UNIVERSITY OF MISKOLC – Faculty of EconomicsInstitute of World and
Regional Economics
Ildiko KNEISZUniversity of Miskolc
HUNGARY
Knowledge centres in Northern Hungary
Seeking partners in science and technology based ventures
Einhoven15th April 2010
UNIVERSITY OF MISKOLC – Faculty of EconomicsInstitute of World and
Regional Economics
University of Miskolc
• Faculty
– Of Earth Science and Engineering
– Of Materials Science and Engineering
– Of Mechanical Engineering and Informatics
– Of Law
– Of Economics
– Of Arts
– Of Teacher Training
Bartók Béla Music Institute
• Innovation & Research
– Innovation and Technology Transfer Centre
– Research Institute of Applied Earth Sciences
– Mechatronics and Logistics Systems Regional University
Knowledge Centre
– Innovation management Cooperation Research Center
UNIVERSITY OF MISKOLC – Faculty of EconomicsInstitute of World and
Regional Economics
Innovation management Cooperation Research Center
• started its operation in 2005
• Main objective: to help the partner companies and other
SMEs in the region to improve the economic and market
efficiency of their innovational and R&D activities relying
on the economic and management research capacities of
the Faculty of Economics of the University
• Direct services are:
– supporting the patent process
– looking for innovational solutions
– informational services
– economic, business and marketing consultations
– innovation project-planning and management
UNIVERSITY OF MISKOLC – Faculty of EconomicsInstitute of World and
Regional Economics
National strategy settings 2007-2013
Goals: Gross Innovation Index reaches EU avergare by 2013.
Indicator 2005 (fact) 2010 (target) 2013 (target)
R&D / GDP 0.95% 1.40% 1.80%
BERD 0.37% 0.63% 0.90%
new products 4.2% 5.0% 6.0%
S&T graduates 5.1% 5.5% 6.0%
EU patent 18.9 24.0 28.0
early VC/GDP 0.004 0.005 0.006
Source: www.nkth.gov.hu
UNIVERSITY OF MISKOLC – Faculty of EconomicsInstitute of World and
Regional Economics
Financing R+D by regions and sources
Source: Hungarian Statistical Ofiice
UNIVERSITY OF MISKOLC – Faculty of EconomicsInstitute of World and
Regional Economics
R+D+I COMPETITION DECLINES FOR YEARS
Main reasons:
– extremly low R+D+I expenditures and staff,
– low participation of SMEs in R+D+I activities,
– extremly low level of MSc students in Sciences and PhD,
– networking problems.
Facing problems
UNIVERSITY OF MISKOLC – Faculty of EconomicsInstitute of World and
Regional Economics
Innovation capacityR&D institutes in Northern Hungary
Number of R&D units, 2008
UNIVERSITY OF MISKOLC – Faculty of EconomicsInstitute of World and
Regional Economics
Technology providers in Northern Hungary
UNIVERSITY OF MISKOLC – Faculty of EconomicsInstitute of World and
Regional Economics
NORTHERN HUNGARY - SWOT
Strengths
Presence of higher education institutes.
The growth of university, college R&D potential, the creation of
knowledge centres, their increasing economic openness.
The region has important traditions in the field of machinery,
metallurgy (Miskolc, Salgótarján, Ózd) and chemistry
(Kazincbarcika, Tiszaújváros).
The strong representation of the technical culture, technical
qualification, their presence as an economic asset.
The growing presence of industrial parks in the region.
The number of foreign companies settling in the region and the
number of their employees is increasing. (E.g.: Bosch) some of which
has its production plant in the region.
The presence of integrator companies which wield international
leverage in the field of chemistry, machinery and vehicle assembly.
The strengthening of the initiatives which aim at elaborating
enterprise clusters, enterprise networks.
Good access to road and railroad links, endowance of info-
communication networks.
Weaknesses
Small number of entreprises with strong market position and
significant capital, the existing ones are concentrated in Miskolc,
Tiszaújváros, Eger, Kazincbarcika.
The SMEs lack capital, suffer from regular liquidity problems, their
market position, competitiveness , income-generating capacity is weak,
their level of cooperation is low.
The SMEs of the region lack capital , only a fraction of them is
able to export, subcontracting is of low level.
The number of innovative enterprises is small.
Low innovation culture, and risk-taking ability.
Lack of concentration in the R&D activity.
The centres of the disadvantaged microregions generally lack
industrial sites, incubation houses and counselling services which
incite the settling, operation, and assistance of enterprises.
The network of innovation transfer organisations is of low-
quality or missing, the link between the R&D institutions of the region
and the entreprises is insufficient.
The participation of potential innovation players in national and
international networks is trivial , the international relationship of the
enterprises is underdeveloped., the lack of innovative clusters.
The number of jobs employing professionals is low especially in
the middle-sized and small-sized towns which stimulates the
emigration of professionals.
Unemployment is high, its composition is unfavourable.
UNIVERSITY OF MISKOLC – Faculty of EconomicsInstitute of World and
Regional Economics
Opportunities
The support of innovation and R&D activities remains an
important development priority at European and national level, the
innovation-based utilisation of the Structural Funds of the EU, the
announcement of new domestic call for proposals is to be expected in
the future.
The stimulation of international co-operation (especially regional).
The appraisal of the role of economic co-operations, transfer
organisations, the strengthening of the link between research bodies
and SMEs.
The appraisal of the role of economic co-operations, the
dynamisation of the links between the local economic players and the
existing scientific potential.
Demand for knowledge-centres.
The appearance of intervention-packages, call for proposals for
SMEs in the field of innovation.
Increasing utilisation of information as resources, demand for the
dissemination of results.
The strengthening of environmental-consciousness.
The improvement of innovation and entrepreneurial spirit.
Threats
Continuation of emigration and brain-drain.
The human resource potential of the region remains low.
The brain-drain of the neighbouring regions will strengthen.
Permanent unemployment and the correlated social problems will
remain.
Due to the unfavourable economic policy factors, the investment
propensity will decrease, which in turn has an adverse effect on job
creation.
The geographical concentration of population is strengthening, the
region’s economy lagging behind will increase.
The interregional economic linkages will not be built sufficiently.
The lack of own resources and the lack of sufficiently underpinned
projects may hinder the region’s proper utilisation of EU funds.
The weakening of cooperation capabilities is low.
The interregional economic linkages will not be built sufficiently.
The market opportunity of SMEs will dwindle due to the lack of
product development, the SMEs are characterised by a constant lack
of capital, especially in the case of funds which can be dedicated to
R&D.
The demand for innovation in the case of SMEs remains low.
NORTHERN HUNGARY - SWOT
UNIVERSITY OF MISKOLC – Faculty of EconomicsInstitute of World and
Regional Economics
Background of the
NORRIS Project
• Starting point: 1st June 2005 ;
• Duration: 32 months;
• 10 members within the consortium;
• Co-financed by the EU;
• According to EU RIS Methodology;
• Technically supported by Innovating
Regions in Europe
• 3 workphases;
Unique,
interregional-bilateral form!
1. North Hungarian Regional Development Agency 2. Bay Zoltan Foundation for Applied Research
3. University of Miskolc 4. Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County Government
5. Hungarian Investment and Trade Development Agency
6. Košice Self-Governing Region
7. Technical University of Košice 8. Agency for the Support of Regional Development
9. JOANNEUM RESEARCH,
Institute of Technology and Regional Policy
10. La Fundacion de Automatización,
Robótica y Tecnologías de la Información y de la Fabricación
UNIVERSITY OF MISKOLC – Faculty of EconomicsInstitute of World and
Regional Economics
• Inventory map about the actors interested in innovation;
• Comparative analysis of the results of previous projects and
planned policies;
• Background analyses (technological and regional strengths);
• European good practice review, comparative analysis with
the application of benchmarking tools;
• Evaluation and comparative analysis
• relevant programming documents
• on EU, national levels.
Results and outcomes
UNIVERSITY OF MISKOLC – Faculty of EconomicsInstitute of World and
Regional Economics
SME support of the project
UNIVERSITY OF MISKOLC – Faculty of EconomicsInstitute of World and
Regional Economics
ANALYSES OF REGIONAL SUPPLY AND DEMAND
Demand side
SMEs and
larger companies
Supply side
Technology Resource Cent.
Business Supporting Org.
Public Org.
• 500-500 SMEs and larger companies have been initiated;
• 15-15 Technology Centres and R&D Institutions have been asked.
• Both qualitative and quantitative methods have been applied;
• Depth-Interviews and Questionnaires have been used.
UNIVERSITY OF MISKOLC – Faculty of EconomicsInstitute of World and
Regional Economics
Sectors with special importance
• Based on the preliminary analyses some region specific sectors were
selected according to their shares in the labour market and GVA;
• Common branches:
1. Machine industry;
2. Electrical and optical equipment;
3. Food industry;
4. Material production;
5. Environment industry.
• Added sectors on Hungarian side: Chemical and plastic industry,
Transport, telecommunication and Logistics, Community and public
services, Steel Industry.
UNIVERSITY OF MISKOLC – Faculty of EconomicsInstitute of World and
Regional Economics
Results of the Analyses
Supply side (Technology Centres and Institutions):
• Technology Resource Centres form opinion on mechanism of regional
innovation funds;
• The geographical scope of the innovation activities on rather local and
national level than international;
• Nevertheless there are many existing relationships among the centres and
institutions;
• Demand for innovation and R&D is created only by a few companies in
the region;
• Most of the technology providers are not orientated to applied researches,
they remain on theoretical level;
• Education, open days and dissemination could be tools to motivate SMEs’
innovation activity.
UNIVERSITY OF MISKOLC – Faculty of EconomicsInstitute of World and
Regional Economics
Supply side analysis
• Important branches:
– Mechanical engineering;
– Production of electric
and optical equipment;
– Food industry;
– Production of raw
material;
– Environment industry.
– Chemical- and plastic
industry;
– Metallurgy and metal
processing;
– Transportation and
warehousing
• List of the services which
can be provided:
– Development of R&D projects
– Quality and authentication
– Introduction of technology
– Technical consultation
– Support for the information
management
– Search for partners
– Support for the preparation of
business/product plan
– Support for making the
businesses international
– Etc.
UNIVERSITY OF MISKOLC – Faculty of EconomicsInstitute of World and
Regional Economics
Results of the AnalysesDemand side (SMEs and large companies):
• Not enough well skilled manpower representing bottleneck for most of the
firms;
• SME’s claim for more technological development, assistance;
• SME’s restrained possibilities for financing innovation;
• Currently most of the companies are not taking part in any innovation
project;
• Large companies have their own
innovation strategies and plans,which are not harmonized
with any regional objective;
• Innovation „information flows”
do not reach the companies in every case;
• Lack of connection between any Slovakian
or Hungarian partners;
• Need of information on potential partners, consortiums or projects.
UNIVERSITY OF MISKOLC – Faculty of EconomicsInstitute of World and
Regional Economics
Innovation Strategyfor Northern Hungary
VISION AND MISSION
To make the competitiveness grow in the economy’s most important sectors by concerted
development of the socio-economic centres of the region and its peripheries. It is
facilitated by the continuously and importantly developing infrastructure, and the
exploitation of the geographical and social capability assuring the environment which can
be lived, the adequate level quality of life and the openness towards other regions.
STRATEGIC AIM
With assigning and focusing on the research development activities’ and the innovative processes’ target system, the frame- and environmental condition system continuous
improvement, the knowledge an technology transfer conscious operation and development, promoting and developing the exploitation of the available synergies by the networking contacts in the region and the economic competitiveness of enterprises in the
region.
UNIVERSITY OF MISKOLC – Faculty of EconomicsInstitute of World and
Regional Economics
Priorities
I. Innovative infrastructure,
development of the service and financing system
II. Development of the environmental contacts and
condition systems
III. Promoting the enterprises’ innovative- and
the income attractive ability, network condition, technology and knowledge
intensive development.
UNIVERSITY OF MISKOLC – Faculty of EconomicsInstitute of World and
Regional Economics
Thank you for your kind attention!
Ildiko KNEISZ
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.uni-miskolc.hu
NORRIS PROJECT
www.norrisproject.eu
Daniel KUTTOR