The Gemer-Malohont region, Rimavská Sobota and Revúca districts, consists of 6 towns and 143 municipalities. As many as 97 of them are small municipalities with a population of less than 500. The Gemer Malohont region covers an area of ​​4,279 km2 and covers the territory of Slovakia - 3,956 km2 and Hungary - 323 km2. The total population of the region is about 188 thousand, of which in Slovakia about 160 thousand. 

The region is one of the least developed regions of Slovakia with the lowest employment rate. On one hand, the problem is low number of job opportunities. On the other hand, it is a low level of education. More than 50% of the available employable population has completed maximum basic education. The unfavorable situation is also closely related to the high proportion of marginalized Roma communities, which have more than 35% representation. 

The positive aspect of the region is that it achieves the lowest aging index among all districts in the region. And also thanks to the preservation of the rural way of life. 

The business environment is poorly developed in comparison with other regions of Slovakia. Larger companies are concentrated only in the immediate vicinity of district towns and capitals roads, especially due to poor transport accessibility in the region. 

The majority of the territory has an agrarian character due to climatic and topographic conditions. The preservation of the rural way of life plays an important role. 

The Regional Industrial Innovation Cluster Rimavská kotlina - REPRIK, an interest association of legal entities, brought together representatives of public administration, self-government, entrepreneurs, associations, non-profit and educational organizations on the basis of partnership, for the purpose of integrated development of the Gemer - Malohont region. 

The system solution is Regional Hub of Circular Economy 12 GEMER MALOHONT (RHCE GM). It is an ecological, economically efficient and socially just population-oriented system of the QUINTUPLE HELIX model. In the cooperative form, it creates a collaborative economy with its own social and investment fund. Integrated development plans are assessed for social impacts per capita, fulfillment of environmental obligations to the country and economic sustainability for the creation of own funds and monitored on their measurable indicators. 

Due to the agrarian nature of the majority of the territory, REPRIK submitted a strategy for the development of the region on the following priorities: 

1. reduction of emissions and CO2 - renewable energy sources, redistribution of surplus energy, 
2. renewal of the material base - use of waste as a source of new raw material, 
3. adaptation to climate change - water, air, climate, biodiversity, energy, value, 
4. sustainable environment - restoring biodiversity for food security. 

The aim is quality of life in the region based on the ecological stability of the area and economic sustainability, which creates a socially just working and living environment. 

One of the REPRIK project intentions for the development of the GEMER MALOHONT region is the solution of energy self-sufficiency and food security. It uses all the advantages of the QUINTUPLE HELIX model - the knowledge-based economy. The GEMER MALOHONT Regional Hub of Circular Economy translated the knowledge information obtained from the DanuP-2-Gas3 project into the first project plan for the construction of the P2G HUB. The mentioned concept within RHCE GM involves: 

• Center for Research, Development, Innovation, 
• Center for Environmental Education, 
• Center for Sustainable Energy, 
• Waste Recovery Center, 
• Center for Social Economy, 
•  Food Safety Center, 
• Center for Culture, Sports and Tourism. 

The project plan for the construction of P2G HUB is based on the already continuously acquired inputs of the project DanuP-2-GAS Photovoltaic REP-121,122,123,150, BIOGAS REP-65,66,70, with the aim of implementing the BIORAFINERIE BIOREGIO project45. 

The region of predominantly agricultural character has potential in the food industry companies TAURIS, a.s., Rimavská Sobota and RISO-R, s.r.o., Rimavská Sobota and the animal production processing complex PIGAGRO farm Jesenské. The potential for obtaining dry biomass is in the employment of the long-term unemployed and disadvantaged in the restoration and ensuring the food security of the region, the country. 

The goal of the REPRIK association is to implement an ecological, innovative and socially just and educated region that will be environmentally friendly, economically efficient and socially responsible with an impact on the region's inhabitants through the implementation of the RHCE GM project intentions. 

System solutions for the circular economy in the region are also in the new Action Plan for the development of the Rimavská Sobota district and in the Action Plan for the development of the Revúca district. 

By implementing the intentions on the principle of the circular economy, we want to bring the competitiveness of the region within the Slovak and EU economies. 

The advantage of the GEMER MALOHONT region is its historical connection with Hungary, which creates further opportunities for cross-border cooperation. 

Author: DanuP-2-Gas ERDF PP7 - NARA-SK 

The Danube Region holds huge potential for sustainable generation and storage of renewable energy. However, to date this region is highly dependent on energy imports, while energy efficiency, diversity and renewables share are low. In line with the EU climate targets for 2030 and the targets of the European Strategy for the Danube Region, DanuP-2-Gas supports transnational energy planning by strengthening generation and storage strategies for renewables in the Danube Region via advanced sector coupling technologies.