From survival
to growth:why digitalisation is the key opportunity for businesses in Püspökladány

Hungary’s economy is undergoing a profound structural transformation, and the digital revolution has long ceased to be the exclusive preserve of large companies in the capital. Micro, small and medium-sized businesses in Püspökladány and the surrounding area have reached a watershed: either they adapt to radically changing consumer habits and industry automation, or they slowly but surely lose ground.

The invisible competition: when the decision is already made on a phone

Local business owners tend to believe they compete only with companies in neighbouring towns. In reality, technology giants and cross-border e-commerce have fundamentally rewritten the rules.

What matters most to local shops, hospitality businesses and service providers is this: more than 80 per cent of purchasing decisions are now made online, on smartphone screens — long before the customer even enters the premises.

An answer to labour shortages: the tireless digital employee

Hajdú-Bihar County faces serious demographic and labour-market challenges. Its older population is growing, while the number of digitally mature young people entering the labour market continues to fall. In this environment, spending expensive human labour on repetitive, monotonous administrative tasks is unsustainable from a business perspective.

Consider local tourism. Püspökladány has excellent assets, including the Sárrét Kincse thermal spa and nearby accommodation. Yet accommodation providers still relying on the slow “request a quote” model instead of instant, real-time online booking are missing out on revenue.

Today’s traveller expects immediate confirmation. Without it, they may be booking through a global aggregator the very next moment — at a higher price, but faster.

Agriculture and services: turning data into profit

Agriculture, traditionally a driving force in the region, has also become divided. While well-capitalised, innovative food processors are already scaling internationally, small producers need to move towards “smart minimalism”.

This means more than deploying sensors. The real competitive advantage comes from managing data centrally, digitally and transparently, dramatically improving production security and cost efficiency.

Funding and strategy: speed is the most important capital

For a long time, a lack of funding was the main barrier to digitalisation. Recent events, including the rapid exhaustion of DIMOP Plusz funding allocations, have made one thing clear: Hungary’s SME sector has recognised the threat, and demand for development is enormous.

The strategic decision matters more than the source of funding: do we stay with yesterday’s solutions, or invest in tomorrow’s technology?

The future has begun: what comes next?

In Püspökladány, too, digitalisation is more than a technology issue: it is a primary tool for protecting net profit. The age of “digital business cards” — simple, static websites — is over. Businesses now need integrated systems that generate tangible revenue and reduce human-resource costs.

To achieve this, business leaders need technology partners who understand local needs while thinking in terms of international-standard solutions. They need a modern approach to development and automation that can turn local strengths into revenue-generating digital workflows.