Autonomous vehicles represent one of the most promising trends of technological developments in transportation, industry, and everyday life. In recent years, Hungary has focused on research and development and creating testing opportunities, primarily through the ZalaZone test track and the domestic headquarters of international automotive companies. However, the use of autonomous systems raises not only economic and technological issues, but also social, legal, and ethical questions: strengthening public confidence, developing a regulatory environment, and establishing conditions for everyday use still pose serious challenges. Although driver assistance systems are already available today, the widespread adoption of fully autonomous driving is still some way off. Pénzcentrum interviewed Prof. Péter Gáspár, head of HUN-REN SZTAKI’s Systems and Control Laboratory and the National Laboratory for Autonomous Systems.
Pénzcentrum: Where does Hungary currently stand in terms of introducing autonomous technologies?
Prof. Gáspár: Hungary plays a leading regional role in the field of research and development of autonomous vehicles, testing infrastructure, and technological innovation. Due to the size of the domestic market, Hungary is more likely to be a major player on the supply side than on the demand side. In recent years, our country has focused on supporting research and development and testing. Since 2018, manufacturers have been able to test their autonomous systems on public roads, naturally in compliance with the necessary safety regulations. In addition, they actively use the unique ZalaZone test track. In addition to manufacturers, researchers from the National Laboratory for Autonomous Systems also test here, thus strengthening industrial cooperation.
A few examples are worth highlighting to illustrate how we are leading the way: the ZalaZone test track, opened in 2019, which enables medium- and high-speed tests under conditions similar to real-world scenarios. Automotive companies have established significant research and development capacities in Hungary. Continental has opened a new R&D center in Budapest with artificial intelligence and hardware experts, ThyssenKrupp is developing autonomous steering systems, Knorr-Bremse is working on self-driving trucks, and Bosch is strengthening its presence with sensor development.
Under the leadership of the HUN-REN Institute for Computer Science and Control (SZTAKI) and with the active cooperation of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) and Széchenyi István University (SZE), the National Laboratory for Autonomous Systems has been established, within the framework of which research is being conducted on autonomous vehicles, not only on land vehicles but also on aircraft. BME has also offered a master's degree in autonomous vehicles for several years, training engineers with a high level of expertise in such vehicles.
How much do you think Hungarian society trusts autonomous vehicles?
The truth is, we don't know exactly. No professionally rigorous, large-scale public opinion poll has been conducted recently to quantify the extent to which Hungarian society trusts autonomous vehicles. A 2024 study is available on the website of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH), which examines the extent to which Hungarian cities are prepared to accept autonomous vehicles. Based on a questionnaire survey, they concluded that the larger the inner area of a given settlement, the sooner autonomous vehicles are likely to appear for testing purposes and permanent road tests are likely to be authorised.
What costs and return prospects can be expected in this area?
The initial costs are very high: vehicles, research and development, and infrastructure all require significant investment. However, the use of self-driving technology will pay off in the long run if vehicles become widely available. One example is robotaxi services, which, although capital-intensive, could become profitable within a decade if utilization and cost efficiency are aligned. The international outlook is optimistic in this area: the self-driving vehicle industry is poised for explosive growth, although success depends to a large extent on regulatory progress, public confidence, and technological reliability.
The returns can also be significant at the individual level: we can avoid serious traffic accidents, reduce traffic congestion in cities through coordinated traffic management, and mitigate the negative effects of congestion on quality of life. Looking at the bigger picture, the return on investment can also be interpreted on a national economic scale, where the possibility of reducing energy imports and, as a result, creating a more flexible energy mix, as well as reducing losses/delays through improved transport processes, can be taken into account.
An external—and rather indirect—cost reduction is the reduction of environmental risks resulting from lower urban air pollution, but there are several other similar factors that are difficult to quantify in monetary terms that could also be listed when examining this issue.
What developments are taking place in Hungary, and how do we relate to international trends?
Domestic players in the field of development can be divided into three main groups. The first group includes long-established European automotive suppliers such as Bosch, Knorr-Bremse, Continental, and ThyssenKrupp. In recent decades, these companies have established development centres in Hungary, where thousands of engineers perform high value-added work. Several developments related to autonomous vehicles are currently underway at these centres. The second group consists of automotive startups. An excellent example of this is aiMotive, which has been working on technologies related to autonomous vehicles since 2017.
The third group consists of universities and research institutes. The research conducted by these institutions on autonomous vehicles is coordinated by the National Laboratory for Autonomous Systems, led by HUN-REN SZTAKI. In addition to theoretical research and publication, the institutions aim to establish and expand domestic and international cooperation, as well as industrial utilization through manufacturing and supplier companies.
From a technological point of view, most of the current developments are related to control design and artificial intelligence. The biggest challenges, which experts in Hungary are also actively addressing, are in the areas of environmental perception, decision-making, and safety. A good example of specific challenges is the urban environment, which is extremely dynamic and often unpredictable.
Vehicles have to deal with a number of variables resulting from unexpected human behaviour. Examples include pedestrians stepping onto the road or surrounding vehicles driving irregularly. Decision-making is also complicated by ambiguous situations where the rules are unclear or where human drivers often make decisions based on the situation. Typical examples include construction sites, road closures and diversions, or the handling of emergency vehicles.
Which industries can benefit most from the spread of autonomous vehicles?
The rise of autonomous vehicles is radically transforming many industries, resulting in direct and indirect economic and social impacts. Among services, it affects freight transport, warehousing, and logistics. In terms of passenger transport, the automation of city buses, trams, and trolleybuses will play an important role.
In the industrial sector, manufacturing technology, assembly technology, and, if we take a broader view, robotics, many other areas will also be affected, such as the processing industry. The defence industry could also be an important user of autonomous vehicles and drones, especially in operations requiring cooperation or coordination.
It is also worth mentioning agriculture, where the use of autonomous agricultural machinery or drone-assisted surveys (e.g., to assess the condition of wheat fields, irrigation needs, spraying, etc.) may be important, but their effectiveness may depend on the size and structure of the farm.
What ethical dilemmas does the widespread use of autonomous vehicles raise?
The current challenge with autonomous vehicles is to strengthen confidence in the system. Building trust is a key issue, and ethics is of paramount importance in this regard.
In today's traffic, the Highway Code forms the basis of trust, whereby traffic participants make decisions that affect each other by applying the rules of a common system. Traffic participants must trust that other participants will comply with the rules of the Highway Code, just as they do. With regard to autonomous vehicles, it is also important to confirm that they will be able to drive in accordance with traffic regulations and that their operation will be at least as reliable as that of a real driver.
An important element related to trust is the transparency of the system's operation. If the operation of autonomous vehicles can be explained in a way that users can understand, fears about the system can be significantly reduced. We are currently working on establishing a methodology that will allow the extremely complex systems operating in autonomous vehicles to be explained based on users' cognitive schemas.
When do you think it will become realistic to encounter autonomous cars in everyday life in Hungary?
Certain elements of self-driving technologies have been with us for years, as driver assistance systems, for example, can also be considered autonomous. Electronic stability control systems, for example, are now mandatory accessories for road vehicles sold in Hungary. Of course, we are still a long way from commercially available fully autonomous vehicles. In the mid-2010s, overly optimistic statements were made about the rapid spread of autonomous vehicles, which heightened expectations.
In my opinion, it will take at least another 10-15 years before we see autonomous vehicles on a daily basis in Hungary. For high-level self-driving technology to become widespread, several factors need to come together, and this may only happen in a few decades. The technical solutions must be mature and reliable, the legal environment must be able to deal with the issue of self-driving, the manufacture and operation of vehicles must be marketable, and society, or in economic terms, consumers, must be sufficiently prepared and open to the application of the technology.
The original interview – in Hungarian – can be read at this link.