MNB Safe Centre
The Safe Centre
In the Safe Centre, access to data categories compiled from the data processed by the MNB, comprising individual data that is nevertheless not suitable for the direct identification of the data subjects concerned, is provided only for research purposes, subject to compliance with data protection requirements, under controlled circumstances, in an isolated environment. While using the Safe Centre, in a secure facility under video surveillance Researchers are granted access to data sets that have been prepared for research and are technically separated from the MNB’s internal network, the data stored on that network, and its external network connections.
Eligible users of the Safe Centre
The Safe Centre may only be used for scientific purposes by Researchers (including students of higher education institutions) who have successfully completed their accreditation assessments and have Hungarian or foreign research institution backgrounds.
Applying for Safe Centre data access
A Researcher may apply for data use in the Safe Centre by completing the Application Form and submitting it by post to the MNB, addressed to the MNB’s registered office, with the required annexes enclosed.
Agreement and Declaration of Commitments
In the case of research applications that have been approved in terms of researcher accreditation, professional content, data protection and viability, the MNB will enter into an agreement with the Researcher and the Researcher’s Institution (see the sample Agreement). Additionally, the Researcher will also be required to sign a Declaration of Commitments (see the sample Declaration).
When the Agreement and the Declaration of Commitments have been signed by all of the parties concerned, under the terms of the Agreement the MNB will authorize access to the Safe Centre, and supply the Researcher with the information required for using the Safe Centre.
Disclosure
Following the conclusion of each Agreement, the MNB will disclose on its website the theme of the research and the name of the Research Institution in all cases, and, at the Researcher’s specific request, the Researcher’s name.
Software products available in the Safe Centre:
The MNB will provide the Researcher with the software products that may be used for research. Other than what is available in the Safe Centre, the Researcher may not request additional software products or different versions of the software products available. The software products available in the Safe Centre and their versions are as follows:
- Microsoft Office Suite – Professional Plus 2013
- SPSS – IBM SPSS Statistics, Version 25
- STATA – Stata SE 16
- Gretl – gretl 2019c
- R – 3.6.1 64/32 bit
- GNU Octave 5.1.0
- Python 3.7, 64 bit
Research findings
Any research findings that the Researcher seeks to take away from the Safe Centre must be produced and documented as specified in the standard documentation template. Only research findings that have been tested successfully for data protection will be made available by the MNB to the Researcher.
Detailed rules for using the Safe Centre
Additional detailed information about using the Safe Centre, including data protection information, is provided in the Notice for Researchers.
No fee is charged for using the Data Sets that have been prepared for research and made available on an ongoing basis in the Safe Centre, or for any ex-post data protection tests on research findings produced on the basis of those Data Sets.
Available Data Sets
In the Safe Centre, Researchers have access to the following Data Sets, which have been prepared for research without allowing direct identification of the data subjects concerned:
For corporate enterprises borrowing funds under the Funding for Growth Scheme (FGS):
- specific debt, balance sheet and P/L data (in an annual breakdown for 2012–2018)
- specific items of basic organisational information (as at 31 December 2018)
- information on loans granted under the FGS (in an annual breakdown for 2013–2018)
Safe Centre entry and opening hours
The Safe Centre is located in the Capital Square Office Building at 1133 Budapest, Váci út 76. (entrance from Dráva u. 1.).
Before entering the Safe Centre, for the duration of their sessions Researchers must make use of the lockable storage provided by the MNB to deposit any telephones, mobile communication devices, image, audio and video recording devices, as well as any books, handwritten notes and stationery in their possession.
Laptops and similar devices of a larger size that are suitable for mobile communication and recording must not be brought inside the building.
Entry into the Safe Centre may only be made by participants in approved research projects, at times arranged in advance, in the opening hours of the Safe Centre.
Safe Centre opening hours: business days (Monday to Friday) from 9.00 to 15.00.