Hosted by the University of Oulu and the University of Turku, the 40th annual Industrial Marketing and Purchasing Conference took place in Oulu, Finland, from August 27 to 30, 2024.
The event attracted over 180 delegates from across the globe, including participants from Europe, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa. Throughout the conference, attendees presented 125 scientific research papers and in addition, a Doctoral Colloquium was designed and organized to support young researchers.
The conference theme, “Regenerating Business Markets for a Better World,” encouraged bold research that examines business markets through the lenses of IMP research tradition, in the light of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Aligning with this theme, keynote speaker Taija Sailio, CEO and Founder and FabRebel, shared compelling insights from a company called Fabpatch Vaatelaastari in Finland.
She described their innovative business model based on sustainable innovation enabling circular economy by enabling easy and durable repair of clothes and fabrics. She also shared views on the way the company uses collaboration and business networks in their business.
The conference program also featured a “Meet the Editors” session and the IMP 40th
Anniversary Panel Discussion. These sessions fostered inspiring conversations about ethics in publishing and provided reflections on past, present, and future research directions in IMP studies.
It was concluded that the IMP research community is well-equipped with the necessary
resources, collaborators, and initiatives for the next 40 years of interaction research in business networks.
For more information, please contact Professor Pauliina Ulkuniemi at
pauliina.ulkuniemi@oulu.fi
