Foreign direct investment’s influence on Hungarian economy

Abstract

At the turn of century the paradigm of economic development has been changing. Despite the economic instability in the world the process of globalization has not been stopped. The importance of growth factors included in the area of R&D (research and development) increased. These two aspects are also important in the analysis of the economic transition in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Factors from R&D area are now perceived as the key conditions for creating knowledge -based economy and for sustainable development. There should also be noted low potential of CEE countries to generate investments in modern sectors of economy based on R&D. In this context, there is increasing importance of foreign direct investment (FDI) as an indirect instrument for strengthening the modernization process of economic structures and providing the basis for sustainable development. In this paper the subject of analysis is the influx of FDI in Hungary and their impact on the economy of the country in the period 1989–2012. The paper also attempts to answer the question on relations between the level and characteristics of the inflow of FDI and structural changes and economic development in Hungary.