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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<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Progress report:<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dr. Erika Nagy<\/a>, PI; senior researcher, 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. G\u00e1bor Nagy, senior researcher, 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. Gergely Tagai<\/a>, research fellow, CERS Institute for Regional Studies, B\u00e9k\u00e9scsaba, publications<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Publications\/Publik\u00e1ci\u00f3k<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Conferences\/Konferenci\u00e1k<\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n 2025, nemzetk\u00f6zi\/International: <\/u><\/em><\/p>\n Papers given by the team members:<\/p>\n Ern\u0151 Moln\u00e1r and Erika Nagy participated at the international workshop \u2018Future Sustainability Transition Pathways for Central and Eastern European Regions\u2019<\/em>, at Ostrava University, 16- 17th October, 2025.<\/p>\n 2025, hazai\/National:<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n XII. Magyar F\u00f6ldrajzi Konferencia (2025. 09. 18-21. – Szeged)<\/em><\/p>\n XXIII. MRTT V\u00e1ndorgy\u0171l\u00e9s \u00e9s Konferencia (2025. 10. 30-31. – Veszpr\u00e9m)<\/em><\/p>\n 2026, nemzetk\u00f6zi\/International<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n The team organised a session \u2019(Re)industrialization and Social Dynamics in the Non-metropolitan Spaces of Central and Eastern Europe\u2019 (session 38) at the Regional Studies Association Annual Conference, Gothenburg, June, 2026. 09.<\/p>\n The team members presented papers:<\/p>\n Team members presented papers at 12nd<\/sup> The Role of the State in Varieties of Capitalism (SVOC) conference\u2019<\/strong>New Perspectives on (New) Industrial policies in the Era of Geoeconomic Shifts\u2019, Budapest, June 2026:<\/p>\n 2026, hazai\/National:<\/u><\/p>\n A XXII. Telep\u00fcl\u00e9sf\u00f6ldrajzi Konferenci\u00e1n elhangzott el\u0151ad\u00e1saink:<\/p>\n XIV. T\u00c1JT\u00d6RT\u00c9NETI TUDOM\u00c1NYOS KONFERENCIA: T\u00c1JAT TEREMT\u0150 T\u00d6RT\u00c9NELEM<\/p>\n P\u00e9cs, 2026. febru\u00e1r 5\u20136. MTA P\u00e9csi Ter\u00fcleti Bizotts\u00e1g<\/p>\n Funded by ARIS and NKFIH<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":14298,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[215,214,209],"class_list":["post-14302","projektek","type-projektek","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international-projects","category-projects-financed-by-nkfih","category-research-projects"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n
Participants<\/h2>\n
The Hungarian team<\/em><\/h3>\n
The Slovenian team<\/em><\/h3>\n
Case studies<\/h2>\n
Events<\/h2>\n
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\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rki.krtk.hun-ren.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Ljubljana_workshop_foto-300x225.jpg\")
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\nhttps:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DP7Iy7fDed9\/<\/a>
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rki.krtk.hun-ren.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Ostrava_foto-300x225.jpg\")
<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nPublications<\/h2>\n
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\nThe papers were given at the event:
\n<\/em>Erika Nagy<\/strong>: Socialist industrial towns in transition: Path dependence and local agency
\nG\u00e1bor Nagy, Ern\u0151 Moln\u00e1r, G\u00e1bor Pirisi, Gergely Tagai, Erika Nagy<\/strong>: Current trends of peripheral industrialization and the changing patterns of small town-centred commuting
\nhttps:\/\/mfk2025.hu\/#brxe-pwtsbp<\/a><\/li>\n
\nG\u00e1bor Pirisi<\/strong>: Rebranding Koml\u00f3? Opportunities and limits in the transformation of a former mining town
\nErika Nagy<\/strong>: New path, new dependencies? The entanglement of local and non-local agencies in a former socialist industrial town in Hungary
\nG\u00e1bor Nagy<\/strong>: The current trends of peripheral industrialization and the changing patterns of small town-centred commuting
\nhttps:\/\/cat2025tirana.com\/programme\/<\/a>
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rki.krtk.hun-ren.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/CAT-2025_kep-300x111.png\")
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\nThe paper delivered: Is centrally controlled industrialisation (only) a state socialist scheme for regional development and political control? The entanglement of peripheral industrialisation and the rise of the authoritarian regime in post-2010 Hungary
\nhttps:\/\/www.helsinki.fi\/en\/conferences\/extremisms-ambiguities-ideologies-agency\/programme<\/a>
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rki.krtk.hun-ren.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Helsinki_konf_foto-225x300.jpg\")
<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nDissemination\/Disszemin\u00e1ci\u00f3<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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