This study examines the effectiveness of Kazakhstan’s grant funding system in supporting research institutions and universities, focusing on the relationship between funding levels, expert evaluations, and research outputs. We analyzed 317 projects awarded grants in 2021, using parametric methods to assess publication outcomes in Scopus and Web of Science databases. Descriptive statistics for 1606 grants awarded between 2021 and 2023 provide additional insights into the broader funding landscape. The results highlight key correlations between funding, evaluation scores, and journal publication percentiles, with a notable negative correlation observed between international and national expert evaluations in specific scientific fields. A productivity analysis at the organizational level was conducted using non-parametric methods to evaluate institutional efficiency in converting funding into research output. Data were manually collected from the National Center of Science and Technology Evaluation and supplemented with publication data from Scopus and Web of Science, using unique grant numbers and principal investigators’ profiles. This comprehensive analysis contributes to the development of an analytical framework for improving research funding policies in Kazakhstan.

The Hungarian tourism and hospitality industry has faced serious challenges in recent years. The tourism and hospitality sector has been confronted with severe challenges in recent years. Even after the end of the pandemic, the industry has not seen the expected recovery, as rising inflation, declining discretionary income and a lack of foreign tourists have further hampered the industry. The hotel market in Budapest in particular has been significantly affected by these developments. Despite the difficulties, investors continue to see opportunities in the market. One example is the purchase by a group of real estate investors of an under-utilised leisure centre in District VII, which they intend to convert into a hotel. Our study is part of this project and its primary objective is to define the parameters of the future hotel and analyse the market opportunities and challenges. Our research focuses on the hotel market in Budapest and uses methods such as benchmarking, STEEP and SWOT analyses, as well as four in-depth interviews with key players in the market. The benchmarking examined the operations of hotels in the capital, while the in-depth interviews provided practical experience and insider perspectives. On the basis of the interviews and analyses, the study identifies possible directions for improvement and factors for competitive advantage.