Profile of the
Institute for Strategic Research
Hungary

Institute for Strategic Research

Hungary's 300-member intellectual group
One of Hungary's centres for the organisation of knowledge elite
Hungary's only institute for future research
Hungary's information society research institute
Hungary's interdisciplinary globality and locality research group
Hungary's workshop for preparing a civil strategy
Hungary's institute for preparing a national strategy until 2020
One of Hungary's intellectual centres for the promotion of sustainable values and development
Hungary's group for creating a new image of Humankind and doing research on integrated consciousness theory
One of Hungary's information society and innovation policy region and area development institutes
Hungary's knowledge society and innnovation society development institute
Hungary's workshop for regional adult and correspondent education and e-learning
Hungary's centre for planning future town

publishes

Hungary's information age on-line scientific journal called INCO
Serials of books and booklets offering strategies for Hungary: (Books on national strategy until 2020, Books on the information society, Books on Knowledge regions, Books on knowledge society, and
Books on Metatheory)

has created

the e-mo system of portals preparing the way for Hungary's knowledge society

assists to

the periodical of the Hungarian information society, called e-Világ

Highlighted areas of research:

1. Hungary's and Central Europe's future until 2020
2. Theory and trends of globalisation
3. Theory of localisation and its alternatives in Hungary
4. Theory and practice of information society
5. The connected projects of information society and sustainable development
6. New knowledge theory and knowledge society
7. "New Image of Humankind" theory
8. The integrated theory of consciousness
9. e-government and e-economy
10. The innovation economy and economy parks
11. The prospect of social economy
12. Churches in the information age

Main strategies:

1. Programme for the Hungarian civil society
2. Programme for the information economy and society
3. Strategy for the Hungarian intelligent regions
4. Strategy for Knowledge Region
5. INCOPARK Programme (technology development belt)
6. The future of the Hungarian Reformed Church in the age of information

Main developments:

1. Knowledge Valley Program
2. Knowledge Department Store
3. e-mo (Electronic Hungary) integrated system of portals
4. Locality e-economy development
5. INCOPARK Technology and Science Park Development Belt
6. Eden Tourist Experience Park in Bánya, Zselic.
7. Industrial and Technology Park in Budaörs, etc.

Institute for Strategic Research P.u.c.

Keeping Hungary's strategic interests in view, the Institute for Strategic Research has been conducting concentrated research for twelve years, since its foundation, in order to conceptualise, on the one hand, the present tendencies of the global world, the nature of the money-centred new capitalism, and the characteristics of the information age thirty years ahead and, on the other hand, Hungary's national strategy until 2020, the elements of a potential programme for a knowledge-based economy and society, the sustainable development and the requirements of the transformation of the Hungarian area and society structure.

The field of activity of the Institute for Strategic Research consists of four areas: research, strategy preparation, development and education. There have been about 150 experts participating in the researches and we have been collaborating with several partner institutes. Our researchers have studied abroad extensively, have given lectures at international conferences from the United States to India. A part of the international co-operation is the joint Hungarian-Finnish-Japanese research organised by the University of Tampere with our help. The researches are pursued in professional workshops, e.g. we have established in co-operation with the University of Veszprém two research teams, namely the e-government and future research working groups.

With the aim of summarising the results and sharing them with the public, the institute has launched a publishing house, which has been publishing essential information and proposals about global and local changes in several serials of books and booklets. These serials include Books on National Strategy until 2020, Books on Information Society and Knowledge Region Books. In 1999, as a new means of spreading professional information, the institute launched INCO, the first Hungarian on-line journal about global information age, information society, knowledge-based economy, and last but not least, regional information society and its potentials for development (www.inco.hu).

Apart from publishing, we have joined in the modernisation of education and in the propagation of e-learning. The education has been continuing for six years at our experiential adult education university called Central Civil University, and at the same time we created an open university like e-learning centre, where the e-learning teaching materials are prepared now. In 2002 we organised the second Information Society Master School for project managers, developers and experts.

In 2003 the Institution for Strategic Research estrablished the Future Research Group and the e-Government Research and Development Group in co-operation with the University of Veszprém. The colleagues of the Institute have started to teach the different topics of the future research at the university. The Institute will contribute to the development of three new BSc programme at the university.

In the past three years, utilising the results of recent researches, the Institute for Strategic Research has completed the preparations of several regional and county level information society projects, that is, on request from a number of Hungarian counties and regions, we have prepared or are preparing strategies for the realisation of the concept of intelligent regions always keeping the sustainable development in view.

One of the most recent programs of the Institute for Strategic Research is the establishment of a mental resources park (mental capital park) or knowledge park to be called Knowledge-Valley (modelled after Silicon Valley) part of INCOPARK Technology and Science-park Development Belt. It is meant to be an integrated system of portals, Hungary's information society portal, and one part is a Knowledge Department Store which is unique in Europe, and an e-Market for Inventions. Due to our research and development result in innovation, we have been able to participate in the STRINNOP European Union project launched to facilitate regional innovation profiles. Also in the past two years we have researched the theme of e-Tourism, sustainable tourism and tourist experience parks extensively, have prepared the experience-strategy of the Tradition Park in Szob, and launched the development of an original tourist experience park in Bárdudvarnok-Bánya, Somogy County.

One of the newest research and development areas of the institute is the e-government. In the first half of 2004 the Institute prepared the e-government strategies for 8 small areas, and contributed to the elaboration of the e-government projects.

The Institute for Strategic Research moved to Nagykovácsi seven years ago. This village is a quasi suburb of Budapest, just outside its border, in an ideal natural environment. The Institute has an office at another ideal place in the Industrial and Technological Park in Budaörs.

Central Civil University (since 1996) - experimental adult education centre for preparing the people for the age of information and knowledge society based on the values of sustainable development

Future Research Group - in co-operation with the University of Veszprém

e-Government Research and Development Group - in co-operation with the University of Veszprém

Intellectual workshops:

Globality Workshop
2100 Group
Locality Workshop
Tradition Center
Information Society Workshop
e-Economy Centre
Civil Workshop
e-Administration Team
Consciousness and Altered States of Consciousness Research Team
e-Government Workshop
Social Economy Research and Development Centre
Future Research Group
Integrated Welfare Systems Workshop
Artificial Intelligence Research Group
Media Institute
Meta-Theory Research Group

Major references of area and society development

National strategies:

Development of Hungarian local societies
Hungarian strategy for information society
Hungarian communication strategy
Cyber strategy for the Carpathian Basin
Strategy for the Hungarian tertiary education and civil university (open university)
National strategy until 2020
Search for local wonders (mapping local developments)
Strategy for e-Learning
Program for economy and industrial parks
Strategy for the Hungarian civil society
Strategy for e-Tourism and thematic tourism parks
An information age strategy for the Hungarian Reformed Church
Etc.

Regional and county level strategies:

A Knowledge Region strategy for Bács-Kiskun and Pest Counties
Intelligent Somogy County strategy
South Great Plane Intelligent Region strategy
Pest County Technology Development Belt programme
West Transdanubian Intelligent Region strategy
Central Hungarian Region Informatics (Information Society) Programme
Central Transdanubian Intelligent Region strategy
Intelligent Fejér County Strategy
Szentgotthard and Szombathely localities information society strategy
Kiskunfélegyház Locality Intelligent Locality strategy
Kiskunfélegyház Locality Innovation Locality strategy
Kecskemét Locality Intelligent Locality strategy
Kecskemét Locality Innovation Locality strategy
Intelligent Győr Urban Strategy
Bag, Aba, Rábcatorok Information Society Strategy, etc.

These strategies have been accepted by the regional development agencies, the assemblies of the counties, the small areas or by the local governments as the intelligent development programs for those areas. On the basis of these strategies and operative programs the realization of the information society and sustainable development projects has been launched in the areas.

Our further research areas and strategies

e-HUNGARY - The Hungarian program of e-Europe: Information society for everybody (jointly with the European Dialogue Foundation and the National Association of Manufacturers and Employees)
Intelligent Regions in Hungary - The place and role of programs developing information society in regional development projects (2000.) commissioned by FVM (Ministry of Agriculture and Regional Development)
Regional information society projects of the European Union and the experiences and lessons that can be useful for Hungary (EUREGINFO) (2001) commissioned by OM (Ministry of Education, Under-secretary for R & D, Central Technical Development Subprogram)
Tradition Park in Szob, - Tourist Experience Park Strategy (2001)
Preparation for the age of knowledge society - The Hungarian Reformed Church and the information society (2001)
Regional conditions, strategies, and e-economy projects of the development of information society in Hungary (2001) commissioned by the Economic Research Institute
Theme parks, international research of e-tourism (2001)
Etc.

Our partners and employers so far:

Local Government of Bács-Kiskun County
DARFT (South Great Plain Regional Development Agency p.u.c.)
Elender Corp.
Fejér County Area Development Council
Gábor Dénes College
College of Economy
Economic Research Institute
Hegel-Fukuyama Society
INNOTECH Technical University Budapest Innovation Park Ltd.
Kiskun Regional Development Association
KMRFT Central Hungary Regional Development Council
Kodolányi János College
Central Transdanubian Regional Development Agency Ltd.
Hungarian Association of Telehouses
Hungarian UNESCO Committee
MATÁV Corp.
MTA-Hungarian Academy of Sciences (RRK ATI, RRK NYUTI, Institute of Sociology)
Institute for the Research of Growth
West Transdanubian Regional Development Council
OFFERS Hungary Ltd.
National Committee for Technical Development
National Radio and Television Board
General Assembly of Pest County
Pest County Area Development Council
General Assembly of Somogy County
PARADDIS Project, Tampere, Finland
University of Veszprém
More privat sector companies, etc.

Our institute is a permanent or sponsoring member of the following organisations:

European Regional Information Society Association (ERIS@)
First Hungarian Knowledge-based Virtual Company (EMaTaViV)
INCOPARK Consortium
Intelligent Fejér County Consortium
Association for Intelligent Szatmár-Bereg Region
Association of Industrial Parks
Scientific Association for the Development of Localities
Hungarian Society for Innovation
Hungarian League of Content-Industry (Database Distributors)
Association of Hungarian Scientific and Industrial Parks
National Association of Manufacturers and Employees
Optomechatronic Cluster
Knowledge Valley Cluster Management Virtual Company
Etc.