Can smart villages emerge in the Abaúj region?

Abstract

This study investigates whether in a multiply disadvantaged area with low levels of economic and scientiZc innovation, can social innovations resolve developmental bottlenecks and be the engine of change. In our paper we Zrst review the literature on “smart models” that can  provide support for socio-economic development. We distinguish smart models that can be applied in villages and in larger cities. Based on the models and Zeld research, we formulate a potential smart region model and prepare a network analysis model by the Gephi method, which gives a complete overview of the spatial availability of retail stores. The development and spatial distribution of networks opens up new possibilities in the analysis of the Abaúj region’s accessibility and neighbourhood connections. An important question is how urban smartness
affects the smartness of the region and its villages in their development, and whether the multiplicative effect of the cities’ smartness significantly improves the well-being of those living in the surrounding settlements. It is di[cult for small settlements to develop alone socio-economic innovations for smartness, therefore strong connections with neighbouring cities and enhanced interactions with them are necessary to maintain innovation and build resilience.

At the centre of our model is the smart, creative person whose guidance is essential in building and operating smart villages e\ectively. The model consists of the following elements: smart governance, smart transport, sustainable environment, smart energy and water management, smart infrastructures and technologies and smart economy. Based on the values of the created smart index, only a small proportion of the 24 examined settlements showed smart index values above 50 percent in both 2014 and 2019. There are also settlements that perform well below the average due to the lack of active enterprises, and the unfavourable situation of two or three other pillars. The studied Abaúj region is currently still far away from becoming a smart region through a smart village. At the same time, it has two areas with promising potential: Krasznokvajda, the centre of a future "Northern Cserehát Union" and Encs, the centre of the
southern edge of the Eastern Cserehát area.