The western, northwestern, and southwestern parts of Baranya County
Entrepreneurial activity in the region is generally low. One of the measures planned for the future to counteract this is the establishment of free enterprise zones. Most of the companies located in the settlements are engaged in agriculture-related activities; therefore, the region must uniformly promote the spread and adoption of farming methods suited to its natural and landscape conditions, particularly for various agriculture-related activities, by mobilizing the local community.
In addition to economic stimulus programs, an important task would be to encourage better utilization of local conditions and resources, which would improve the region’s self-sustaining capacity. The implementation of local economic development programs aligned with the circular economy philosophy can contribute to increasing this self-sustaining capacity.
Key elements in the region’s catch-up process include targeted industrial development programs implemented in district centers, as well as thematic and active tourism developments linked primarily to attractions within the Pécs-Villány core tourism area.
The central and eastern parts of Baranya County
The central area of the county comprises the county seat and its catchment area, which is the most densely populated region in the county. In addition to Pécs, the area includes the county’s second-largest city, Komló; meanwhile, the town of Kozármisleny belongs to Pécs’s inner agglomeration, while the larger settlements of Szentlőrinc and Pécsvárad are part of the outer catchment area.
The eastern part of the county has more favorable conditions than the western part. The largest city in the region is Mohács, but Siklós, Harkány, Villány, and Bóly also qualify as major centers given their natural features and the opportunities they offer.
Pécs, the seat of Baranya County, is centrally located and easily and quickly accessible by road from most of the county.
The machinery industry is a sector of increasingly significant importance to the city, with great potential for employment and production; it has now become the dominant employer in the Pécs micro-region, but it also has strong traditions in Komló.
With regard to Komló, it is important to note that both the city itself and the county view the available mineral resources as a strategic asset.
The foundations for the production of high-quality products are in place in the region. Two well-functioning examples of the industry in the county are the large-scale industrial complex in Bóly and the production center in Villány, which features a variety of plant sizes but is dominated by SMEs.
Mohács, as the southern river gateway to the European Union, a port of national importance, and a border port, serves as the region’s transportation and logistics hub due to its favorable geographical location and excellent infrastructure.
Areas of focus for development
One group consists of well-trafficked settlements with excellent economic development potential that have regional significance or extend beyond county borders and are strategically located, while the other group comprises settlements that serve as economic centers of local or micro-regional importance within the county’s economy.
These two groups of settlements constitute the two sub-zones of the economic development target area, as follows:
- Regional Center for Economic Development
- Municipalities involved in economic development
Municipalities covered by the zone:
- Regional centers for economic development: Bóly, Komló, Mohács, Pécs, Pécsvárad, Siklós, Szentlőrinc, Szigetvár
- Municipalities involved in economic development: Alsómocsolád, Babarc, Belvárdgyula, Beremend, Bikal, Cserkút, Drávapalkonya, Harkány, Hegyhátmaróc, Hidas, Hosszúhetény, Kárász, Keszü, Királyegyháza, Kislippó, Kozármisleny, Kővágószőlős, Lánycsók, Lippó, Mágocs, Magyaregregy, Mecseknádasd, Nagynyárád, Olasz, Palotabozsok, Pellérd, Pogány, Sásd, Sátorhely, Sellye, Somberek, Szajk, Szalánta, Szalatnak, Szederkény, Túrony, Udvar, Vékény, Véménd, Villány, Zaláta