Western Baranya – Szigetvár, Siklós, Harkány, Sellye, Drávaszabolcs and its surroundings – thanks to its location along the border, its proximity to Pécs, and flexible municipal cooperation, it currently offers one of the best cost-to-access ratios in Transdanubia. In the short term, the region’s transport connectivity is provided by State Roads 6 and 58; in the medium term, the preparation of the Pécs–Szigetvár extension of the M60 expressway will bring a significant improvement, followed by its extension toward Barcs to the Croatian border—planning and preparation are underway as part of a government project, and the Pécs–Szigetvár section could be the first phase of the expansion.
The mobility map will continue to improve in the coming years: plans are underway to prepare the Pécs–Szigetvár 2×2-lane connection, design the Pécs–Kaposvár expressway corridor from Route 67, and construct a new, 7-kilometer, 2×2-lane east–west bypass in Pécs—together, these will reduce “last-mile” travel time and balance out 7-kilometer, 2×2-lane east–west corridor in Pécs—collectively, these will reduce “last-mile” travel time and mitigate peak-hour risks at drop-off points in western Baranya County.
Szigetvár: Ready-to-use land available for food and metal processing industries
The industrial areas in Szigetvár (exit from Highway 6, railway connection) are ideally suited for food processing, machinery and metalworking, and packaging industry projects. The city’s strategic documents are being prepared to develop industrial area infrastructure and strengthen industrial park functions, enabling a quick start and low entry CAPEX. The planned M60 expansion is particularly value-adding here (as a gateway to Somogy and the Croatian markets).
Siklós–Harkány: health tourism + light industry, with logistics support
The service and commercial zone along the Route 58 corridor (Pécs–Harkány–Drávaszabolcs border) is ideal for back-office, e-commerce “last-mile” and refrigerated warehouse bases. The demand for medical tourism in Harkány ensures high occupancy rates year-round, while Siklós’s industrial zones are suitable for light industry and furniture manufacturing expansions. The border crossing at Drávaszabolcs provides a direct link to Osijek and Zagreb.
Sellye–Ormánság: agricultural and wood processing, renewable energy models
The raw material and crop base of the Drava Valley (grains, oilseeds, fruits, forestry) can be built on short supply chains within Sellye’s catchment area. Here, affordable land prices and existing craft and manufacturing capacities favor investments in mills, bakeries, canneries, wood processing, and pellet production, combined with rooftop solar farms and heat pump-based cooling and heating to ensure low total cost of ownership (TCO).
Bicsérd–Szentlőrinc Corridor: A New Industrial Hub Taking
Shape at the Gates of Pécs In the vicinity of the Bicsérd Industrial Park along Highway 6, several locations close to Pécs but open toward the west can be scaled up—transportation developments toward “Pécs West” have a multiplier effect here (access to the M60, quick connection to Route 6). The park developments are specifically designed to accommodate regional supply chain and innovation projects.
The outskirts of Villány–Beremend from the direction of Western Baranya: wine and stone industry + services
Although administratively part of the southern-southeastern part of the county, the westernBaranya population and service sector serve as a natural labor and supplier pool for logistics, packaging, machinery maintenance, and career retraining projects linked to the Villány wine industry and the Beremend building materials industry. The anticipated expressway developments will also accelerate this connection.
Border Connections and Route Diversification
Access to the Drávaszabolcs–(HR) border crossing via State Road 58 provides a short, predictable export route to Adriatic ports for businesses in western Baranya County (Osijek–Zagreb transit). Local improvements to Route 58 (underpasses, bypasses) are constantly on the agenda, and local governments actively advocate for the need for high-quality improvements—this reduces logistical risks in day-to-day operations.
What does all this mean for investment decisions?
- Accelerated progress: Preparations for the Pécs–Szigetvár section of the M60 and the planning of the Kaposvár corridor could result in a 10–25% time savings in regional freight transport in the medium term—particularly at the junctions with Routes 6 and 67.
- Value-adding sites: industrial areas located near major highways and future expressway interchanges (in the vicinity of Szigetvár, Bicsérd, and Siklós) are expected to exceed yield expectations in the next development cycle.
- A gateway to the Adriatic: the combination of the Route 58 and Drávaszabolcs border crossings provides a stable connection to Croatia, which will be further strengthened by the southern routes and branch roads of the planned M60 extension.
Summary: Western Baranya currently offers ready-to-use capacity, a cost-effective workforce, and rapidly developing infrastructure. Companies seeking a production or service base that requires a short setup time but offers room for growth:
will find the best entry points near the Balkan gateway, in the Szigetvár–Siklós–Harkány triangle,
and on the western outskirts of Pécs along Highway 6—securing their position ahead of the next wave of expressway development.
Note: The road improvement projects listed above are currently in the announcement or planning phase. The specific schedule and technical details are subject to further preparatory and permitting steps.
