Corvinus University of Budapest

A kutatás célja a zenei fesztiválok online kommunikációjának és az élménymegosztás mechanizmusainak feltárása. Az élménygazdaság elméleti keretére építve a vizsgálat arra irányul, hogy miként jelennek meg a fesztiválélmények a digitális térben, valamint hogyan formálják a fogyasztói élményt és az elköteleződést. A kutatás két meghatározó magyar zenei fesztivált, a Sziget Fesztivált és a Szegedi Ifjúsági Napokat (ezentúl SZIN) veszi górcső alá. A vizsgálat meghatározó eleme a Z generáció kapcsolatának elemzése a fesztiválon megélt élményeik és az Instagramon történő online kommunikáció között. Vegyes kutatási módszert alkalmazva a vizsgált fesztiválok Instagram-posztjainak tartalomelemzését fókuszcsoportos interjúkkal egészítettük ki. A két módszer kombinálása a kutatási területen újszerű eredményekkel szolgált a két hazai fesztivál vonatkozásában, melyek elméleti és gyakorlati következtetéseket egyaránt hordoznak.

The NIOK Civil Report 2025 analyses the current state of civil society organisations in Hungary and provides the first comprehensive overview of the sector. Focusing on traditional civil society organisations - foundations and associations registered in Hungary - it examines the political, legal, and economic developments shaping the sector’s operating environment, as well as its key structural characteristics. The analysis draws on a wide range of data sources, including official statistics from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH), data from the Adjukössze.hu fundraising platform, a systematic review of relevant literature, and original surveys and interviews conducted by the NIOK Foundation. The report addresses three mainareas: macro-level conditions affecting civil society, statistical trends in organisational capacity, employment, and revenues, and funding opportunities, with particular attention to normative public funding, the 1% personal income tax scheme, and private donations. The findings indicate that civil society in Hungary operates in an increasingly constrained environment characterised by growing inequalities in access to resources. While overall revenues and employment have increased since 2010, these gains are highly concentrated, and volunteer participation has declined. At the same time, private donations and the 1% tax scheme remain vital for many organisations, highlighting both the resilience of the sector and its structural vulnerabilities.

The disruptive effect of digital platforms is forcing media companies to rethink their business models, particularly when it comes to increasing revenues from the audience as a share of their total revenues. Audience engagement has become a key issue for media companies since, without it, there is no basis for the introduction of subscription fees, paywalls of any kind, or schemes for soliciting donations/support. Hungary is no exception in this regard; but Hungarian media companies must also contend with other challenges. In a captured media environment, independent media are struggling to survive and have essentially been relegated to the digital space. However, in the last decade, several projects have been launched in the digital market, and many of these projects have become financially sustainable. This sustainability owes largely to the fact that these media companies have been able to monetise their popularity: the awareness of Hungarian media consumers has increased, and more people are willing to pay for quality content. The present study examines the extent to which news media have been able to build communities around their organisations, as well as the special place these communities occupy for many consumers in Hungary’s illiberal democracy. The paper presents the various forms of community-building used by independent media, and it draws on in-depth interviews to examine how media company managers view the importance of these communities.

AIMS OF THE PAPERThe aim of this study is to examine the association between smart city development and residents’ qualityof life in Budapest. This includes evaluating urban consumers’ perceptions and attitudes towards existingsmart solutions in the city across various aspects of their life. METHODOLOGYThe research employed a trilingual questionnaire (English, Hungarian and Mandarin Chinese) to accommodateBudapest’s diverse population of resident consumers. The data collection yielded 453 valid responses.Distribution occurred through both electronic platforms (web-based interfaces, QR codes, DistrictForums, expatriate networks) and paper-based instruments, which were completed by interviewers in variousdistricts of the city. MOST IMPORTANT RESULTSRespondents generally have a positive image of Budapest, and they find the city relatively safe. Budapest’surban environment is rated quite positively, especially the city’s atmosphere. Consumers find public transportefficient, easy to use and easy to navigate. Smart transportation-related services (mobile apps, ticketing,electronic information boards) were rated highly. However, respondents are not so happy with theparking situation and overall traffic management. They are least happy with the quality and cost of housing,followed by healthcare and low salaries compared to the cost of living. Also, they do not see Budapest asa very clean or sustainable city. RECOMMENDATIONSIt is important to build on the city’s strengths (e.g., efficient transport system, cultural attractions, goodatmosphere) and to address apparent weaknesses (e.g., cleanliness, lack of parking). The city should bemade safer for certain groups of residents (e.g., women) and the number of local green spaces should beincreased for older residents who might find it harder to access central locations. Sustainability needs tobe communicated more prominently, and residents, especially those less confident (e.g., older residents),should be encouraged to use smart tools.

The emergence of online markets was initially expected to lower prices and reduce price dispersion. However, empirical evidence does not seem to support these expectations. In this article, we first propose a mechanism that can explain these findings: selective information—arising from filter bubbles or echo chambers—may lead to increased price dispersion and higher average prices. Second, we show that these higher prices are not necessarily a cause for concern; in fact, the prevalence of filter bubbles may, somewhat surprisingly, have positive implications for overall welfare.

A tanulmány a magyar B2B gyártó vállalatok alkalmazkodási stratégiáit vizsgálja a dinamikusan változó piaci környezetben. Kvalitatív esettanulmányokra épülő kutatásunk a legjobban teljesítő vállalkozások két csoportját, az egyedi gépgyártókat és a saját márkás termékeket gyártó cégeket elemzi. Eredményeink szerint a siker nem pusztán az alkalmazkodóképességen, hanem a proaktív helyzetfelismerésen és kezdeményezőkészségen múlik. Három kulcsképességet azonosítottunk: a változások korai jeleinek észlelését, az agilis tanulást, amely elősegíti az előrelátó döntéshozatalt és az innovációt, valamint az erőforrások átcsoportosítását, amely biztosítja a stratégiai rugalmasságot. Eredményeink árnyalják a dinamikus képességek szakirodalmát, rávilágítva a proaktív stratégiák szerepére a növekedési korlátok és a vevői dominancia ellensúlyozásában, valamint arra, hogy e vállalatok nem klasszikus scale-up modell szerint fejlődnek, hanem piaci sajátosságaik miatt réspiacokon képesek vezető pozíciót elérni.

On November 14, 2025, a prestigious professional audience gathered in the Auditorium of the Gellért Campus of the Corvinus University of Budapest (BCE) for the "85th Tamás Sárközy - Competitiveness Conference". The event was organized by the Institute of Accounting and Law of the BCE and the Maecenas Universitatis Corvini Foundation, in cooperation with the Hungarian Lawyers Association (MJE). The conference served as both a scientific forum and a memorial meeting, paying tribute to the rich oeuvre and spirit of Tamás Sárközy.