The newly established Business Development Section of the Hungarian Economic Association (HEA) held its first professional event on Wednesday, 17 June 2026, entitled “The Impact of Trends and Megatrends on Business Development in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.” The afternoon was opened by Marianna Ritter, CEO of iLex High-Tech Zrt. and Chair of the Section. The event marked the first public milestone of a longer-term research programme: according to plans, from September onwards, the Section will continue the detailed exploration of these topics, involving other Sections and external experts as well.
The Four Pillars of Megatrends
The keynote presentation was delivered by Anita Benkóné Paulovics, financial and business process expert and Managing Director of BPA Consulting Kft. Anita started from the premise that Darwin’s principle of adaptation applies just as strongly in the business world: it is not the strongest or largest companies that remain competitive, but those that are able to adapt the fastest to an increasingly accelerated economic environment.
In her presentation, she also highlighted that the Hungarian SME sector accounts for 99 percent of all businesses and 65 percent of employment, while contributing only 55 percent of added value. As a result, labour productivity among Hungarian small and medium-sized enterprises remains below the EU average — which at the same time represents significant development potential for the economy as a whole.
The speaker identified seven megatrends, organised around four key pillars: efficiency, innovation, partnership and growth.
The restructuring of global supply chains disrupted by the pandemic and geopolitical tensions is leading to a reorganisation of supplier positions. For Hungarian SMEs, this creates an opportunity to become suppliers to large corporations; however, this requires well-structured processes, reliable financial control and data-driven decision-making.
The adoption of digitalisation and artificial intelligence is unavoidable, but it can only deliver real results if supported by a well-designed strategy and organised internal processes. Anita referred to several failed ERP implementations that collapsed precisely because these foundations were missing.
She also emphasised that AI does not necessarily take away people’s jobs; rather, it makes work more efficient. However, the human factor and customer focus must never be pushed into the background. ESG compliance is still viewed by many as an issue primarily concerning large corporations, but companies wishing to become suppliers to major enterprises will sooner or later inevitably have to face these requirements.
One-Person Multinational Companies
The roundtable discussion was moderated by Marianna Ritter. Participants included Anita Benkóné Paulovics, Péter Ilosvai, strategy management consultant and Managing Director of KONRAAD Consulting Kft., András Schmidt, business development consultant, certified ActionCoach and Managing Director of Gree-Gree Kft., as well as Viktória Grim, Secretary of the Section.
One of the central themes of the discussion was that, instead of large corporations’ competitiveness-enhancing efforts, individual entrepreneurs and micro-enterprises are now moving forward with surprising speed and ambition. Many of them enter international markets almost immediately, operating as if they were multinational companies.
The panel partly put this phenomenon into perspective. According to Viktória Grim’s experience, most individual entrepreneurs are not necessarily aiming to build larger companies; rather, they progress through strong ideas and persistent development until they find a financeable and sustainable business model.
According to András Schmidt, self-employment is rarely based on a conscious competitive strategy. It is often driven instead by the lack of suitable employment opportunities or by the desire for independence. However, the path to growth is extremely difficult as a one-person enterprise.
Péter Ilosvai pointed out, however, that technological and globalisation trends now allow much smaller teams to achieve levels of performance that previously required companies with fifteen to twenty-five employees.
AI accelerates market research and business planning, while globalisation has opened the door to overseas manufacturing with investments of only a few tens of millions, global online sales and even small-volume, individually organised logistics.
The current AI era should be treated as a turning point comparable to the transition from steam power to electricity: those who fail to follow this transformation will soon find themselves on the sidelines.
András Schmidt, referring to a recently read American media analysis, compared the introduction of AI rather to an “immigrant” bringing a new work culture — one that requires existing corporate cultures to adapt as well.
Efficiency or Strategy?
A lively professional debate developed around the question of whether the use of AI in itself can be considered a strategy.
Péter Ilosvai referred to Michael Porter’s classic concept, arguing that efficiency — operating more cheaply, faster and better — is not a strategy but a necessity. Any company that fails to use the best available technology will eventually be overtaken by one that does.
András Schmidt added the ActionCoach perspective: the real goal is not for a business to become comparable to competitors and cheaper than them, but rather to become incomparable and achieve a market-leading position.
The panel agreed that uniqueness does not necessarily lie in a completely new product or service. Uber, Airbnb or IKEA, for example, all address long-existing needs — they simply do so differently, or provide access to solutions for people who previously could not benefit from them.
A recurring point of the discussion was the conservatism of the human factor, which participants identified as one of the greatest barriers to development. They illustrated this with examples of failed ERP implementations at large corporations as well as their own consulting experiences.
According to András Schmidt, this is precisely why digitalisation and AI adoption should be approached gradually, step by step, using a systemic mindset. Following the ActionCoach methodology, this means not fixing individual areas in isolation, but developing the company as a whole.
Related statistics show that in Hungarian small and medium-sized enterprises, the owner and the manager are typically the same person, and strategic decisions are generally made with significantly less involvement from external advisors than in large corporations.
The franchise system was also discussed as one of the fastest growth paths for SMEs. According to András Schmidt, franchising enables the scaling of a proven business model and brand with minimal risk, because the investment risk is carried by the franchise partner.
Anita Benkóné Paulovics and Viktória Grim linked this to the importance of strategic partnerships: an accountant, financial expert or other external advisor is not merely a service provider, but can become a true strategic partner for the entrepreneur, helping transform historical data into a foundation for future planning.
Will Consultants Still Be Needed?
At the end of the discussion, Marianna Ritter raised a provocative question: if artificial intelligence will, within a few years, be capable of performing all the research and analytical work for which companies previously paid significant consulting fees, will there still be room for the traditional consulting profession?
The panel’s unanimous answer was yes — but the role will change.
According to Anita Benkóné Paulovics, the real question will be whether consultants themselves can use AI effectively in their own work. If they can, they will become more cost-efficient and will be able to maintain their market position.
Péter Ilosvai and Viktória Grim explained that AI is capable of processing extraordinary amounts of data, but it has no motivation, purpose or desire to prove itself. Therefore, the real value of consultants will increasingly lie in their role as thinking partners, in building trust, and in how they communicate the acquired insights and respond to owners’ questions during live discussions.
András Schmidt added that a true business development consultant simultaneously fulfils three roles: as an expert, they provide best practices; as a mentor, they support the implementation of change; and in many cases, they also act as a kind of “life coach” for entrepreneurs. In his view, AI will not replace this function for a long time.