Southern great plain region
AGRICOLTURE AND FOOD INDUSTRY
Lead: BZN
Co-Lead: MOME
With its total area of 18337 km2, the Southern Great Plain (SGP) region is the largest among the seven statistical (NUTS2 level) regions in Hungary, situated in the south – south-eastern part of the country, representing almost one fifth of its total area. It is part of the so-called Hungarian Great Plain and and includes three counties: Bács-Kiskun, Békés and Csongrád-Csanád. The SGP region is bordered by Romania and Serbia to the east and south, respectively. The administrative centre of the region is the city of Szeged, which is also the seat town of Csongrád-Csanád County. The population of the region is 1.213 million people based on the latest (2022) data, which is approximately 12% of the total population of Hungary. The SGP is the 3rd largest region regarding the population. The region’s share in the national GDP is 9% (2021).
The SGP region is characterized mainly by agricultural landscapes and rural area, with a strong focus on agriculture within the industrial activities. A majority of its area is a plain with an average elevation of below 200 m above the mean see level and also is rich at natural and landscape heritages. Much of the total area is suitable for agricultural utilization, 85% of its farming land is used for field crop production. Since agriculture has a significant role in the economy of the region, utilisation of agricultural residual biomass is a key potential.
The Hungarian Engage4BIO Hub will focus on bio-based value chains for the efficient utilisation of agricultural and food industry products, by-products and waste. Although it has a strong regional focus, it will implement its activities in other parts of the country as well. The hub is established with the aim of reaching the following goals:
• establish regional bio-based system and transition to a more circular and sustainable bio-based economy;
• active engagement of agricultural and food industry stakeholders;
• creating novel measures and innovative tools in awareness raising and education.
The hub will target their activities towards all actors of the quintiple helix, with special attention to the private sector and the wider public. Ministry of Agriculture and Association of Women in Science have already expressed their interest. The Hungarian Bioeconomy Cluster will also support to reach the aims of the project. The cooperation of the two hub leaders, Bay Zoltan Nonprofit Ltd. for Applied Reseach (BZN) and Moholy-Nagy University for Arts and Design (MOME) results a combination of impact-driven applied / industrial R&D and creative innovation.
GEOGRAPHICAL FOCUS
Southern Great Plain (SGP) region.