In recent years, the concept of “resilience” has become embedded in the policy discourse of the European Union, particularly in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukrainian war, and climate change. Nevertheless, there is still no shared understanding of the term’s precise meaning or its application in territorial governance practice. The aim of the ESPON TERRES project was to fill this research gap and develop a conceptual framework for “territorial resilience,” outlining a measurement methodology that could potentially help guide EU cohesion and other sectoral policies, particularly at the subnational level.

As a result, the project team defined a comprehensive concept of territorial resilience, reviewed its current policy applications and possibilities, compiled a set of indicators suitable for measuring territorial resilience, and developed recommendations for future data collection. Analysed and mapped territorial inequalities in resilience; formulated recommendations for future research and methodology; and prepared an online dashboard to support the interpretation and measurement of territorial resilience.

Six case studies were also prepared within the framework of the project: HÉTFA staff addressed the challenges of the Budapest functional urban area, such as intensive suburbanization and urban sprawl, overburdened infrastructure, public services and natural environment, and fragmented governance. To address these challenges, a framework was proposed that strengthens cooperation and commitment among governance actors. The Budapest case identified valuable new initiatives, some promising forms of cooperation, and the high added value of informal relationships, highlighting the role of proactive actors in resilience.

The results of the research (including the Final Report) are publicly available on the ESPON website.

]]> https://hetfa.eu/2025/09/hetfa-represented-at-the-64th-congress-of-the-european-regional-science-association/ Wed, 24 Sep 2025 08:39:35 +0000 https://hetfa.eu/?p=11748 Our colleague, András Igari PhD, participated in the 64th ERSA Conference held in Athens in August 2025. ERSA (European Regional Science Association) is Europe’s most important regional science organization, with hundreds of researchers participating in its conferences every year. This was also the case this year, where our colleague gave a presentation together with Péter Szabó PhD, associate professor and head of the Department of Regional Science at Eötvös Loránd University, and participated in the work of the section of Urban, Regional, Territorial and Local Resilience.

Their joint presentation, entitled ‘Regional aspects of complex impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe’ explored the economic and labour market effects of COVID-19 in European regions. Their study, based on an analysis of literature, online news, and regional statistical data, showed that the economic and labour market disruptions caused by the COVID-19 crisis were significant in 2020, but were followed by a rapid recovery starting in 2021. Most regions of Europe were economically resilient during the COVID-19 crisis, while in some areas (the Mediterranean, the Alps) economic production only returned to pre-crisis levels in 2022, and in other regions the economy grew in all the years examined. Employment recovered more slowly, with significant regional disparities, which were significantly influenced by individual government policies. The crisis had specific effects in certain areas, such as a significant decline in youth employment, the spread of special forms of work, and the prolonged crisis in tourism.

During the seminar, participants discussed the complex issues of reducing the transformation of natural surfaces into artificial ones and its various impacts, including biodiversity, ecological services, affordable housing, and overall development.

On the second day of the seminar, participants were given an insight into the first results of the latest ESPON researches. Within this framework, Renáta Anna Jaksa from Hétfa Research Institute had the opportunity to present the professional content of the ESPON TERRES project and discuss the current results. This 1-hour long workshop provided participants with a thorough understanding of the project’s details and its relevance for future crisis management.

More information and the full report are available at the link ESPON Seminar in Mons.

The European Committee of the Regions serves the voice of the regions and cities of the European Union, representing local and regional authorities across the EU and advising on new legislation that affects regions and cities. Mr Ilpo Heltimoinen was recently appointed by the Committee of the Regions to draft an opinion on Shock-proofing European regions: ‘Strengthening local and regional economic resilience in the strategic evolution of the Single Market ‘.

As the Committee of the Regions’ opinion and the ongoing ESPON research project “Territorialising Resilience: Transforming Europe for an Age of Crisis [TERRES]“, led by HÉTFA, also addresses the issue of territorial resilience, the Committee invited HÉTFA researchers to contribute to the elaboration of  its opinion by presenting their research findings to date.

At the event held on 14 May 2024, Anna Renáta Jaksa, Head of the Division for International Cooperation, outlined the specificities of the project, which aims to provide decisive answers on how to define and measure territorial resilience in European regions and how decision-makers can respond more effectively to future crises.

This collaboration demonstrates the synergies between the work of the Committee of the Regions and the research capabilities of the HÉTFA, underlining the contribution of the Institute and its project partners to the development of resilient economic policies across the EU.

For up-to-date information on our research on territorial resilience, links to publications and opportunities to contribute to the project, please do not hesitate to contact us directly: internationaloffice@hetfa.hu

The article examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mortality rates in Europe and explored the spatial and temporal disparities that emerged in the first two years. The analysis highlights that while the initial wave of the pandemic had a more severe impact on major urban centres in Western Europe, subsequent waves have disproportionately affected the less developed regions of Central and Eastern Europe, including Hungary.

The article is available here. Articles and analyses on COVID-19 by our colleagues are available on our website (in Hungarian).

The study explores the governance of integrated territorial development based on functional regions and focuses on the large lake regions as functional spaces. Additionally, it presents the results of ESPON LAKES, an international research project analysing the state of the integrated regional development of Lake Balaton, Lake Constance and Lake Vänern with the aim to point out areas for improvement related to regional governance and to present good practices that can be exemplary for other large lake regions.

One of the main findings of the study is that the activities and role of the Lake Balaton Development Council (LBDC) in Lake Balaton Region can serve as a good example for other European regions. However, a more effective integration of sectoral aspects would be necessary in the case of Balaton to cope with the old and new expectations and to manage the conflicts in the region.

The full study is available here: https://tet.rkk.hu/index.php/TeT/article/view/3461/5695