Free International Scientific Conference
Leaders of the Future: Project Management and Innovation
Are you wondering how to take your first steps into the world of research? Or perhaps you’re looking for a space where you can develop your ideas, meet inspiring people, and discover new opportunities?
The International Conference Leaders of the Future: Project Management and Innovation was created for individuals who want to expand their competencies and actively shape their professional future.
The event will take place on April 24, 2026 in a hybrid format
The in-person part held at the University of Szczecin.
Who is the conference for and what is it about?
> For students, graduates, and doctoral candidates
This international conference is dedicated to students, graduates, and doctoral candidates who wish to grow by sharing the results of their research in areas such as project management, leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
> About leadership and project management
The conference program will allow participants to explore the world of modern project management. They will hear about the growing importance of sustainable project management, the ways in which digitalization, artificial intelligence, and agile methodologies are transforming daily project work, and how project leadership supports the development of strong, engaged teams.
> About entrepreneurship and innovation
During the conference, participants will dive into the world of innovation, listening to presentations on the development of entrepreneurship. This thematic area also includes future-oriented technologies shaping business and management, as well as insights into how science and business collaborate to create new research and development initiatives and drive innovation.
Conference Information
The goal of the conference is to create a platform for students, graduates, and doctoral candidates to present their research and insights related to project management, leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
Topics
The conference covers two main thematic areas:
- Project Management and leadership:
- sustainable project management
- project management in the digital era (AI, automation, agile methodologies)
- project leadership and team development
- integration of ESG objectives into the project life cycle
- building project resilience to climate change and environmental risks
- ethical decision-making in projects and social responsibility of leaders
- other related topics
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship:
- entrepreneurship development (startups, crowdfunding, business models)
- future technologies in business and management
- collaboration between science and business (knowledge transfer, R&D projects)
- sustainable business models and green innovation
- circular economy and eco-design of products
- the role of social entrepreneurship in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
- other related topics
Types of Presentations and Format
Participation in the conference is free of charge and available in the form of an oral presentation (maximum presentation time: 15 minutes). In addition to its scientific value, each presentation will also have a didactic dimension — it will conclude with feedback from experienced academic staff, specialists in the relevant field, who will offer participants guidance on how to further improve their research.
Schedule:
Discover the publication paths available through the conference
Participants of the conference will have the opportunity to publish their research in well-established academic outlets in the fields of economics, management, and business. The conference offers several publication tracks, including a post-conference volume in the Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics series (indexed in Scopus), as well as articles in selected peer-reviewed journals indexed in Scopus and/or Web of Science.
Importantly, all proposed publication venues operate under no-fee models for authors (Diamond Open Access or no-APC), ensuring equal access to high-quality publishing opportunities.
Publication Process
Choose your publication track and prepare your manuscript
Authors are invited to decide on their preferred publication format — either a post-conference monograph chapter or a journal article. Once the target outlet is selected, the manuscript should be prepared in accordance with the journal’s or publisher’s guidelines.
Submit your manuscript
Completed manuscripts should be sent via email to: konferencja@bliskonauki.pl
Internal editorial review
Each submission undergoes an initial assessment by the Conference Editorial Committee. Manuscripts positively evaluated at this stage are forwarded to a double-blind peer review conducted by members of the Scientific Committee.
Transfer to the selected journal or publisher
After acceptance — or following the implementation of reviewers’ comments — the manuscript is formally submitted to the selected journal or included in the post-conference volume.
External peer-review and publication
Each journal applies its own independent editorial and review procedures. The internal conference review significantly increases the likelihood of acceptance and successful publication.
Publication Opportunities
Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics (SPBE)
Post-conference edited volume
- Scope: economics, management, business, finance; a well-established series dedicated to conference proceedings
- Indexing: the entire series is indexed in Scopus (book series)
- Polish Ministry of Science score: 20 points (as of 1 Dec 2025)
- Author fees: none
- Series website: https://link.springer.com/series/11960
1. Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation (JEMI)
- Scope:
- entrepreneurship and new venture creation (start-ups, SMEs),
- entrepreneurial attitudes and behaviors,
- innovation management and policy,
- strategic, operational and HR management,
- information and network management,
- corporate finance and financial markets for SMEs
- Indexing: Scopus, Web of Science, DOAJ, ROAD
- Polish Ministry of Science score: 100 points (as of 1 Dec 2025)
- Author fees: none
- Publisher: Cognitione Foundation (Poland)
- Journal website: https://jemi.edu.pl jemi.edu.pl
2. Central European Management Journal (CEMJ)
- Scope:
- human resource management,
- organization theory,
- management psychology,
- gender in management and entrepreneurship,
- strategic management, corporate governance,
- managerial economics, accounting, finance, leadership
- Indexing: Scopus, Web of Science, DOAJ, ROAD
- Polish Ministry of Science score: 100 points (as of 1 Dec 2025)
- Author fees: none
- Publisher: Emerald Publishing on behalf of Kozminski University
- Journal website: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/cemj Emerald Publishing
3. Economics and Business Review (EBR)
- Scope:
- micro-, meso- and macroeconomics,
- economic policy,
- finance and financial markets,
- behavioral economics and finance,
- emerging market economies,
- empirical and theoretical economic research
- Indexing: Scopus, Web of Science, DOAJ, ROAD
- Polish Ministry of Science score: 70 points (as of 1 Dec 2025)
- Author fees: none
- Publisher: Poznań University of Economics and Business / De Gruyter
- Journal website: https://journals.ue.poznan.pl/ebr journals.ue.poznan.pl
4. European Journal of Management and Business Economics (EJM&BE)
- Scope:
- business economics and theory of the firm,
- strategic management,
- corporate finance,
- organization and management,
- marketing, HRM, operations and process management,
- corporate governance, tourism management
- Indexing: Scopus, Web of Science, DOAJ, ROAD
- Polish Ministry of Science score: 40 points (as of 1 Dec 2025)
- Author fees: none
- Publisher: Emerald Publishing on behalf of AEDEM
- Journal website: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/ejmbe
5. European Journal of Management Studies (EJMS)
- Scope:
- strategic management,
- marketing, HRM and organizational behavior,
- operations and logistics,
- finance, accounting, controlling and taxation,
- information systems, international management,
- economic sociology and interdisciplinary approaches
- Indexing: Scopus, DOAJ
- Polish Ministry of Science score: 0 points (as of 1 Dec 2025)
- Author fees: none
- Publisher: Emerald Publishing on behalf of Lisbon School of Economics and Management
- Journal website: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/ejms
6. Academic Review of Business and Economics (ARBE)
ARBE is particularly recommended for early-career researchers and first-time authors. Its mission is to support young scholars by providing substantive guidance throughout the publication process and helping them build their academic publishing potential.
- Scope:
- economics and finance,
- management and quality management,
- entrepreneurship and innovation,
- interdisciplinary economic research,
- case studies and practical business applications,
- theoretical and empirical studies,
- outputs of academic tutoring programs
- Indexing: ROAD, BazEkon, Polish Scientific Library
- Polish Ministry of Science score: 0 points (as of 1 Dec 2025)
- Author fees: none
- Publisher: University of Economics in Katowice
- Journal website: https://arbe.ue.katowice.pl/
Registration for the International Scientific Conference
Leaders of the Future: Project Management and Innovation
Project Management Student Association “PROJECT”, Management Student Association “Menedżer” and Blisko Nauki Association cordially invite students, graduates, and doctoral students to participate in the International Scientific Conference: Leaders of the Future: Project Management and Innovation
The conference will be held on April 24, 2026, in a hybrid format – the in-person part held at the Faculty of Economics, Finance and Management at the University of Szczecin and remotely on the Microsoft Teams
Participation in the conference – both active (presenting a paper) and passive (as a listener) – is free of charge.
If you have any additional questions, please contact us at: konferencja@bliskonauki.pl
Please provide the necessary personal data required for registration and consent to its processing.
Application form
Scientific Committee
dr inż. Adam Sulich, prof. UEW
Chair of the Scientific Committee
Wroclaw University of Economics and Business
prof. Edyta Rudawska
University of Szczecin
dr hab. Maria Urbaniec, prof. UEK
Cracow University of Economics
dr Jakub Kubiczek
University of Economics in Katowice
dr Tomasz Kusio
Cracow University of Economics
dr Joanna Rzempała
University of Szczecin
dr Małgorzata Smolska
University of Szczecin
dr Karol Wałachowski
Cracow University of Economics
Organizers
Management Student Association “Menedżer”
University of Economics
in Katowice
Blisko Nauki Association
Project Management Student Association “PROJECT”
University of Szczecin