Michael Cusumano’s Visit to the Department of Automotive Technologies at BME

in

At the end of September, Michael Cusumano, the renowned professor from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), visited the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME). After meeting with BME’s Rector, Dr. Charaf Hassan, in the company of Dr. András Nemeslaki, Vice Rector for International Affairs, and Dr. Zsolt Szalay, Head of the Department of Automotive Technologies, Cusumano visited our department, where he held discussions with Dr. Zsolt Szalay about fostering innovation and entrepreneurial thinking at the university. We consider this meeting at our department a particularly significant professional event.

Prof. Cusumano, who is the former Deputy Dean of the MIT Sloan School of Management, is a highly respected expert in innovation-driven entrepreneurial ecosystems. During the departmental meeting, his insights and advice contributed to enhancing the department’s ability to better support the economic application of domestic research and development results. Prof Cusumano also toured the laboratories of the Department of Automotive Technologies, where he praised the inspiring innovative environment he encountered.

Cusumano’s professional journey is rich and diverse. As a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management and one of the faculty leaders of the MIT Regional Entrepreneurship Accelerator Program (REAP), he plays a globally recognized leading role in developing innovation-driven entrepreneurial ecosystems. Hungary is also part of this program with the Scale-Up Hungary team, supported by  BME professional team, including Dr. András Nemeslaki and Dr. Zsolt Szalay. Cusumano noted that BME, with its technological focus, is an ideal partner for collaboration that could yield significant long-term results for the Hungarian innovation ecosystem.

Following the departmental visit, Cusumano participated in a workshop organized by the HUN-REN research network, where he delivered a keynote speech on the challenges of entrepreneurship and the commercialization of technology. The professor emphasized that Hungary, particularly the Budapest region, offers an excellent foundation for innovation; however, further strengthening of cooperation between universities, researchers, and businesses is necessary. According to Cusumano, the goal of the REAP program is precisely to increase the region’s competitiveness by leveraging the experiences of local teams.

Prof. Cusumano’s visit marked an important milestone for the Department of Automotive Technologies, as we had the privilege of receiving support from an authority who has been an active player in the global innovation arena for decades. The knowledge and experience accumulated at MIT can now be utilized at BME to turn Hungarian research results into economic value.

Professor Cusumano’s visit was covered by both bme.hu and Világgazdaság.