The vast majority of people living in Dunaújváros believe that a new industrial investment could help the city, which has been struggling since the collapse of its metallurgy sector. Locals see this as either a governmental or large corporate responsibility.
A total of 93% of respondents associate Dunaújváros with its industrial past, while 86% believe it is important for the city to remain a significant industrial center in the future. These are among the clearest findings of the Iránytű Institute’s representative telephone survey conducted among local residents. The overwhelming majority said the presence of the steelworks had been an advantage in the past, with nearly three-quarters associating it with positive memories.
The survey followed the failed attempt by the former Indian owner to restart the city’s metallurgical plant, leaving Dunaújváros — a Danube-side city of 40,000 and the second largest in Fejér County — without a major industrial employer.
More than four-fifths (82%) of Dunaújváros residents have a relative or close acquaintance who worked at the steelworks — a figure that alone shows the scale of the change the city has faced. Nearly two-thirds (60%) say the mood in the city has become uncertain since the closure. Perhaps most tellingly, one in five residents (21%) is considering moving away, many citing the lack of suitable job opportunities as the main reason.
Opinions are more divided on what the solution might be, but the relative majority (41%) see new industrial investment as the best way forward, while 30% believe reviving metallurgy could be the key.
Residents are also split on who should take responsibility for revitalizing Dunaújváros, though most expect external help. A total of 57% say the government should intervene, 15% think a private company should bring new industrial activity to the area, and 11% believe the municipality could play the leading role in restarting the city’s industrial renaissance.
The general mood in Dunaújváros remains somber, but the desire for renewal is strong: 87% of respondents believe the city would benefit if it became an industrial hub again, and 76% would welcome the establishment of new industrial facilities. As one respondent put it, “We used to complain that the steelworks smoked. Now we’d be happy to see the smoke.”
Another resident summed up the potential impact of reindustrialization: “The city would develop, young people would have job opportunities, and Dunaújváros would be a happier city.”
Producing journalism that is worthy of the name is a costly business. For over 30 years, the publishers, editors and reporters of the Budapest Business Journal have striven to bring you business news that works, information that you can trust, that is factual, accurate and presented without fear or favor.Newspaper organizations across the globe have struggled to find a business model that allows them to continue to excel, without compromising their ability to perform. Most recently, some have experimented with the idea of involving their most important stakeholders, their readers.
We would like to offer that same opportunity to our readers. We would like to invite you to help us deliver the quality business journalism you require. Hit our Support the BBJ button and you can choose the how much and how often you send us your contributions.
