New BME Lab Equipped With Super-Fast Computers

“We are dedicated to ensure this is a win-win partnership, so that the company benefits not only from being able to recruit better-qualified students” – stated Hassan Charaf, Head of the Department of Automation and Applied Informatics (AUT) at BME (and also the university’s rector) at the handover ceremony for the department’s Zenitech laboratory.

Zenitech Consulting Zrt., the Hungarian subsidiary of the British software development company, equipped a 20-workstation technology laboratory so that students at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics can practise software development methods – primarily those utilising artificial intelligence – in a world-class environment.

Hassan Charaf pointed out that the company and BME are closely linked, as Zenitech acquired AutSoft – a spin-off company founded in 2011 by researchers from the department – in 2022, whilst retaining the existing management team. A joint R&D project with the department is currently underway in the field of content management supported by multi-domain AI, and the company’s engineers also support students through mentoring, guest lectures and practical collaboration.

The equipment now provided by the company consists of very powerful computers, fitted with SSDs, 10-core processors and large memory modules. The value of the memory modules alone is around 200,000 forints each; “it’s not easy to put systems like this together in today’s memory-scarce times”, Bertalan Forstner, associate professor and deputy head of department, told bme.hu.

“We want students to walk into this lab and feel the collision of ambition and opportunity – to develop as engineers and thinkers who are genuinely ready for the challenges industry will throw at them. 

But we are also here to learn, to push our own thinking, and to use the work done in this lab to drive real innovation. ,” explained Bertalan Forstner.

The Hungarian Zenitech subsidiary’s clients include some of the country’s top 10 companies, from oil&gas giant MOL to OTP Bank and to low-cost airline Wizz Air. It also has a joint venture with MOL, MA Coding, which specialises in data strategy. “Besides its UK headquarters, the company operates three development centres, of which the one in Budapest is the largest, employing more than 200 people. 

Over 70 per cent of the developers are graduates of BME,” 

said CEO Gábor Fauszt.

He added that, for Zenitech, the laboratory is more than just a charitable investment: it is a strategic asset. The company’s close collaboration with BME has long provided a competitive advantage, as it ensures access to cutting-edge scientific research, joint projects with leading professors, and early contact with talented individuals working at the forefront of their respective fields. “The support we provide further strengthens this relationship, creating a dedicated space where students and researchers can tackle real-world business challenges,” said Gábor Fauszt.

Rector’s Office, Communications Directorate