{"id":14302,"date":"2025-02-25T12:45:16","date_gmt":"2025-02-25T12:45:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rki.krtk.hun-ren.hu\/projektek\/rejtozkodo-ipari-centrumok-az-iparosodott-kisvarosok-kialakulasa-sajatossagai-es-jovoje-2025-2027\/"},"modified":"2025-10-29T08:45:43","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T08:45:43","slug":"hidden-industrial-champions-origins-features-and-futures-of-industrial-small-towns","status":"publish","type":"projektek","link":"https:\/\/rki.krtk.hun-ren.hu\/en\/projektek\/hidden-industrial-champions-origins-features-and-futures-of-industrial-small-towns\/","title":{"rendered":"(Hidden) Industrial Champions: Origins, Features and Futures of Industrial Small Towns. A comparative study of Hungary and Slovenia"},"content":{"rendered":"

About the project<\/h2>\n

The project rests on the cooperation of ZRC SAZU<\/a> and HUN-REN Centre for Economic and Regional Studies (HUN-REN KRTK)<\/a>\u00a0 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.).<\/p>\n

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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.<\/p>\n

Research objectives<\/a><\/p>\n

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Participants<\/h2>\n

The Hungarian team<\/em><\/h3>\n

Dr. Erika Nagy<\/a>, PI; senior researcher, HUN-REN CERS Institute for Regional Studies, B\u00e9k\u00e9scsaba, publications<\/a><\/p>\n

Dr. Ern\u0151 Moln\u00e1r<\/a>, associate professor, Department of Social Geography and Regional Development University of Debrecen, publications<\/a><\/p>\n

Dr. Nagy G\u00e1bor, senior researcher, HUN-REN CERS Institute for Regional Studies, B\u00e9k\u00e9scsaba, publications<\/a><\/p>\n

Dr. G\u00e1bor Pirisi<\/a>, associate professor, head of department, Dept. of Human Geography and Urban Studies University of P\u00e9cs, publications<\/a><\/p>\n

Dr. Tagai Gergely<\/a>, research fellow, HUN-REN CERS Institute for Regional Studies, B\u00e9k\u00e9scsaba, publications<\/a><\/p>\n

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The Slovenian team<\/em><\/h3>\n

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Case studies<\/h2>\n

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Events<\/h2>\n