ZF in Hungary

ZF Hungária Ltd. is the Hungarian subsidiary of ZF Friedrichshafen AG, headquartered in Germany. It commenced operations on January 1, 1996, in Eger. Our company operates in the automotive industry as a Tier 1 supplier. Our main products include gearboxes and their components for commercial vehicles and passenger cars. For commercial vehicles, we supply manual and automated transmissions, as well as steering systems. For passenger cars, we produce and deliver 8-speed automatic transmissions.

Our products are primarily sold to European markets. Our key customers include Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche in the passenger car segment, and Iveco, Renault, DAF, Scania, Volvo, and Leyland in the commercial vehicle sector. Outside Europe, our products are sold in Asian and American markets.

In addition to our manufacturing activities, we provide significant service functions to the central units and divisions of the ZF Group. Our service centers perform, among others, research and development, testing, material procurement and IT services. With several hundred highly qualified experts, we support the global innovation processes of the ZF Group.

The company’s headquarter and main site is in Eger, and we also have a registered site in Budapest. Production activities take place in Eger, while our service centers operate in both Eger and Budapest.

Our IT Service Center provides high-quality and efficient services across a wide range of technological areas for the ZF Group, including SAP development and consulting, business analysis, software and application development, web and chatbot development, as well as data science.

Our Materials Management Center, as part of the central and divisional procurement organization, carries out both direct and indirect purchasing activities, supplier development, cost analysis, and logistics tasks for various areas of the Group.

Our Engineering and Development Center is involved in a range of activities, including participation in e-mobility projects, series support for manual and automated commercial vehicle transmissions, validation of software functions, calibration activities, regression testing, and vehicle integration tasks. Thanks to completed infrastructure developments, we now also conduct testing of electric drives and on-road testing of electric vehicles.

Our Aftermarket Division’s Budapest office is a leading player in the aftermarket parts’ market, supporting workshops, distributors, and fleets with innovative solutions. Its product- and service portfolio is built on the premium brands ZF, LEMFÖRDER, SACHS, TRW, and WABCO, helping to increase uptime and enhance business performance.

Our company has been a strategic partner of the Hungarian government since 2014, and our activities and growth play a significant role in strengthening the economy of both our immediate and broader region.

Like the entire Group, ZF Hungária continuously seeks solutions for further development. In order to meet our customers’ increasing quality and volume requirements, we are constantly improving our technologies, machinery, and overall technical standards.

In the commercial vehicle production area, component manufacturing is carried out in island-based systems using modern semi-automated machining centers. We primarily utilize high-performance equipment from Liebherr, Samputensili, Junker, Kapp, Pfauter, and EMAG. Heat treatment of components takes place in our high-capacity heat treatment facility using Aichelin automated furnaces. Various gearbox types are assembled on our own designed assembly lines. A card-based identification system ensures that only properly trained employees can perform specific assembly processes on our assembly lines integrated with test benches. Our world-class products are supplied to key international manufacturers and brands in the automotive industry. Storage of components and supply of production areas are handled through our robotized logistics center.

At the passenger car production site, assembly of ZF 8HP automatic gearboxes began in October 2018 at a modern manufacturing facility. In 2019, an additional advanced and complex assembly line was commissioned, providing significant capacity expansion and increased output for ZF Hungária. This cutting-edge technology product, which is highly sought on the global market is installed in premium-category vehicles.

Following the launch, we also began production of an all-wheel-drive-compatible variant of the ZF 8HP gearbox for a new major customer. On December 1, 2023, the one-millionth 8HP automatic gearbox was completed in Eger.

Our company’s digital transformation is built on the comprehensive, data-driven development of manufacturing and operational processes. With the introduction of the Digital Manufacturing Platform (DMP), our production environment ensures real-time transparency, faster decision-making, and greater operational flexibility across the entire spectrum of manufacturing processes. The platform integrates production data, supports predictive maintenance, enables AI-based quality control, and improves capacity utilization.

As part of our digital operations, we use a modern Yard Management system that supports on-site logistics processes through time-slot-based online booking, paperless entry using QR codes, GPS- and Bluetooth-based vehicle tracking, and multilingual digital communication. The system significantly enhances transparency, reduces response times, and optimizes the use of on-site resources.

To support manufacturing processes, we utilize the eEscalation application, which enables the immediate and structured escalation of production events such as machine failures, quality deviations, or material shortages. This ensures faster intervention, a clear system of responsibilities, and full transparency in operational performance.

The objective of our digital developments is to create an intelligent, transparent, and sustainable manufacturing ecosystem.

Our Social Responsibility

Our company is committed to corporate social responsibility, placing strong emphasis on active engagement with local communities and long-term value creation. As part of this commitment, we collaborate with Hungarian universities through internships and dual education programs, contributing to the development of future professionals and strengthening a competitive knowledge base.

Our social engagement also includes organizing annual donation initiatives and company blood donation, through which we actively support those in need and promote community solidarity. Transparency is important to us, which is why we participate each year in the “Night of Modern Factories” initiative, offering visitors the opportunity to gain insight into our operations.

Within the framework of corporate social responsibility, ZF Hungária Kft. seeks focus areas where it can partially or fully finance local community events or the acquisition of equipments and assets that improve community conditions. When allocating our annual support and sponsorship budget, it is an important consideration that, as far as possible, all segments of society—from young people to the elderly, including organizations bringing together both healthy and people with disabilities—benefit from it.

We support engaging academic competitions and student events that inspire and involve young people. We also recognize and value youth initiatives where participants act for their own development or for the benefit of the community. For our company, it is essential that in planning our future workforce, we can select from motivated young individuals who are committed to active personal and professional growth.

We provide a company kindergarten to support the childcare needs of our employees’ young children. For our colleagues, we also offer access to hot meals in the company canteen, support their participation in sports activities, and regularly organize community sporting events such as fishing competitions, company football championships, and corporate sports days.

In spring 2024, ZF Hungária Kft. was awarded the “Reliable Employer” title by the German-Hungarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DUIHK). This recognition is granted to companies that demonstrate exemplary and reliable practices in ensuring good working and living conditions for their employees. The title is valid for three years, allowing ZF Hungária Kft. to use it between 2024 and 2026.

In 2026, ZF Hungária Kft. was awarded the Pro Agria Economic Excellence Award, recognizing its role as a key contributor to the city’s economic life for over 30 years. From the beginning, the company has been committed to professional training, talent development, and corporate social responsibility through its own Apprentice workshop and dual education programs. As such, it not only strengthens Eger’s economic performance but also contributes to its long-term future.

Our Environmental Responsibility

Our commitment to environmental responsibility is not just a strategic objective but an integral part of our daily operations. Each spring, our employees take part in organized clean-up campaigns, directly contributing to improving the condition of the local environment and strengthening environmental awareness.

We also organize an annual Sustainability Week, aimed at making the importance of sustainability tangible and personal for our employees. Through accessible and practice-oriented programs, we present the steps our company is taking in environmental and social responsibility, as well as how individual actions can contribute to a more sustainable future. During the week, we organize tree-planting initiatives, encourage an active and health-conscious lifestyles, and promote sustainable mobility solutions, such as cycling to work and reducing car usage.

Our goal is to ensure that sustainability is not only a corporate strategy but also a shared mindset and everyday practice that strengthens our community and protects our environment in the long term.

Our Sustainability Strategy

Our sustainability strategy is an integral part of our overall corporate strategy, encompassing environmental protection, respect for human rights, fair working conditions, and the fight against corruption. Our corporate governance system is built on the principles of transparency and accountability.

Our Code of Conduct provides clear guidance on fair competition, respect for human rights, non‑discrimination, anti‑corruption practices, and data protection.

The ZF Trustline reporting system — available anonymously in 14 languages and accessible at all times — offers employees and external partners a secure platform for reporting irregularities safely, including risks and violations related to social responsibility and environmental protection.

It also ensures opportunity for notifications about breaching of obligation related to ZF Hungária Kft’s own, subsidiary business activities and of the direct suppliers, thereby strengthening organizational integrity.

For our suppliers, the mandatory Business Partner Code of Conduct defines expectations related to human rights, occupational safety, environmental standards, and business ethics.

Our parent company prepares an ESRS‑based Sustainability Report annually, which is published on its website. ZF Hungária Kft. will prepare its first ESG report in 2026, covering the year 2025.

Our Climate Goal

The central objective of the ZF Group’s climate strategy is to achieve climate neutrality by 2040. To support this ambition, the company aims to reduce direct (Scope 1) and indirect (Scope 2) emissions by 80% by 2030 compared to the 2019 baseline, and to decrease value‑chain‑related (Scope 3) emissions by 40% per million of income over the same period. Since 2021, our company has ensured that all electricity consumption comes from renewable sources, significantly reducing the carbon footprint of our operations.

With the introduction of the Digital Manufacturing Platform, we are optimizing energy consumption, reducing scrap rates, and improving operational efficiency through the digitalization of our production processes. Strengthening circular-economy principles is also a key focus: in the area of waste management, our target is to achieve an annual, revenue‑adjusted reduction of at least 1% in the amount of waste sent to landfill compared to the 2019 baseline.

Information Security

Our company is committed to ensuring the highest level of information security, as demonstrated by our TISAX certification. This certification confirms that our information security management system meets the strict data protection and security requirements of the automotive industry and operates within a structured, audited control environment.

In response to the continuously evolving regulatory landscape, we have proactively prepared to comply with the requirements of the NIS2 directive. As part of this effort, we are further strengthening our cybersecurity risk management, incident management, and business continuity processes to ensure that our digital operations remain resilient, transparent, and sustainable in the long term. We firmly believe that a high level of information security is not merely a compliance obligation, but a foundation of our business reliability and our partnerships.

The publication of this social responsibility strategy is carried out in accordance with Section 18 (1) of Act CVIII of 2023 on ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance), which aims to promote sustainable finance and unified corporate responsibility.