Call for Papers

Global Entrepreneurship and Innovation Conference (GEIC) 2025

Grand Challenges in the Intelligence Era:

Enhancing Technology Innovation and Capabilities in SOEs

 

The 8th Global Entrepreneurship and Innovation Conference (GEIC) invites researchers, scholars, industry practitioners, and policymakers to submit original papers for its July 2025 event. This year’s theme, “Grand Challenges in the Intelligence Era: Enhancing Technology Innovation and Capabilities in SOEs,” explores how AI, digital transformation, and emerging technologies reshape industries, markets, and societal structures. This poses challenges for state-owned enterprises and other businesses. GEIC provides a forum to share breakthrough research, best practices, and strategies for navigating these complexities, with a focus on SOEs this year.

Scope & Topics

State-owned enterprises (SOEs) have played a pivotal role in propelling national economic growth, particularly in emerging and transitional economies such as China. In the face of unprecedented global challenges, numerous SOEs are compelled to undergo digital transformation and develop novel capabilities to maintain competitive and innovative. They need to be adaptable to market-driven dynamics and strive for sustainable performance. This topic explores strategies, challenges, and policy measures for enhancing innovation in SOEs.

1. Innovation Strategies, Capabilities, and Models for SOEs

- How AI, big data, and machine learning drive new SOE models?

- How do SOEs integrate into innovation ecosystems?

- What strategies and policies are needed for open innovation and collaboration to enhance R&D and output?

- What are digital transformation and industry 4.0 adoption issues for SOEs?

- Comparative studies on SOE and POE innovation capabilities.

 

2. Policy and Regulatory Frameworks for State Sector

- Role of government policies in SOE governance efficiency and effectiveness

- Impact of policy and regulatory environment on fostering SOE innovation

- Intellectual property (IP) protection and technology transfer policies

- Regulatory challenges and best practices for innovation governance in SOEs

- Incentives and motivation mechanisms for R&D and entrepreneurship in SOEs

 

3. Organisational and Managerial Approaches to Innovation

- Leadership and corporate governance for innovation-driven SOEs

- Best practice and effective approaches to enhance intrepreneurship and employee-driven innovation within SOEs

- Performance evaluation, talent recruitment policy and incentive structure for innovation

- Organisational culture and risk-taking behaviour in SOEs

 

4. Collaboration, Partnerships, Innovation Ecosystem

- Collaboration between Industry, university, and research institutes in SOEs

- Fostering innovation through venture capital and incubators for SOEs and start-ups

- International partnerships and technology acquisitions for innovation growth

- Public-private partnerships and their impact on SOE innovation capability enhancement

- Constructing an effective innovation ecosystem for SOEs based on collaborations, partnerships and incubation infrastructure

 

5. AI, Digital Transformation and New Skills  

- AI, big data, IoT applications in SOEs: How these digital technologies drive changes in SOEs and what new capabilities are required?

- The role of AI in decision-making, automation and enterprise management

- AI governance and AI ethics for responsible technology development and innovation

- Digital transformation and platform-based innovations in SOEs

- Cybersecurity and data governance in innovation-driven SOEs

- Building dynamic capabilities in the face of technological disruption

- Digital skills, talent management and future workforce

Submission Guidelines

We welcome theoretical, empirical, and case study-based research contributions. Papers will be subject to a rigorous peer-review process to ensure scholarly excellence and practical relevance in selected conference journals. Submissions should adhere to the conference's formatting and citation guidelines.

Abstract Submission Deadline:

Full Paper Submission Deadline: June 20, 2025 

Notification of Acceptance:

Final Paper Submission:

Conference Dates:  July 2025

Submission and Contact Information:

Submission Email: geic2025@sina.com

Contact Persons: Gu Xiaming Zhang Jiaxuan

Bibliography

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Floridi, L. (2020), The ethics of artificial intelligence: Principles, challenges, and opportunities. Oxford University Press.

Frey, C. B. and Osborne, M. A. (2017) ‘The future of employment: How susceptible are jobs to computerisation?’, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 114, pp. 254-280.

Jordan, M. I. and Mitchell, T. M. (2015) ‘Machine learning: Trends, perspectives, and prospects’, Science, 349(6245), pp. 255-260.

Nambisan, S. (2017) ‘Digital entrepreneurship: Toward a digital technology perspective of entrepreneurship’, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 41(6), pp. 1029- 1055.

Perri, A. and Rocha, V. (2024), ‘Grand Innovation Challenges: celebrating 30 years of Industry and Innovation with a special issue, Industry and Innovation, 31:1, 1-15.

 

Schmidt, E. and Work, T. (2021), The age of AI: And our human future. MIT Press.

Teece, D. J. (2018), Dynamic capabilities: Rethinking strategic management. Oxford University Press.

Amedzro St-Hilaire, W. (2023). Leading with digital technologies governance in the state-owned enterprises. International Journal of Public Administration, 46(2), 107-120.

He, B., Chen, H., Li, Z., & Zhou, X. (2023). Information and communication technology and innovation performance of firms: Evidence from Chinese listed state-owned enterprises. International Review of Economics & Finance, 88, 47-59.

Li, Z., Zhou, X., Jung, S., & Li, J. (2020). China’s 40-year road to innovation. Chinese Management Studies, 14(2), 335-357.

Cardinale, R., Landoni, M., & Mi, Z. (2024). Global State-Owned Enterprises in the 21st century: Rethinking their contribution to structural change, innovation, and public policy. Structural Change and Economic Dynamics,68:468-482.

Liu, G., Liu, J., Gao, P., Yu, J., & Pu, Z. (2024). Understanding mechanisms of digital transformation in state-owned enterprises in China: An institutional perspective. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 202, 123288.

Jia, N., Huang, K. G., & Man Zhang, C. (2019). Public governance, corporate governance, and firm innovation: An examination of state-owned enterprises. Academy of Management Journal, 62(1), 220-247.

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