About the project
The project rests on the cooperation of ZRC SAZU and HUN-REN Centre for Economic and Regional Studies (HUN-REN KRTK) and funded by the ARIS (Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency, Slovenia) and NKFIH (National Research, development and Innovation Office, Hungary). The work lasts 3 years (2025.01.01.-2027.12.31.).
The project aims to understand more of the structural conditions and the interplay of local and non-local agency in the development of small towns which are located outside major urban agglomerations, yet have a substantial share in industrial employment and output (disproportional to their population), and their economy is embedded in global production network. Our intention is to use these ‘hidden industrial champion towns’ as models to explore how human agents in local communities can transform socio-spatial disadvantages (peripheral location, small population and limited access to labour and services) into advantages that are used for new development paths or stabilizing old ones. It is important to know how different external conditions (i.e. national policies and macroeconomic structures) which are different in Slovenia and Hungary, influence the actions of agents and local communities and lead to different development outcomes. The project relies on a combined methodology to reveal and classify path development of small towns, discover agency (strategies, assets, struggles) behind the change or maintenance of industrial paths, how local communities relate to such processes and what narratives are driving current processes (semi-structured expert and narrative interviews, a questionnaire survey, and statistical and narrative analysis) in three case study towns in both countries conducted along a shared methodology. We also endeavour to build up networks locally to discuss our results and support communities and to channel local voices in national policy making. Moreover, it is our ambition to develop a European network of academics focusing on small towns.
Participants
The Hungarian team
Dr. Erika Nagy, PI; senior researcher, HUN-REN CERS Institute for Regional Studies, Békéscsaba, publications
Dr. Ernő Molnár, associate professor, Department of Social Geography and Regional Development University of Debrecen, publications
Dr. Nagy Gábor, senior researcher, HUN-REN CERS Institute for Regional Studies, Békéscsaba, publications
Dr. Gábor Pirisi, associate professor, head of department, Dept. of Human Geography and Urban Studies University of Pécs, publications
Dr. Tagai Gergely, research fellow, HUN-REN CERS Institute for Regional Studies, Békéscsaba, publications
The Slovenian team
Case studies
Events
