MEGAKOM Development Consultants started its operation in 1997. The idea of launching the consultancy company had formulated during a foreign study tour. László Róka, then the Director of the Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County Development Agency, and also the Director of the first regional development agency in Hungary, the North-East Hungary Regional Development Agency, and Béla Kézy, the Strategic Manager of the County Development Agency agreed on the essentials; later they became the Managing Directors of the company.

The first seat of the company was a 15 sqm office in Nyíregyháza; it was then the first regional development consultancy firm outside of Budapest. Zoltán Busák, after being lured from a bank manager position, joined the team in 1998 and became responsible for the financial management of the company. The company quickly established its reputation in the field of regional development and has been continuously extending its activities.

Assisting regions

The founding partners of the company had from the very beginning participated in the creation of the decentralised institutional system in Hungary. They took part, for instance, in the establishment of the Regional Development Agencies in South Transdanubia and in the South Great Plain. Corresponding to its intensive growth and the expansion of its workforce, the company started to undertake projects of considerable sizes.

Tokaj, the "Mecca" of regional development experts

In the year of the Millennium more and more experts in the field of regional development felt and expressed their desire for a particular forum where the professionals of this field, unbiased by politics, could voice their opinion, discuss, share or even test their new ideas. To answer this appreciable demand, MEGAKOM Development Consultants organized the first Tokaj International Regional Development Workshop Seminars in Tokaj - the city of grapes and wine - in October 2000. The first attempt turned out to be a success, and new events followed the first with a constantly increasing number of participants - as the regional development profession evolved - and with unbroken popularity. By today the Tokaj Conference has become the prestigious annual meeting of professionals of regional development.

Conquering of the Capital

The opening of the MEGAKOM office in Budapest was a major step for the non-Budapest based company. The company established its presence in the capital for a multiple reason: the number of clients from various parts of Hungary – including Budapest - increased and liaison with other professionals, as well as co-operation with foreign consultancy companies greatly intensified.

Operation on Group level

2003 was also an important year in for the company: the M&E Group was set up, in which the three member companies co-ordinate their strategy and their internal schemes, enabling the Group to deploy an unequalled size of expertise. The member companies are: MEGAKOM Development Consultants of Nyíregyháza, Ex Ante Consulting of Budapest and MEGAKOM Romania Consultants of Satu Mare, Romania.

Major projects

The increase in the number and the average size of projects delivered required a dynamic expansion of the company. Together with HP Magyarország, its experts participated in the creation of the project pipeline in all regions of Hungary; as the member of the Consortia, led by the British Enterprise plc, it assisted the creation and the development of the institutional system of the EQUAL programme in Hungary. The company has played (and plays) an important role in the development of small regions and towns: until the end of 2006 the MEGAKOM experts participated in the preparation of 27 development document for 19 small regions. Its experts assisted the establishment of Login Park (industrial park) in Nyíregyháza, which is an outstanding town development project. The firm greatly contributed to the success of the town rehabilitation programmes in Ózd and Tokaj. In the latter, the third phase of the Tokaj Conference Town Programme is already being implemented. MEGAKOM has taken a decisive part in the implementation of training programmes in connection with the operation of the Structural Funds and project development: for instance, it provided training for over 500 professionals in the framework of the ROP3.1.3. training programme in the North Great Plain Region.

Outstanding experts base

One indicator of the training background of the staff is that the company's fully employed experts possess 40 different and relevant high level professional degrees. Most of them are economists, having graduated from the universities in Budapest, Miskolc or Debrecen. The knowledge of the English language is a prerequisite; however, German and Romanian is also spoken by several experts, while a few speaks Russian, Dutch, Hebrew or Spanish. MEGAKOM provides a successful learning opportunity for its young professionals, and the work experience at the company means excellent references in national and also in international level: since 2005, two former employees of MEGAKOM have been employed by the Brussels Administration.

Competing on international level

MEGAKOM cooperates with major international and Hungarian consultancy firms, including the "Big Four" companies, in the implementation of various projects; however, it participates in several international assignments on its own right. Owing to its capacity and the creation of M&E Group, MEGAKOM successfully competes with the international consultancy companies in the execution of projects in Hungary.
The most "exotic" assignment in MEGAKOM's history is the participation - as a consortium member - in the elaboration and technical assistance of a private sector development project in Vietnam. In 2007, the international consortium, with the participation of MEGAKOM, was shortlisted for a similar project in Laos.

High quality is essential

MEGAKOM is committed to high quality services and innovative solutions. The quality management system, MSZ EN ISO 9001:2001, which had been applied before, was audited in 2005; the accreditation of the adult training activity took place in 2006. The first accredited training programme of the company, in the framework of the ROP 3.1.3. "Partners in Partnership" programme was implemented with the participation of local government, civil and economic bodies from 27 small regions in the North Great Plain Region. 400 people out of all the participants successfully passed the exams and received the official certificate.

Serving the future of Hungary with a decade of experience

The experience in regional development, which has accumulated at MEGAKOM since 1997, was highly appreciated during the preparation for the new Programming Period of 2007-2013. M&E Group had it in the National Development Agency `s commission to undertake the ex ante evaluations and the strategic environmental assesment of the New Hungary Development Plan, the Transport Development OP, the North Great Plain Regional OP, the Implementation OP, State Reform OP, and the E-administration OP together with the relevant Action Plans.

Besides programme evaluation and elaboration of methodologies, MEGAKOM Development Consultants has prepared urban development programmes and projects, as well as the relevant tender documentations for a number of settlements.

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