This proposal is based on research conducted into the problems and tasks of educational and regional planning in a number of the declining micro-regions of the country. The research project was carried out by the organisation oof the National Institute for Adult Education within the 2004-2005 period. My proposal is based on two research studies, namely the findings of my own personal research into the connection between regional and sector-specific, ie, education planning, and my analysis and conclusive summary report on the regional case-studies, prepared by a research group under my direction. The purpose of the research project was to discover how educational and regional planning is able to make a positive contribution to the formation of knowledge centres and to promote the catching up of the peripheral regions. We aimed to specify the level of harmony between regional and educational plans, in addition to the level of partnership both among the key players and within the broader scope of society as well. It should be pointed out that the comparison of regional and sector-specific, i.e. educational planning constitutes a relatively new research topic within Hungary.The experimental part of our research is based on seven case studies (one selected from each of the relevant economic-administrative regions), focusing on the particular characteristics and development processes within the micro-regions. The selection criteria employed were the following: we involved micro-regions, which could present some kind of innovative elements of change or demonstrate their endeavours to break out of their under- developed position. Furthermore, we studied micro-regions, which have the potential, at least theoretically, to achieve, by utilising human resources at a higher level, a more developed status in the future. The regional studies are based on the analysis of regional documents, interviews with key players in the regions and micro-regions, and on other relevant research papers. To ensure comparative analysis of the main characteristics of the regional structures, we employed certain aspects as guidelines to help in the preparation of the micro-regional case-studies. We explored, amongst other things, human resources conditions within the given micro-regions according to the following aspects:- The infrastructure of education and training provided - The location and structure of the programmes offered according to target groups - The solvent demand for education and training - The demand and desire to learn, and participation in education and training according to target groups- Access to education and training according to target groups- Promising experiences for broadening education and training opportunities- Circumstances which make a positive contribution to the harmonised planning process- Circumstances which exert a negative effect on the harmonisation of regional and sector-specific, i.e. educational elements within the planning process.The following constitute some of the main findings derived from the research: - Very poor level of education and training infrastructure restricts access to the knowledge economy- Lack of, or at best very limited, access to education and learning exists in the majority of the studied micro-regions- Very bad or poor previous experience on education and training contributes to a continuous, further decline within the micro-regions- Positive experiences arise solely from the past with limited duration, short-term development, based exclusively on temporary external human resources - Insufficient quantity and quality of constant/stable internal human resources within the micro-regions themselves consequently restricts innovation- Distances from knowledge centres result in little chance for knowledge-production- Weak and anachronistic tacit knowledge is inappropriate for the establishment and production of innovative and modern explicit knowledge- Only those micro-regions where a minimum sum of high level local human resources is provided on a continuous basis, incremental over a given time scale, possess the opportunity to approach or become involved in knowledge centres, and, as such, to become innovative elements of the knowledge economy- Access to high level infrastructure of basic education, VET, lifelong learning, … is the first step towards creating an innovative micro- region- Innovative joint-ventures, co-operation with external knowledge production centres, accumulation of local development experiences with local experts, continuous development of local human resources within the framework of VET, lifelong learning and organisational learning can create the basic seed-bud of local knowledge centres.