The 9th International Scientific Conference on Business and Economics (ISCBE 2026), held under the theme “Future-Ready Economies: Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Digital Competitiveness”, took place on 11–12 June 2026 at the Universiad Europea de Valencia. The event was organised by the Faculty of Business and Economics of South East European University (SEEU) and brought together international academics and professionals to discuss innovation, entrepreneurship, digital competitiveness and the ChallengeEU Talent Academy.
Future-ready economies in focus
The conference was held in a hybrid format and brought together academics, researchers and professionals from across the globe to discuss the future of business, innovation and digital transformation.
The conference opened with a Welcome Session featuring addresses by Enrique Fatas Juberias, Director of the Behavioral Economics Institute; Blerta Abazi Çaushi, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics at SEEU; Emmanuël Hazé, Chief Implementation Officer of the ChallengeEU Alliance; and Conference Chair Veland Ramadani, who presented an overview of ISCBE 2026 and its objectives.
Artificial intelligence, transformation and societal impact
The Plenary Session highlighted key contemporary challenges and opportunities related to artificial intelligence and digital transformation. Marco Valeri, Associate Professor at Niccolò Cusano University, Italy, presented the role of agentic AI in shaping the future of travel planning, while Catalina Franco from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) addressed the impact of artificial intelligence on gender equality.
The conference continued with thematic sessions on sustainability, economics and finance, entrepreneurship and innovation, management and marketing, artificial intelligence, information systems, and legal aspects of future-ready economies, providing a valuable platform for international academic exchange and collaboration.
ChallengeEU Talent Academy presented during ISCBE 2026
As part of the ChallengeEU Alliance, the Talent Academy was also presented during ISCBE 2026. The initiative is led by Prof. Dr Hyrije Abazi-Alili as Task Lead of T4.5 within Work Package 4, WP4 M.A.R.K.E.T. Ecosystems, of the ChallengeEU Alliance.
The Talent Academy brings together doctoral researchers and student entrepreneurs through a series of collaborative learning opportunities that combine academic excellence, entrepreneurship, innovation and societal impact. Built on an extensive mixed-methods needs assessment, including focus groups, online interviews and surveys conducted across all nine partner universities, the initiative responds directly to the challenges faced by emerging researchers and innovators. These include networking, mental health and stress support, academic skills, digital and AI skills, time and project management, team dynamics, and sustainable innovation.
Towards a European talent ecosystem
The first pilot activities of the Talent Academy are planned to launch in late 2026, marking an important milestone towards a sustainable and interconnected European talent ecosystem that extends beyond the project’s lifetime.
Through ISCBE 2026, the Faculty of Business and Economics of South East European University once again demonstrated its commitment to advancing research excellence, international cooperation and innovative thinking in addressing the challenges of tomorrow’s economies.
