BUDAPEST, Hungary: The world-famous Rubik's Cube is returning to its birthplace in Hungary, more than 50 years after its invention.

A new automated factory will produce up to one million cubes every year, bringing production back to the country where the colorful puzzle was first created.

The puzzle has sold more than 500 million units worldwide and remains one of the most popular toys across generations.

Hungarian architect, sculptor and professor Ernő Rubik, now 82, invented the cube in 1974. Speaking at the opening of the new production line in the Hungarian city of Jászberény, he said: "Hungary is the home of the cube. The cube was born here."

Rubik developed the original wooden prototype while teaching design at the Academy of Applied Arts and Design in Budapest. He wanted to create a three-dimensional object that offered endless possibilities.

The first version consisted of 27 smaller blocks that could rotate along different axes. Rubik initially developed it as a design experiment before recognizing its potential as a puzzle.

In 1977, the first 5,000 units, then known as the Magic Cube, went on sale in specialist shops in Budapest.

The invention quickly attracted attention, but Hungary's socialist-era manufacturing system struggled to supply the materials and produce enough cubes to meet growing demand.

Rubik realized that local production could not satisfy the international market. The rights were eventually licensed to British, then American, toy companies, and manufacturing moved abroad.

The cube's popularity grew rapidly in the early 1980s. Rubik described this period as the first major wave of success, with around 200 million units sold between 1980 and 1983.

Although sales declined after the initial boom, the puzzle continued to attract enthusiasts, with millions of cubes sold every year.

The new Hungarian factory uses robotic arms to assemble the cubes and test their performance and durability. Rubik said the modern production process was very different from the early days, when each cube was assembled by hand.

The factory in Jászberény plans to produce one million cubes annually.

Steve Radewych, a senior vice president at Canadian toy company Spin Master, which owns the Rubik's Cube trademark, attended the opening ceremony.

He described the return of production to Hungary as the cube coming back to its roots. He also praised Rubik's invention, calling it more than a toy and describing it as a global social phenomenon.

Radewych said the puzzle had remained popular because it continued to challenge young people. He added that it represented intelligence, problem-solving and mental discipline while bringing both happiness and frustration to generations of users.

The Rubik's Cube has enjoyed another rise in popularity in recent years, partly because of the growing number of international competitions in which participants race to solve it as quickly as possible.

According to the World Cube Association, which organizes and certifies competitions worldwide, the current record is 2.51 seconds. It was set last month in China by nine-year-old Xuanyi Geng.

Rubik himself is not interested in competing for speed. He sees the cube as a form of sculpture that can be transformed in countless ways, bringing together art and engineering.

He said that creating something meaningful and beautiful was an important part of the experience.