Digitalization and Regional Competitiveness: A Brief Summary

Abstract

This manuscript acts solely as a brief and concise summary on the research carried out during the ÚNKP-17-3 New National Excellence Program of the Ministry of Human Capacities in a clear and transparent manuscript format. During my Scholarship the main focus of my research topic revolved around regional competitiveness and various aspects of digitalization, as the latter is a phenomenon which becomes more and more embedded in our everyday lives and is capable of changing society and the economy. From day to day, we learn more about digitalization, and through research, we are able to chart and identify the challenges and core advantages that can come with digitalization on a broader scale in the short and long run as well. What is certain that digitalization is a popular buzzword and a key driver of research, a main focus of professionals of several industries and policymakers alike. Our world is in a transitional phase as we are more and more connected globally with each other. People are able to connect with people and smart devices, and vica versa. We also experience a change in mapping consumer behavior as behavioral economics gain significance and also there is a change in how we handle and analyze enormous amounts of data in the world of Big Data (Zuti 2018a, Hollingworth–Barker 2017, Kovács 2017a, Kovács 2017b, Yoon 2017, Magruk 2016, Manyika et al. 2016, Özköse et al. 2015, Brynjolfsson–McAfee 2012). As our social and economic environments undergo a transitional phase, the mindset related to the structure of society and economy needs to adapt as well to the new conditions (Zuti 2018a, Schwab 2017, Leonhard 2016).