Andrea Enyingi-Kurucz Andrea is working as a project manager in PP7 Pannon Business Network, Western Transdanubia, Hungary. She has been responsible for the BRIDGES project during the last period. According to Andrea, the value chain mapping has been a very useful exercise, as it allowed to collect and operationalise information and ideas that were already ‘in the air’ but needed to be addressed in more systematic way. Andrea feels that the mapping process was partially challenging, and for two reasons: it opened up the need to concretise local strengths, weaknesses and collaboration potential in reference to very specific industries and, secondly, it put on the table the issue of funding. As shown also in the PP7 policy instrument recommendations document, many of the ideas and insights from the value chain mapping have been included or are being included into EU-based project funding. At local level, the value chain mapping findings and the policy instrument recommendations, are very much aligned with the local development plan, Szombathely 2030.

One very important finding from all this process has been the recognition of advanced skills, locally, among the labour force of several businesses, that can be a localisation and embeddedness foundation for the regional economic renewal towards ICT & Health specialisation, thus diversifying from the older focus on FDI-based automotive industry.

Thew value chain mapping is available here projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/tx_tevprojects/library/file_1663216527.pdf 

and the policy instrument recommendations report is available here .https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/tx_tevprojects/library/file_1662994935.pdf