Gabor Lux (p)

Ștefania Deák

This paper takes a look at the evolution of manufacturing industries of Pécs, a shrinking regional centre in Southern Hungary. Industrialisation and de-industrialisation processes are considered in the context of the city’s peripheral geographic position, and its aspirations to abandon its mining and industrial heritage in favour of becoming a cultural city. The paper contests the reality of these plans, drawing attention to how a simplified understanding of economic restructuring encourages the formation of “hidden sectors”, important secondary and tertiary activities which can get caught in vicious circles of decline, policy neglect, and network disintegration. It examines the transformation of the city’s industries, and the divergent evolutionary patterns they form in a city characterised by industrial decline. FDI-based, endogenous and knowledge-based industries are examined, along with the institutional background which influences their evolution, and gives rise to hidden sectors. The paper aims to highlight the importance of diversified industrial structures, the relevance of localities, and the role institutions play in influencing the future of manufacturing in the post-transition era.

Réka Horeczki (p), Ilona Pálné Kovács

Gabor Lux

The paper deals with an old topic of regional science, how the position in space and power can influence the development path of the settlements and regions.
It is commonplace that peripheries have limited access to development resources, information, decision-making actors. The spatial centres are in the most favourable situation designated as development poles, supported by public subsidies and these are attractive places for the investors offering suitable infrastructure and human capacities.
Our research assumed that the connection between the peripheral situation in space and power is not a single determinism, regions and settlements can be developed based on their own, bottom-up sources and efforts.
We conducted empirical research in a Hungarian county alongside the southern border being far from the capital, the only development and power pole of the very centralized country. Our survey among the local elite provided signs of the importance of local networks and leadership. The public money distribution and planning mechanisms are, however, centralized, channels to the upper-level decision-making platforms dominate the development policy arena. Success stories in the peripheries unfold rarely. Unfortunately, even the EU cohesion policy principles were not able to contribute to catching up the regions lagging behind, and to the emergency of strong local partnerships.
The research involved both centres and peripheral settlements providing examples for failure and success stories based on different models of governance.

Ștefania Deák (p), László Borbély, Ilena Luminița Bălălău

Réka Horeczki

Romania has received UN DESA recognition for increasing the effecciency of institutions in pursuing the SDGs, emphasizing the links between the SDGs through integrated policies and development plans.
The institutional framework, developed by the Department for Sustainable Development (DSD) - Government of Romania, for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at national level, emphasizes that all segments of society must be involved in achieving sustainable development goals, from political actors to civil society, private sector, academic environment and so on.
Establishing a Network of Sustainable Development Hubs (NSDH) in line ministries it’s an innovative approach of DSD for ensuring coherence in governmental action and for professionalizing the competences in strategic planning and sustainable development of the central public administration. These hubs consist of staff who are tasked with implementing the SDGs while also acting as liaisons between their own institutions, different departments, National Institute of Statistics and DSD. Currently, with support of ESF funding, DSD formalizes the collaboration with SD Hubs and supports their civil servants to become Experts of Sustainable Development, a new professional figure in Romania.