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BME and OTP Bank have signed a strategic cooperation deal designed to expand cybersecurity education, research and talent development. The partnership will combine BME’s engineering, information technology and research capabilities with the bank’s practical experience in addressing large-scale cybersecurity challenges in the financial sector.
The agreement covers education, research, innovation, talent development and scientific outreach. It is intended to give students access not only to up-to-date academic knowledge but also to real-world industry experience in areas including information security, data protection, financial cybersecurity, digital infrastructure protection, incident management and the risks associated with emerging technologies.
The initiative reflects the growing importance of cybersecurity beyond the traditional boundaries of information technology. As financial services become increasingly digital and artificial intelligence is integrated into a wider range of business processes, cyber threats have become a major economic and societal concern. Banks and other large organizations must protect increasingly complex digital infrastructure while responding to rapidly changing forms of fraud, data theft and disruption.
Under the agreement, OTP Bank cybersecurity specialists will participate in BME’s educational and professional programs, providing students with practical knowledge based on current industry challenges. The partners also plan to cooperate in preparing joint research and development projects, professional events, lectures and workshops.
The collaboration may also extend to student projects and thesis topics, allowing students to work on problems directly relevant to the financial sector. By linking university research with the operational experience of Hungary’s largest bank, the partnership aims to create opportunities for academic work to contribute to practical cybersecurity solutions.
The cooperation will be centered primarily on the academic and student community of BME’s Laboratory of Cryptography and System Security, known as CrySyS Lab, which operates within the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics. The laboratory conducts research and education in cybersecurity, cryptography and the protection of complex information systems.
BME rector Charaf Hassan said that cooperation with industry partners gives students and researchers access to organizations that handle sophisticated cybersecurity risks as part of their daily operations.
“For BME, it is particularly important that our students and researchers can work together with industry partners that encounter the most complex cybersecurity challenges in their everyday operations,” Hassan said. “The agreement with OTP Bank creates an opportunity for the university’s knowledge and the financial sector’s practical experience to jointly strengthen Hungary’s digital security.”
The partnership is expected to support the development of a stronger professional community connecting researchers, students and industry experts. As demand for cybersecurity specialists continues to grow, cooperation between universities and large employers can help ensure that graduates enter the labor market with both theoretical expertise and familiarity with practical security challenges.
The agreement is not limited to conventional classroom education. Joint professional events, workshops and research activities may provide a broader platform for exchanging knowledge on new technologies and emerging threats. This could become particularly relevant as AI, automated systems and increasingly interconnected digital services create new security risks alongside their economic benefits.
The agreement adds BME to OTP’s existing network of university partnerships. The bank already cooperates with Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) and the University of Public Service in cybersecurity-related research and development.
Bence Borókai, OTP’s group-level head of cybersecurity, described the addition of BME as a strategically important step in expanding the bank’s cybersecurity research and development ecosystem.
“It is a strategically important step to involve the Budapest University of Technology and Economics in our university partnerships alongside ELTE and the University of Public Service, further expanding OTP Bank’s cybersecurity research and development ecosystem,” Borókai said.
He added that the cooperation would also include a jointly operated cyber laboratory intended to support the development of new defensive technologies.
“Through the cooperation, including the jointly operated cyber lab, we are strengthening the research and development of innovative defensive solutions that can more effectively support protection against fraud, as well as the prevention and mitigation of threats originating from cyberspace,” he said.
Cybersecurity has become an increasingly important area for the financial sector as customers conduct more transactions through digital channels and criminal methods become more technologically advanced. Financial institutions must protect payment systems, customer data and critical infrastructure while also detecting fraud attempts that can increasingly rely on automation, social engineering and artificial intelligence.
The partnership creates a framework in which academic researchers can gain access to practical industry challenges, while OTP Bank can draw on BME’s scientific expertise and talent base. The involvement of students may also strengthen the long-term recruitment pipeline for cybersecurity roles, an area in which specialized knowledge and practical experience are both essential.
The agreement does not specify individual research projects or a timetable for launching new programs. However, its broad scope provides opportunities for the partners to develop initiatives in response to technological changes and evolving security risks.
This article was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of July 17, 2026.
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