Remarks on the rural development of the cultural and creative industries in North-Western Hungary – The results of a qualitative focus group research and a case study in the region of Szigetköz, Hungary
Petra Kinga Kézai[1] – Szandra Gombos[2]
This study investigates the potential of the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) in the rural Szigetköz region in North-Western Hungary. This region is a cross-border area between the Danube and the Moson Danube with significant natural resources.
Why should we focus on this topic?
The cultural and creative industries (CCIs) are among the most dynamic industries in Europe. They are important for ensuring the continued development of societies and are at the heart of the creative economy. Knowledge-intensive sectors based on individual creativity and talent generate significant economic wealth. They are important for generating economic growth and employment, especially for young people, strengthening social cohesion, and preserving European identity, culture, and values processes. Extensive research exists on CCI in urban areas; however, there is a notable absence in the literature concerning the development of rural areas centred around CCI. This sector is disseminated in less urbanized and rural territories, so a creative economy in rural areas became one of the determinants of smart rural growth. The interest of the study is further enhanced by the fact that it is a relatively developed rural area within Hungary, with unique socio-economic characteristics, as it has post-communist features, but is located near two countries and a developed industrial centre, and at the same time has priceless natural assets. The region needs to rely on several pillars, so besides the automotive industry in Győr, culture and the creative economy play a crucial role.
The paper is structured around the four research questions:
- (1) What are the latent potentials of the CCI area in the Szigetköz region?
- (2) What constraints and challenges might impede the realization of development opportunities for Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) in the Szigetköz region?
- (3) What are the socio-economic factors that hamper the development of CCI in the Szigetköz region?
- (4) What other migration and demographic processes facilitate or hinder development?
Methodology: After reviewing the literature, qualitative focus group in-depth interviews (n=14) were conducted with stakeholders who are CCI experts from the municipalities under study. The stakeholders were identified using a snowball method. The final section presents a Hungarian civil initiative that serves community building among CCI representatives through the bottom-up organization the “Szigetközi Szatyor” (Szigetközshopping bag), a local travelling market for local producers. The case studies are based on interviews with the founder and further creative actors regularly attending the market (n=6).
The results revealed that Szigetköz faces three main challenges in developing its cultural and creative industries: difficulty attracting and retaining creative professionals, tension between economic development and environmental preservation, and poor cooperation between municipalities. Focus group participants emphasized that while the region has rich natural and cultural assets, social conflicts and limited local opportunities make it unattractive for newcomers. The case study of the “Szigetközi Szatyor” initiative showed how grassroots efforts can successfully build community and support local creatives, offering a model for future development.
The main lessons of the study are that one of the pillars for the development of the CCI sector in rural areas is to address the problems that arise at the societal level, if not primarily, at least in parallel with industrial development. On the one hand, problems at the social level have a negative impact on the incentives to settle, thereby significantly limiting the scope, quality, and pace of economic development. Further studies of rural CCI development should examine these aspects in more detail.
Petra Kinga Kézai, Szandra Gombos (2025). Remarks on the rural development of the cultural and creative industries in North-Western Hungary – The results of a qualitative focus group research and a case study in the region of Szigetköz, Hungary. International Journal of Innovative Research and Scientific Studies 8: 3 pp. 4865-4873. https://doi.org/10.53894/ijirss.v8i3.7634
[1] West Hungarian Research Department, Institute for Regional Studies, HUN-REN Center for Economic and Regional Studies, Liszt Ferenc u. 10., H-9022 Győr, and Department of Corporate Leaderships and Marketing, Kautz Gyula Faculty of Economics, Széchenyi István University, Egyetem square 1., H-9026 Győr, Hungary.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5427-0127; kezai.petra@krtk.hun-ren.hu
[2] Department of Corporate Leaderships and Marketing, Kautz Gyula Faculty of Economics, Széchenyi István University, Egyetem square 1., H-9026 Győr, Hungary. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1500-5918
