The 7th International Conference on New Business Model was hosted in Rome, at LUMSA University.

242 academics (including professors and researchers) from 128 universities and 30 countries attended this great event to present their contributions and reflections on the key theme of the conference “Sustainable Business Model Challenges: Economic Recovery and Digital Transformation”.

The conference, structured into 16 thematic sessions in which 160 research contributions were discussed, explored the relevant topic of business models for sustainability, unravelling it in all its various critical aspects.

This resulted in an analysis of sustainable and innovative circular economy strategies adopted in the business context today, sustainable business models in the banking and financial sector, the relationship of the business model with digitalisation, the new frontiers of the sharing economy, entrepreneurship for social inclusion and the measurement of sustainability performance in companies.

The conference, which officially started on 22th June 2022, was preceded by a day dedicated to PhD students who represent the future of research today.

They had the opportunity to present their research projects, collecting comments and considerations from their mentors and research leaders, in the areas previously outlined.

 The conference started with the opening plenary session, on 23th June 2022, during which leading voices of the scientific, public, social and business communities offered interesting insights.

• Francesco Bonini, dean of the university, who introduced the conference, providing a reflection on the role of the university as a driver of sustainable development, from a social, cultural and environmental perspective, and as a venue for economic recovery and digital growth.

• The founding themes of the conference were stressed on a public and social level by Vittorio Colao, Minister for Technological Innovation and Digital Transition, who discussed the challenges facing Italy and Europe today in implementing the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and the Next Generation EU programme.

• In terms of industrial research and innovation, keynote speaker of the conference was Silvio Micali, MIT professor at Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department since 1983, founder of Algorand and member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and Accademia dei Lincei.
  Silvio Micali shared his brilliant and authoritative pioneering work on the future of cryptography and blockchain security mechanisms, illustrating the perspectives on research and society today. 

• A tangible example of a business inspired by the values of sustainability and social responsibility was offered by Silvia De Dominicis, President and CEO of Johnson & Johnson Medical, who illustrated the history of J&J that, as early as 1943, felt the need to establish a system of governance and leadership inspired by the positive values that more and more companies today tend to pursue.
  

On 24th June, a round table discussion was held for speakers from the business word.

Erika Fattori, representative of Nexi (Group Brand Strategy Director and Brand&Communication director) opened the session, presenting a project entitled “From Corporate Sustainability to Everyday Sustainability”.

Afterwards, representatives of Lush, Leroey Merlin Italia and Regusto took the floor, opening up a debate as well not only as bearers of a business oriented towards sustainability, but also of the values of innovation, exploration and curiosity, which today are necessary and fundamental for the green transition and social protection.

At the end of the conference, the following papers were selected among the best:

1. Exploring the Implications of the Value Concept for Performance Assessment of Sustainable Business Models

   Simon Norris

2. An Offer to Help: Impacts of Covid-19 Lockdown on Local Sharing Economies

   Trond Halvorsen, Kine Jakobsen, Jacqueline Floch

3. Full Throttle! Engaging Ethnic Minority and Majority Consumers in Car Sharing

   Marie-Julie De Bruyne, Katrien Verleye, Hendrik Slabbinck, Saskia Crucke

Conference proceedings

Article about the conference