Conference Theme 2025: Business Development & Growth: Thinking Outside the Box

Martin Reeves and Adam Job (2024), in their article in Harvard Business Review, nicely stress out that it is becoming increasingly difficult for companies to find opportunities for growth. More and more, imagination and thinking out of the box are being used to uncover ways to create value.

ICIEMC 2025 will focus on the growth and development challenge, with a focus on creativity and different perspectives over business model innovation and development.

Conference Theme 2024: Digitalization & Artificial Intelligence: Catalyst or Barrier to Innovation?

In the context of the big changes we have been witnessing due to ChatGPT (and not only), the pivotal question that arises is: Is the seemingly unavoidable path towards digitalization in all kind of organizations, combined with the potential use of artificial intelligence for the most diverse roles, a catalyst or a barrier to innovation?

“Time will tell”, as the saying goes. But what says the science?

We know from recent studies (e.g. Luo, 2022), we know that innovation processes are increasingly becoming data-driven, due to higher access to data, machine learning progress and artificial intelligence, which act as catalysts for innovation, and that employees tend to react positively to the implementation of these tools (e.g Wu, Zhu, & Zhao, 2022).

However, as Rupeika-Apoga & Petrovska (2022) nicely point out, this is a rather challenging process for smaller companies, which face a shortage of qualified human resources to duly leverage the potential of this new digital revolution.

Taking into account these two perspectives over the theme, as well as others that may be found useful, we invite participants to explore how digitalization and artificial intelligence may shape the future of innovation.

The following Regular Tracks will be open for abstract and paper submission in 2024:

Business Innovation Strategies
Business Models
Consumer Behaviour & Neurosciences
Consumer Protection & Data Privacy
Digital Transformation in Entrepreneurship and Marketing
Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Small Business Marketing
Marketing Communications, Social Media, Public Relations, Advertising & Promotion
Marketing in Specific Industries
Relationship Marketing, Sensory & Experiential Marketing
Strategic Marketing & Value Creation
Services Marketing & Customer Experience
Sustainable Marketing, Social Responsibility & Ethics
Teaching & Learning in Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Marketing
Tourism Marketing

We also host Special Tracks on:

Digitalization & Artificial Intelligence: Relevant Insights in Innovation and Marketing – Irina Saur-Amaral, Sandra Filipe & Teresa Aragonez
Research Methodologies in Innovation and Marketing – Cláudia Figueiredo
Active Citizenship and the Concept of State and Democracy (VirtuEU Project) – Manuel Au-Yong Oliveira

Publication opportunities will be available for best conference papers. Best Thesis Awards will be granted, too.

Best thesis per category is also awarded and the finalists are invited to attend ICIEMC 2024 and present their thesis with no registration cost.