State honors were presented to national assets on Hungary's August 20th national holiday on Tuesday.
László Palkovics, Minister of Innovation and Technology, and János Fónagy, state secretary of parliamentary affairs concerning national assets, presented several state awards on Tuesday.
Minister Palkovics said creative people are among our most valuable national treasures. He added that those honored for their engineering, technological and intellectual properties are the engines of Hungary’s competitiveness and economic growth, the personal representatives of innovation, and those talents show Hungary’s knowledge, strength and future.
“Every national holiday that draws our attention to our Hungarian national identity and the importance of the relating values, is of utmost importance," said Minister Palkovics.
The minister also pointed out that the government’s aim is to create an environment where R&D enterprises, companies and public sphere organizations, implementing innovative ideas, can also develop and grow in line with the expectations of society and the economy.
"The government has also set the ambitious objective to raise R&D expenditures to the 1.8 percent of GDP," he said.
State secretary János Fónagy emphasized that the establishment of the state also meant for Hungarians that only work well-done can support the survival of a nation.
He said that this has absolutely been proven in Hungary as our homeland had to be rebuilt several times throughout history. He added that those who have done this job successfully are worthy of being honored.
For the full list of this year's laureates (in Hungarian) click here.