The Government launched the Factory Rescue Program by HIPA in November 2022 to provide large companies with up to EUR 15 million non-refundable aid for energy efficiency and energy production investments in return for a 90% of base staff retention commitment.As the HUF 150 billion funding was exhausted in 15 minutes, a new Factory Rescue Loan and Guarantee Program has been launched with HUF 100 + 100 billion budget for mid-to-large companies with similar scope by MFB and Exim.  It is to be launced by 1 January, 2023.We, at DevEco Consulting have set […]

The current economic context puts pressure on companies to shift from conventional fossil to renewable energy sources. It is not only the multiplied price of energy that stresses the need for more sustainable energy solutions, but also the need for secure and independent energy supply.  So far, the answer to such an open challenge was unambiguous, creating a mostly one-way funnel for companies. Solar energy device and installation prices have plunged in the last decades, they provide easy installation, mostly without interference with production processes, they require little time to plan […]

According to a well-spread definition, we call it research, when we exchange money for knowledge, and we call it innovation, when we trade knowledge for money.Innovation is key to development and a vital means of promoting sustainability. However, there are many types of innovation. We usually meet innovation in the technology sense: new machines or new software solutions. Besides, social innovation or process innovation are just a few examples of how innovation may have different and valuable contributions to development in general.Improving human awareness and behavior are key to pursuing […]

Agriculture is a fundamental sector fulfilling the basic requirements of all mankind. It provides the food we eat and uses the natural assets that surround us in this process. It is proven that agricultural practices have determining impact on the healthiness of soil, water, landscape and biodiversity, and greatly influence air quality. And for the last couple of years, unfortunately, green indicators in agriculture show red flags both in statuses and tendency. Its role is so important, that the conditions of how agricultural activities may be pursued are mostly controlled centrally […]

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is a compulsory element of policy and strategy planning. It is a strong means of promoting green aspects in long term planning and financing programs. It has a well-established set of rules to adhere to, and includes strong partnership involvement. Its purpose is both fairly simple and crucial: to assess the plans from an environmental perspective so that they fit to and support better the addressing of environmental challenges and do as little harm to the environment as possible.According to EU Commission regulations, SEAs have similar […]

This year, we have already had the opportunity to work with two of the worlds largest car manufacturers. The assignment was clear in both cases: they set out to manufacture in ideally a carbon-free, but at least a carbon neutral way and they contracted us to explore on-site opportunities for carbon free or carbon neutral energy production for their plants.It may be important at this point to make a clear distinction between carbon neutral and carbon free.Carbon neutral means that an operation uses carbon, but you make all efforts to […]

We seldom write project proposals. But when we do with our partners, then it is something big, interesting and undoubtedly worth the effort.In 2020 we won EUR 7 million for a large energy company to establish a green hydrogen plant in Hungary that should assist balancing the electricity network in the middle of the accelerating green transition.Back in 2020, things did not seem as urgent and pressing in green energy transition as they are now. We did not have a war going on that changed everything, also in the energy […]

We had a great undertaking sooner this year. We have always had the intention to assist companies on their journey in green transition. For big companies, this is much easier: they have intention, interest, competence, money. Yet, for the small ones, these are not obvious at all.Big companies usually want to go from good to great, while small ones yearn to catch up to a moderate level at least. There is a clear market gap for the smallest companies, and there is no real business interest at the private consulting […]