SET-III-2026: Responsible Innovation and Systematic Entrepreneurship Metropolitan College, Boston University, 1010, Commonwealth Avenue BOSTON, MA, United States, March 20-21, 2026 |
| Conference website | https://sites.bu.edu/metsymposium/ |
| Submission link | https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=set3 |
| Abstract registration deadline | November 30, 2025 |
| Submission deadline | February 28, 2026 |
Boston University
Metropolitan College
Department of Administrative Sciences
Third International Symposium on Entrepreneurship and Technology (SET-III)
Responsible Innovation and Systematic Entrepreneurship
Venue: 1010, Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA
March 20-21, 2026
Responsible innovation (RI) has emerged as a field of research dedicated to introducing sensitivity to societal values in innovation processes. However, much of the academic literature on RI focuses on applied technologies used in productive sectors, including entrepreneurship, with a future-oriented emphasis on sectoral developments that explicitly utilize specialized knowledge. Technology and innovation in entrepreneurship have emerged today within complex systems involving society, organizations, and infrastructures. Thinking responsibly within this complex entrepreneurial ecosystem requires flexibility, creativity, and leadership. Entrepreneurial responsibility for innovations is an ongoing process that must be able to respond to new or disruptive insights and entrepreneurial functions. Simultaneously, RI emerged as an academic discourse and field of praxis to transform innovation practices into more anticipatory, reflexive, inclusive, and responsive ones. Societal needs are often identified ‘responsively’ through entrepreneurial engagement through inclusive or participatory approaches, as they then influence development efforts. However, most innovation activities within RI are identified ex ante through stakeholder engagement and often follow the ongoing development of new technologies, such as biotechnology or nanotechnology, to support entrepreneurial ventures. Agile organizations paradoxically learn to be both stable (resilient, reliable, and efficient) and dynamic (fast, nimble, and adaptive). To grow, agile companies must design structures, governance arrangements, and processes with a relatively consistent set of core elements driving their performance. However, the performances of micro, small, medium, and large enterprises vary across destinations due to asymmetric entrepreneurial behavior, contextual socio-political motivations, developmental resources, the extent of industrial diversity, and the entrepreneurial nature of products and services. Systematic entrepreneurship (SE) is a broad approach that combines the individual with technology and data-based systems, embedding responsible innovation. It involves a systematic, step-by-step, purposeful activity that requires contemporary knowledge, technology skills, and competencies. These skills can be learned and developed through entrepreneurial education and vocational training, emphasizing the planning and implementation of market-led, competitive business models. Synchronization of responsible innovation, systematic entrepreneurship, and integration of marketing, education, and technology leads to self-efficacy in entrepreneurship. Such an integrated entrepreneurial domain can be identified as the state-of-the-art that enables entrepreneurs to fulfill the essential roles and associated tasks with a systematic entrepreneurial process
This international symposium addresses the intersection of innovation and technology with changing entrepreneurial marketing and educational practices (RISE-MET). Specific tracks will deliberate on core manufacturing, operational, economic, innovation, technological, and marketing issues contextual to the micro, small, and medium enterprises. Discussions in this symposium will critically analyze the convergence of entrepreneurship, innovation, technology, business practices, public policies, political ideologies, and consumer values to improve the global-local business paradigm and support regional development. This conference would also enrich knowledge and skills on contemporary entrepreneurship models and the convergence of technology with business strategies, and explore industrial alliances in manufacturing, services, and business and logistics organizations. The symposium would examine the development of new technology-led business models and hybrid entrepreneurial perspectives to align with the evolving priorities of regional economic growth in developing countries.
Participation
Academics, research scholars, and graduate students from Boston University and other institutions worldwide engaged in the areas of entrepreneurship, innovation, technology development, operations management, project management, marketing, strategy, business analytics, and e-commerce management.
What would you achieve?
- An interactive and hands-on approach to working with innovation management tools and techniques
- Ways to explore new industrial scenarios across the destination economies
- Valuable insights on entrepreneurial development prospects, innovation management, managing market competition, and national economic policies toward regional development
- Examples, illustrations, and case studies of best practice interventions around the world
- Opportunity to delve deeper into areas such as globalization, industrial marketing strategies, innovation, digital applications, market economics, market environment, trade policies, brand management, investment, market behavior, and more
- A networking opportunity to meet international colleagues and professionals who are grappling with similar issues, problems, and concerns
- Opportunities for collaborative research with experts in the field of innovation, entrepreneurship, project management, and marketing strategy
Symposium Tracks
Track 1: Entrepreneurial Development
- Emerging enterprise development policies
- Corporate alliances and entrepreneurial thrust
- Political ideologies on developing micro-enterprises.
- Public diplomacies and young entrepreneurs
- Entrepreneurial business models
- Leadership and skills
- Entrepreneurship 5.0 and Society 5.0
- Women entrepreneurs
- Enabling smart enterprises
- Knowledge management
- Leadership and governance
Track 2: The New Reality- Technology and AI
- Transfer of technology
- Technology management
- Robotics, AI, Machine Learning, Large Language Models, and system integration
- ICT, Digitization, and Nanotechnology
- Disruptive innovation, technology, and threats in business
- Economics and Sociology of Technology
- E-commerce, Augmented reality, Virtual reality, Mixed reality, Metaverse
- Digital Design thinking and creativity
- Techno-entrepreneurship and robotics
Track 3: Enterprise Management-RISE
- Responsible innovation
- Entrepreneurship systems
- Market competitiveness
- Consortium business systems
- Lean management
- Information analytics for enterprises
- Enterprise Architecture-Tools and Techniques
- Social innovation and technology
- Circular entrepreneurship and sustainability
- Start-up enterprises, innovation, and technology
Track 4: Enterprise Modelling
- Enterprise Modelling: Innovation & Technology
- Computer-aided design and Drafting systems
- Digitization, hybridity, and business applications
- Quality of services critical to the quality and voice of customers
- Enterprise resource planning
- New venture development
- Entrepreneurial business modeling
- Vocational education and training
- Marketing mix, branding, value creation
Track 5: Building Enterprise
- Infrastructure planning and management
- Facilities planning and enterprise ergonomics
- Human resources management system
- Organizational culture
- Organizational behavior
- Organizational development
- Enterprise sustainability
- Enterprise landscaping
- Venture capital management
Track 6: Enterprise Analytics System
- Entrepreneurial manufacturing systems
- Marketing, logistics, and inventory systems
- Applied business analytics
- Enterprise project management
- Cost and contingency analysis
- Stakeholder value analysis
- Financial indicators analysis
- Identifying shifts in socio-cultural market behavior
- Transportation and communication networks
- Decision Analysis and Forecasting
- Entrepreneurial incubation and commercialization
Track 7 Entrepreneurial Finance Management
- Industrial finance policies
- Banking and investment
- Fintech financing
- Government programs on local finance
- Consortium enterprise management
- Microfinancing and enterprise development
- Business venture finance
Track 8 Entrepreneurship Education
- Applied curriculum development
- Research-based learning
- Vocational education and entrepreneurship
- Entrepreneurial education taxonomy (Deductive, Inductive, Experiential)
- Technology-based entrepreneurial education
- Community and Family Entrepreneurial Education
- Entrepreneurial education tools and techniques
- Capacity building in entrepreneurship
- Experiential entrepreneurship education
- Innovate teaching and learning practices, and accelerate progress towards SDG 4
Track 9 Artificial Intelligence and Entrepreneurship
- Automation and robotics in entrepreneurship
- Data-driven decision-making
- Design thinking, productivity and business modeling
- Generative and predictive AI in entrepreneurship
- AI tools and knowledge management
- Planning, precision, and problem-solving
- AI as decision support system, virtual assistant, and blockchain
- Interactive collaborations, personalized learning, and automation
- Metaverse, Digital Twins, and AI
Track 10 Business and Economic Recovery
- Post-pandemic business models
- Post-pandemic corporate alignments
- Enterprise and business recovery
- Economic stimulus and recovery
- Government policies and interventions
- Stakeholder and corporate push
Track 11 Social Entrepreneurship
- Technology-Driven Social Ventures
- Exploring the role of emerging technologies (AI, blockchain, IoT) in scaling social impact and fostering innovation in social entrepreneurship.
- Measuring Social Impact: Metrics and Frameworks
- Advancing methods and tools for assessing the impact of social enterprises, with a focus on qualitative and quantitative frameworks.
- Inclusive Business Models for Marginalized Communities
- Innovations in business models that empower underrepresented and disadvantaged groups, including rural, indigenous, or refugee populations.
- Hybrid Organizations and Legal Structures
- Examining the governance, legal frameworks, and challenges of hybrid social enterprises that combine profit and mission-driven goals.
- Sustainable Financing for Social Enterprises
- Investigating innovative financing mechanisms, such as impact investing, crowdfunding, and social bonds, and their long-term viability.
- Social Entrepreneurship and the Circular Economy
- Analyzing the intersection of social entrepreneurship and circular economy practices to promote sustainable consumption and production.
- Scaling Social Ventures: Strategies and Challenges
- Identifying best practices, barriers, and solutions for scaling social enterprises while maintaining mission integrity and impact.
- Gender and Social Entrepreneurship
- Exploring the role of women-led social enterprises, gender dynamics in social entrepreneurship, and addressing systemic barriers to equity.
- Social Entrepreneurship in Post-Crisis Recovery
- Investigating the role of social enterprises in rebuilding communities and economies affected by crises, such as pandemics, natural disasters, or conflicts.
- Digital Platforms for Social Innovation and Collaboration
- Examining how digital platforms and ecosystems enable collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the scaling of social innovations globally.
Paper Submission: Important Dates and Guidelines
We invite full papers, posters, abstracts, and extended abstracts from interested academics, researchers, and students on the above-stated topics. Poster presentations are limited to the students and faculty of Boston University. The full paper should not exceed 30 pages in double space. The essential dates for submissions are as detailed below:
- Symposium Announcement-Call for Papers: September 01, 2025
- Submission of extended abstracts (Max. 2500 words): November 30, 2025
- Submission of Posters: December 15, 2025
- Decision on submissions: January 15, 2026
- Submission of Full papers: February 28, 2026
- Symposium registration: Opens February 01, 2026
All submissions (Extended abstracts and full papers) should be made using the Easy Chair in Word format. The full paper should be between 6000-8000 words, including an abstract (250 words), keywords, Tables, Charts, and references (APA style, 7th edition). All papers will undergo the double-blind review process. Full papers selected for publication in the anthology will be notified to the author(s) separately with the submission requirements.
All submissions must be typed double-spaced with 2.5 cm or one-inch margins using 12-point Times New Roman font in a single MS Word file. All submissions must include a Title, Authors (names, affiliations, e-mails of all authors, and a notation (*) of the corresponding author), an Extended Abstract (no more than 2500 words), and 4-6 keywords. The full paper should not exceed 30 pages, including the Abstract, body of the text (Introduction, Theory, Methods, Findings, Discussion, Conclusions, and Implications), Tables, Figures, and References. All paper submissions must include a discussion that addresses the contribution of the author’s work to the advancement of entrepreneurship, technology, and business-related science and practice in the Conclusions and Implications section.
Only papers selected for publication in the anthology of the symposium, under revision can be submitted No Later Than April 21, 2026.
All submissions must be original, not previously published, not under current consideration, or scheduled for presentation elsewhere.
Symposium Registration
There is no fee for authors to submit the paper to the international symposium. Only the authors/presenters of the accepted paper(s) will be asked to register to present at the Boston University or MET website. To secure their spot by paying the applicable fee as follows:
- Academic Faculty and Scholars- US$ 150
- Students-US$ 75
- Boston University faculty, scholars, and students are exempted from the registration fee.
Registration for the conference will open on February 01, 2026.
Publication Opportunities
Selected full papers will be subjected to a double-blind review and, upon satisfactory revision, published as an Edited book in the book series “Palgrave Studies of Entrepreneurship and Social Challenges in Developing Economies” published by Springer, Cham: Switzerland as a Palgrave Macmillan Imprint. This book series is being edited by Dr Rajagopal, a Distinguished Professor and National Researcher at EGADE Business School, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico City and Visiting Professor at MET, Boston University.
Authors may also choose to publish papers with the Conference’s partner journal (listed/indexed in Web of Sciences and SCOPUS).
Previous Conference Publications:
Rajagopal, Marcus Goncalves, and Vladimir Zlatev (2024). Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Technology - A Holistic Analysis of Growth Factors. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham: Palgrave Macmillan/ Springer. ISBN 978-3-031-65313-1 https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-65314-8
Rajagopal, Marcus Goncalves, and Vladimir Zlatev (2025). Next Generation Entrepreneurship – Convergence of Innovation, Technology, and Society. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan/ Springer. ISBN 978-3-031-98512-6 https://link.springer.com/book/9783031985126