The professional cooperation between HFDA and HEPA expands to a new level

The Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency is strengthening its partnership with the Hungarian Export Promotion Agency (HEPA) in order to develop the Hungarian fashion and design industry. The agreement states, among other things, that they will mutually support and promote each other's cooperation with international organisations, thus ensuring professional support as a priority for Hungarian industry players. 

A long-term cooperation agreement has been signed by and between the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency (HFDA) and the Hungarian Export Promotion Agency (HEPA), under which they will prepare joint training courses and programs for the development of the fashion and design industry. 

The HFDA's main objectives include increasing the volume of the export, strengthening and developing the domestic manufacturing base, and supporting the development of traditional creative and professional skills. A key priority is to achieve effective professional dialogue and coordination between national and international actors of the fashion and design industry, to create and strengthen the related modern “backbone” of the industry and to expand the range of thematically related training courses. Closely related to this, HEPA aims to provide high quality services to support the export success of Hungarian companies and to contribute to Hungary's positive international image. 

One of the major strategic pillars of the HFDA is the development of manufacturing, the aim is to strengthen the domestic manufacturing base. According to reports, the 7,400 textile and clothing companies employed over 38,000 people in 2019 and 80% of their revenues came from export, which means revenue of 424 billion forints overall. If the export capacity of domestic factories can be improved, they can meet a higher volume of orders from abroad and increase the number of employees in manufacturing. If the sector strengthens, higher number of domestic designers would have the opportunity to manufacture domestically in the future. In 2020, the Agency assessed the situation of domestic manufacturers through a questionnaire and interviews, which revealed that the main challenges faced of the sector were a decline in demand and a significant industry demand for sector support and professional advice. On the basis of the policy proposals submitted by the HFDA the Ministry of Innovation and Technology has launched a call for proposals with a total budget of HUF 15 billion to support the Hungarian fashion and design industry. 

Based on the responses, HFDA has also developed a mentoring program for clothing manufacturers, called the Manufacturing Mentoring Program. The training was developed with the help of HEPA and external experts. During the selection of the professional mentors, it was important to involve experts with a good knowledge of the situation of Hungarian factories and a deep understanding of the international market. In the workshops organized as the first stage of the program, the HEPA Export Academy Directorate will provide guidance to the companies. Once the first training is completed, the second Manufacturing Mentor Program will be launched this autumn. Applications were open for companies producing underwear, outerwear, handbags, harnesses or footwear until 21 June. This year, the five-month program will also include a study tour.

As a part of the cooperation between the HFDA and HEPA, a full-day online training course called Speech Training will be held, which will include two parts (a theoretical and a one-to-one meeting) of online training for manufacturers both in Hungarian and in English. The even is aiming to prepare manufacturers for negotiating, communicating and contracting with potential customers in case of future international enquiries.