In context with the Eastern enlargement of the European Union, this research deals with the effects of pre- and post-enlargement integration policies on industry concentration and regional development in Hungary. Economic processes are analysed empirically and by means of regression analyses with a spatial perspective and in the framework of the new economic geography over a time span of almost two decades. The results for the manufacturing industries and for regional specialization show which economic centres played a role for the economic development of the country over time. The roles which agglomerations and regional specialization can play are discussed with a view to the problems of cohesion in Hungary, the enlarged EU and future EU accession countries. The conclusions also take into account the current political and academic debate regarding European regional policy.

In context with the Eastern enlargement of the European Union, this research deals with the effects of pre- and post-enlargement integration policies on industry concentration and regional development in Hungary. Economic processes are analysed empirically and by means of regression analyses with a spatial perspective and in the framework of the new economic geography over a time span of almost two decades. The results for the manufacturing industries and for regional specialization show which economic centres played a role for the economic development of the country over time. The roles which agglomerations and regional specialization can play are discussed with a view to the problems of cohesion in Hungary, the enlarged EU and future EU accession countries. The conclusions also take into account the current political and academic debate regarding European regional policy.

Nowadays, more and more scholars of regional science are interested in the role of agglomeration economies in the knowledge-based economy. This issue can be dealt with from different points of view: the competitive type of functional or nodal regions and one has to examine the factors influencing regional competitiveness. To improve competitiveness of regions, different economic development programmes must be applied, which means that the improvement of competitiveness requires different strategies based on the different types of regions. In this paper we outline our analytical framework: the pyramid model of regional competitiveness and the UFO-model of cluster-based regional economic development. After introducing, we are going to investigate into the competitiveness of Hungarian microregions (LAU1). Our statistical analysis to underline the classification of microregions by competitiveness types is based on a complex methodology of multi-variable data analysis. For the investigation of agglomeration economies in these different types of microregions we apply the location quotient (LQ) method and Ellison-Glaeser-index of traded sectors. The Local Moran Index (LISA), which can be interpreted as the local index of spatial autocorrelation, is used to calculate the neighbourhood effects of the microregions.

Emphasizing the role of public administration, this book is concerned with the regional aspect of the social and economic development of the post-communist region of Europe, especially Hungary, with a few comparative outlooks on Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland. The chapters contain surveys and case studies of interest to anyone interested in the regional development of this huge region of Europe which is joining the Union in 2004. The first chapter, entitled Regional Development, describes the changes of the regional structure and the regional processes in the Eastern half of Europe and in Hungary particularly, brought about by the emergence of the multiparty democracy, the market economy and the integration to the globalizing world. The studies included in the second chapter present how local, regional and national governments react to the above changes and processes in the form of Regional Policy, in Hungary and in the Eastern Central European Region in general. The studies o

Located between three European capital cities, Győr has to work hard to attract investment and jobs. The Hungarian city has set itself up to attract innovative companies, creating new urban values such as education-based innovation, a high-quality urban environment and a lively cultural sphere. Here's how a "secondary city" builds on its industrial past even as it breaks away from its dependence on it.

Although industry clusters are major targets of regional economic development in less developed regions as well, we still need a deeper understanding on how spatial clustering of firms generates dynamics in lagging regions. These latter environments may differ too much from those typical cluster policy examples that are usually very specialized global centres of dynamically growing industries. Using census-type data of Hungarian firms, we test the effect of major cluster indicators - regional specialization and spatial concentration of industries - and the effect of FDI on regional productivity and employment growth in Hungary. Our results suggest that regional specialization does not affect regional growth but spatial concentration of industries is found to influence productivity and employment growth with an overwhelmingly negative effect. Furthermore, regional employment growth is associated negatively with the initial level of regional specialization. We argue that Hungary has evolved into a dual economy; in which previously specialized regions and geographically concentrated industries have lost their pace. The main factor that favoured regional economic growth was the presence of large foreign companies. Therefore, economic policies fostering regional specialization and spatial concentration of industries - such as cluster policy - may have minor effects only if the interaction of foreign-owned and domestic companies is not fostered.

Twenty-five years into transformation, Central and Eastern European regions have undergone substantial socio-economic restructuring, integrating into European and global networks and producing new patterns of regional differentiation and development. Yet post-socialist modernisation has not been without its contradictions, manifesting in increasing social and territorial inequalities. Recent studies also suggest there are apparent limits to post-socialist growth models, accompanying a new set of challenges within an increasingly uncertain world. Aiming to deliver a new synthesis of regional development issues at the crossroads between ‘post-socialism’ and ‘post-transition’, this book identifies the main driving forces of spatial restructuring in Central and Eastern Europe, and charts the different regional development paths which take shape against the backdrop of post-crisis Europe. A comparative approach is used to highlight common development challenges and the underlying patterns of socio-economic differentiation alike. The issues investigated within the Handbook extend to a discussion of the varied economic consequences of transition, the social structures and institutional systems which underpin development processes, and the broadly understood sustainability of Central and Eastern Europe’s current development model. This book will be of interest to academics and policymakers working in the fields of regional studies, economic geography, development studies and policy.