HGC Academy
About this good practice
High-Growth-Company Academy was the first Hungarian holistic development program that offered tailor-made enterprise development solutions. This program was launched in response to the underperformance of high-growth potential companies on international level, their limited innovation capacity, and the lack of customized mentoring services from intermediary organizations.
It served as a knowledge hub and talent management platform. It facilitated research, identified market needs, created personalized development opportunities and partnerships.
Workshops held countrywide engaged businesses, enabling managers to discuss strengths, development areas in technology readiness, high-performance management, CRM/ERP systems, financing, foreign market presence, online presence.
Targeting companies with a minimum sales volume of 100 million HUF in the Convergence region, over 10 employees, growth in the past 3 years, the program reached out to 500 executives.
The program integrated 160 companies in its first phase. The second phase featured tailored improvements and training on digitalization, including on-the-job management mentoring, international study tours, visits to industry 4.0 sample factories, and web-based training. PBN's digital innovation hub provided a hands-on training centre for the Academy.
The program was implemented with support from the national EDIOP program, coordinated by Pannon Business Network in collaboration with IFKA Public Benefit Non-Profit Ltd.
Expert opinion
Resources needed
Human resource :
Network of skilled experts for the mentoring:
- at least 1 expert each for the 6 special thematic areas
- 1 manager for organizing local and national events, programs
- 1 financial manager for the administrative issues
- 2 supporting colleagues.
Budget: approx. 975 000 €
Evidence of success
• Approximately 300 companies participated in over 20 thematic workshops held across the country, resulting in 800 development requests.
• Around 140 companies received personalized development consultations
• 200 companies took part in international study tours
• 4 supplier forums were organised
• A two-day digitalization training program was conducted for 46 companies.
Potential for learning or transfer
The GP holds significant relevance for other EU regions due to its practical approach and the strong professional expertise behind it.
The HGC Academy served as an excellent platform for testing mentoring services for companies through the organization of thematic workshops across country. On-site surveys and collaborative learning activities complemented these workshops.
A key success factor was the opportunity to understand the challenges faced by SMEs at the national level. This insight proved invaluable in identifying operational difficulties, uncovering success stories, and finding tailored solutions for underperforming SMEs. This good practice can be transferred to other regions by leveraging its adaptable and modular design, which allows for customization to fit different regional contexts and challenges.
Further information
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
