Will there be a horticultural triangle (cluster)? Thoughts about the reconstruction of the Hungarian horticulture between two European regions
Authors: Fári Miklós , Gonda István , Hodossi Sándor , Kováts Zoltán , Lévai Péter , Soltész Miklós , Szabó Zoltán , Szőke Lajos , Popovics László , Nyéki József 
Published: September 2019

The authors of this study seek the answer to the question how to develop, in the first decade or decades of the 21st century, the university-levelhorticultural scientific training, the horticultural innovation and the scientific co-operation between companies and universities in Debrecen andin the North Great Plain Region and – in a wider sense – in Hungary to a standard being competitive even in European terms. With the synthesisof the prospects of past, present and future, they drew the following conclusions. The reconstruction of agriculture, horticulture and food industryis a part of reforming Hungary's countryside. Horticulture, producing high added value, will be able to decisively contribute to the plan whereasthe value presently produced in an agriculturally cultivated area of 1,000 euros/hectare can reach 2,000 to 3,000 euros in the next two decades.A necessary and indispensable precondition to achieving this is the strengthening of the innovation output of the Hungarian horticultural sector.Despite the numerous technical criticisms formulated in connection with the serious problems of Hungarian agricultural and horticulturalscientific innovation, no progress has been made in this field for the past one and a half decade. The scientific research of this topic hardlycontinued or did not continue at all, the up-to-date surveys and in-depth analyses were missing. The objective, basic principles and tasks of theAct CXXXIV of 2004 (TTI) enacted concerning research-development and technological innovation are clear and progressive. The co-operationbetween the National Research Technology Office and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the setting up of the Innovation Fund are hearteningopportunities. These – along with the new Higher Education Bill to be passed – may as well be suitable for restarting the Hungarian agriculturaland horticultural scientific innovation. In our opinion, this requires a new, well-considered national agricultural programme, which can beconceived in the framework of the "Ferenc Entz National Horticultural Plan" proposed by us for horticulture. In the most eastern Hungarianuniversity knowledge centre, at the University of Debrecen, the continuing of the horticultural scientific innovation strategy started in the lastdecade may be the focal point and generator of the development of the so-called "Hungarian Horticultural Triangle”, or "HungarianHorticultural Cluster". This region comprises the Northern and Southern Great Plain Regions and the area between the Danube and TiszaRivers. Here, about 70 to 75% of the total Hungarian horticultural commodity stock is produced. The objective of the HORT-INNOTECHDEBRECEN programme planned in 2004 by the University of Debrecen, Centre of Agricultural Science is to establish the horticultural scientificresearch-development and technological innovation structure and knowledge base of the Hungarian Horticultural Triangle / HungarianHorticultural Cluster. In harmony with this, the objectives are to bring about competitive, new horticultural products, to improve the conditionsof utilising them, to enhance the competitiveness of enterprises based on technological innovation, to make use of the research-development andinnovation opportunities available in the regions in an efficient manner, to as full extent as possible, to encourage the creation of places ofemployment producing high added value in the field of horticulture, to improve the technical skills of those employed in horticultural researchdevelopment and to promote their enhanced recognition by the society.