The IMP Forum 2026 Seminar, held in Milan, at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, on March 26–27, brought together an international community of scholars to discuss cutting-edge research on business networks, value creation, and sustainability from an IMP perspective. Organized by Antonella La Rocca, Chiara Cantù, Annalisa Tunisini, and Matteo Dominidiato, the seminar provided a vibrant platform for academic exchange and collaboration. Participants represented 16 universities, including Budapest University of Technology and Economics, the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Chalmers University of Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Linnaeus University, Mälardalen University, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, the Polytechnic University of Marche, Queen Mary University of London, the Stockholm School of Economics, Tampere University, the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, the University of Brescia, the University of Pavia, the University of Southern Denmark, and Uppsala University.
The event opened with a welcome address from Faculty Dean Antonella Occhino, followed by an introduction by Annalisa Tunisini, Director of Centrimark (Center of Marketing Research). The opening session also featured a discussion on publishing in the Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, led by Antonella La Rocca in her role as Editor of the IMP Forum in JBIM.
Across the two days, the seminar featured multiple parallel tracks addressing key themes in IMP research. Central topics included sustainability transitions in business networks, digital transformation and AI in B2B relationships, value creation and appropriation, and resource interaction processes. Several contributions explored how firms navigate complex sustainability challenges—such as resource-efficient mobility, circular ecosystems, and environmental sustainability in global value chains—highlighting the relevance of network perspectives in understanding these phenomena.
A strong emphasis was also placed on digitalization and emerging technologies, with papers examining the role of AI in reshaping buyer–seller relationships, the use of digital tools in sustainability processes, and the transformation of interactions in sectors such as real estate and healthcare. These discussions underscored the growing intersection between digital and sustainable transitions in B2B contexts.
The seminar maintained the IMP tradition of interactive scholarship, with each paper benefiting from dedicated discussants and collective debate. This format fostered deep engagement and constructive feedback, reinforcing the importance of dialogue in advancing research within the IMP community.
Overall, the IMP Forum 2026 Seminar highlighted the continued vitality of the IMP research tradition, showcasing how network-based approaches remain highly relevant for addressing contemporary challenges such as sustainability, digital transformation, and innovation in B2B markets.
We look forward to the IMP Forum 2027, with more information to follow soon!
