is also important that their trainers are well prepared and have up-to-date knowledge. But it is also essential that young people learn their skills in an innovative institutional environment. The Vocational Training Centre, in partnership with ITK Holding Zrt, is providing these requirements for the future automotive workforce.

“Just two weeks ago, the National Swimming Programme was launched in Hungary as a pilot project to teach kindergarten, first and second grade children to swim. ITK Holding Zrt. is an important partner in this project, helping to get children from educational institutions to swimming pools. During the test period, 16 buses will transport 3,200 children from 83 participating schools in Debrecen, Tokaj, Móro and Budafok, but we hope to soon launch the programme throughout the country”, said Dr. Sándor Wladár, Olympic champion Hungarian swimmer and President of the Hungarian Swimming Federation.

Within the framework of the European Mobility Week, the International Car Free Day was organised again in Debrecen on 18 September 2021. Last year, the event had to be postponed due to the coronavirus epidemic, but this year the hugely popular event has been staged with more exhibitors than ever before and at a new venue.

Since 2002, a series of European Mobility Week events have been held in Hungary every year between 16 and 22 September, consisting of a series of thematic days to promote environmentally friendly and sustainable urban transport. This year’s motto was “Sustainable transport for safety and health”. As part of this event, which is becoming more and more popular every year, two subsidiaries of the ITK Group, INTER TAN-KER Zrt. and Inter Traction Electrics Kft., were exhibitors at the Debrecen Car Free Day on 18 September. We were delighted to accept the invitation of the Municipality of Debrecen and DKV Zrt., as the slogan of our Group, “Sustainable Mobility”, is fully in line with the objectives of the programme. It is also a great opportunity to meet the local population and address our passengers. The stands and the exhibition area have been set up in a new location in the city centre, on Market Street. Young and old alike tried their luck at the bus driver simulator, while our exhibited buses were also very popular. The Mercedes-Benz REFORM 501 LE used by the Hungarian Swimming Association was constantly full of “passengers” and “drivers”. Our newly “packed” Mercedes-Benz eVito attracted a lot of attention as soon as we drove it through the city. And our third vehicle on display, the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter, attracted a lot of interest from those looking for a goods vehicle for their business. Throughout the day, we had a huge number of people stopping by our Group stand. Some were there to play, some to look around, but many were also interested in the Group’s activities, the developments that are planned, and many shared their thoughts on public transport and alternative powertrains. We hope the programme will be as successful next year!

Between 27-29 August 2021, the Automobil & Tuning Show was held for the eighth time at Hungexpo, where we were the only exhibitor of buses at the event, apart from one Oldtimer bus, and we were very successful with the vehicles presented.

Visitors were given a glimpse of what the automotive industry owes to the work of Hungarian professionals, engineers and designers. The thematic exhibition, which also highlighted the developments of Inter Traction Electrics Ltd., gave visitors a look at the history of the automotive industry over the centuries, right from the very beginning.

Our company was represented at the exhibition with two vehicles of our own design, development and production. Visitors were able to see the Mercedes-Benz REFORM-S School school bus model and the associated Schoolbus.Online platform, which was launched in 2019. The IT background behind the vehicle, which will bring the future of child transport, was also developed entirely by our Group subsidiary Pandant TMSz Kft.

Also on display was another pride of Inter Traction Electrics Ltd., the Mercedes-Benz REFORM 501 LE suburban-suburban model, which also won the “Commercial Vehicle of the Year” award in 2019.

In addition to the vehicles on display, our colleagues treated the guests to balloons and chocolates and were happy to answer any professional questions. Visitors had the opportunity to board the vehicles, and even more! The real fans could even try their hand at driving! The expo was a huge success and we hope to be there again next year!

Since its establishment, the ITK Group has taken special care to support every year those NGOs, foundations and initiatives that aim to support disadvantaged people or those in need of special care. This year we have established a new partner, the Chance Centre Association.

On 23 August 2021, an exhibition entitled Let Culture Stick was opened in Kecskemét, organised by the Esély Centre Association and the Hungarian Roma Gallery, to present the works of 15 Roma artists. The main patron of the exhibition was Dr. Eszter Vitályos, State Secretary for EU Development Policy of the Ministry of Human Resources.

Our group was represented by Dr. Zoltán Horváth, the CEO of INTER TAN-KER Zrt.

“We are delighted to be able to provide public bus transport in a city where the promotion of equal opportunities and integration of disadvantaged people and groups is a priority. Our company, INTER TAN-KER Zrt. is committed to the development of Kecskemét not only in terms of transport and sustainability, but also in terms of culture, so it is a fantastic feeling to be able to help an organisation that is fighting for social equality.” – said Dr Zoltán Horváth.

In Hungary, there are a significant number of people who suffer significant disadvantage in society on a daily basis because of their health conditions. The subsidiary of ITK Holding Zrt., Inter Traction Electrics Kft. and the Reformed Parish of Debrecen-Nagytemplom would like to promote the social inclusion of people with disabilities in Hungary, especially in the City of Debrecen and its region. To this end, György Kossa, CEO and Dr. Károly Fekete, Bishop-Pastor of the Reformed Parish of Debrecen-Nagytemplomi signed a letter of intent on behalf of the Group on 12 July 2021 in Debrecen.

Under the cooperation, people with disabilities can do meaningful work at the bus manufacturer in Debrecen and therefore receive fair remuneration. During the press event, the future “colleagues” were shown how they can get involved in the bus production process: during the event, the previously trained disabled people cut insulating material to size for the new buses that will soon be on the road in Debrecen. It is envisaged that the workers will be able to take part in other work processes, such as the production of cable whips.

The persons with reduced working capacity will start to perform the tasks provided for in the contract with the Open Door Social Centre of the Reformed Parish of Debrecen-Nagytemplom from September 2021.  The work will be carried out in a building near the Nagytemplom, which is used by the social centre, and will undergo major renovations to create workstations that are convenient and easily accessible and provide safe working conditions.

We handed over the new team bus in front of the Groupama Arena, the home of Ferencváros Torna Club. Equipped with a Mercedes-Benz Euro 6 D engine, the Setra-type vehicle is easily recognisable thanks to the sticker covering its entire exterior. The distinctive Fradi logo and the green “Ferencváros” and “Hajrá Fradi” signs tell you from a distance that one of the teams from the popular gymnastics club is travelling on the bus.

The brand new automatic transmission bus is equipped with a number of safety and passenger safety devices to help the driver get athletes safely to matches, competitions and training camps. Of course, the bus also has a number of comfort features, such as the double USB socket at the passenger seats or the distance between the two seats, which can be widened towards the passenger compartment. All these features ensure a comfortable journey.

On behalf of the Ferencváros Gymnastics Club, Zoltán Nyíri, Managing Director, received the bus from Dr. Zoltán Horváth, Head of the Transport Division of the ITK Group.

The aim of the Green Bus Model project, which is putting public transport on a new, environmentally friendly footing, is to introduce electric buses into local transport in large rural cities for demonstration purposes, and then, after evaluating the experience, to move to full electric transport in the long term.

As part of the series of programmes to be launched in September 2020, Inter Traction Electrics Ltd., in consortium with Omnibus Hungária Kereskedelmi Kft., as a qualified electric bus manufacturer/distributor, contributed to the launch of the Mercedes-Benz eCitaro, a rechargeable Mercedes-Benz bus with a large capacity battery, which was the first to be introduced in Debrecen.

Another subsidiary of the ITK Group, Pandant TMSZ Ltd., has been included in the list of “Successfully qualified electric bus charging equipment and the supplying partners”.

After Debrecen, we represented the demonstration programme in Zalaegereszeg. Here, from March 2021, the travelling public could meet a Mercedes-Benz eCitaro three-door bus. The bus ran on a regular schedule on local routes in the county seat of Zala. The full-length, low-floor test bus, built in 2019, can seat 80 people. The vehicle was equipped with a 2.5-tonne lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt-oxide 12-battery pack, with enough capacity for a full day’s operation on a single charge.

The same electric bus continued its journey from Zalaegerszeg to Kecskemét, where it entered service on 22 April 2021. The Mercedes-Benz eCitaro was also used for a month in the famous city on regular routes and proved extremely popular during the test run. Several film crews captured the vehicle at work, but our bus driver colleagues report that local residents were also keen to take photos and video footage of the eCitaro.

During the four-week test programme, the eCitaro was required to run a minimum of 200 kilometres twice a week, 150 kilometres three times a week and 100 kilometres once a day, which it successfully completed.