IMP Conference 2026

IMP Conference 2026
Building a Sustainable World Through Business Relationships and Networks

UNIVPM and The Industrial Marketing and Purchasing Group (IMP) are happy to welcome you to the 42nd IMP Conference in Ancona, Italy, 1–4 September 2026

The IMP 2026 conference theme – Building a Sustainable World Through Business Relationships and Networks – explores how interaction mechanisms, business relationships, and networks contribute to addressing societal challenges and advancing sustainability. In addition to regular IMP themes on b2b marketing, we encourage contributions that explore the role of business relationships and networks in advancing environmental and social sustainability, responses to grand challenges such as climate change, inequality, and digital transformation, the paradoxes and unintended consequences of pursuing sustainability goals. We also welcome processual studies, interdisciplinary approaches, and methodological innovations that extend the scope of IMP research.

Days

Hours

Minutes

About the conference

Università Politecnica delle Marche and The Industrial Marketing and Purchasing Group (IMP) are happy to welcome you to the 42nd IMP Conference in Ancona, Italy, 1–4 September 2026.

The IMP 2026 conference theme – Building a Sustainable World Through Business Relationships and Networks – explores how interaction mechanisms, business relationships, and networks contribute to addressing societal challenges and advancing sustainability.

In addition to regular IMP themes on b2b marketing, we encourage contributions that explore the role of business relationships and networks in advancing environmental and social sustainability, responses to grand challenges such as climate change, inequality, and digital transformation, the paradoxes and unintended consequences of pursuing sustainability goals.

We also welcome processual studies, interdisciplinary approaches, and methodological innovations that extend the scope of IMP research. Key dates are provided in the table below.

Key dates

November 1st 2025
Deadline for special tracks
December 1st 2025
Abstract submission opens
January 20th 2026
Deadline for abstract submission
February 2nd 2026
Notification of abstract acceptance
April 15th 2026
Deadline submission full paper

April 23rd 2026
Registration opens
May 27th 2026
Notification of full paper acceptance
June 30th 2026
End of Early Bird registration
July 10th 2026
Registration closes
September 1st - 4th 2026
Main conference

Call for Papers

Polytechnic University of Marche – Department of Management, and The Industrial Marketing and Purchasing Group (IMP) are proud to welcome you to join the IMP Conference 2026 in Ancona, Italy on 01-04 September 2026.

The 42nd Annual IMP Conference invites contributions that examine how interaction and business networks evolve within changing business-to-business contexts, and how actors engage through networked relationships in both local and international settings.

The overarching theme for this edition is: Building a Sustainable World Through Business Relationships and Networks

The conference explores how interactions across networks can enable adaptation, resilience, and innovation in increasingly complex and uncertain environments. Scholars are particularly encouraged to address how relationships evolve in response to societal, technological, and policy changes.

Special Track

We invite proposals for special tracks that align with the overall conference theme and the IMP research tradition, while foregrounding current or strategically important perspectives that track chairs wish to advance.

Submission
Submission page: https://easychair.org/conferences?conf=imp26

What to include (max 500 words + references):
• Theme/title of the proposed track
• Co-chairs (names, affiliations, and contact details)
• Description and justification of the theme (aims, relevance to the conference and IMP tradition, anticipated scholarly contribution, and potential communities of interest)

Review process: Proposals will be assessed by the Scientific Committee during November 2025. We expect to accommodate 2–3 additional special tracks. Where similar themes are submitted, we may suggest merging proposals.

The conference includes eight special tracks:

Network effect on sustainability, the role of actors and legislation
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The role of the B2B sales function in building business relationships to contribute to a sustainable world
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Resource interaction for sustainability in business networks
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Resilience and Antifragility in Business Networks
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Simulating Industrial Networks: from ideas and concepts to practice and action
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Artificial Intelligence in Challenging or Enhancing Resilient Business Relationships
and Networks
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Linking Business Networks and Society for Sustainability & Circularity
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Socio-Cultural and Ethical Dimensions of Sustainability Transformations in Industrial Networks
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IMP 2026 Doctoral Colloquium

The Colloquium is designed to foster meaningful and informal exchanges between PhD candidates interested in the IMP approach and experienced scholars in the field. It offers a unique environment for sharing ideas, receiving constructive feedback, and building valuable academic connections. What makes the IMP Doctoral Colloquium truly distinctive is the opportunity for each participant to have a session entirely dedicated to their own research—an experience you won’t want to miss. Alongside these individual sessions, the program also includes joint discussions on current and relevant research topics.

Presentations take place in small groups of around four students, with two senior researchers assigned as discussants for each participant. Every student will have 15 minutes to present their work, followed by 30 minutes of in-depth feedback and discussion.

By registering for the Colloquium, you’ll also gain access to the main conference at a special discounted Doctoral Colloquium rate, making this an excellent opportunity to engage with the broader IMP community.

PhD students interested in participating in the IMP Doctoral Colloquium should submit a 2-page abstract of their PhD proposal by January 20th 2026 to the following email address: imp2026@univpm.it

PhD students, if accepted, must submit a full-length (max 20 pages) proposal by June 15th 2026.

All submissions of full paper proposals should include the following sections:

· Abstract
· Introduction (outlining the project, the research area and research question)
· Literature /theory
· Methodology
· Description of the empirical study (or the planned study)
· Provisional analysis of the empirical study
· Discussion
 
Welcome to Ancona and IMP 2026!
imp2026@univpm.it

Program

The detailed conference program will be published in Summer 2026. Please check this page regularly for updates

Keynotes

The keynote speakers will be announced in 2026.

Commitees

Conference chair

Andrea Perna

scientific committee

Enrico Baraldi, Roberta Bocconcelli, Gian Luca Gregori, Antonella La Rocca, Andrea Perna, Alexandra Waluszewski

organizing committee

Alessandro Cinti, Alessandra Cioli, Nicole Lillini, Federica Pascucci, Andrea Sabatini

Venues

The detailed venues program will be announced soon.

Event sessions

September 1-4, 2026

Facoltà di Economia “Giorgio Fuà”
Piazzale Martelli, 8
Ancona (AN)
www.univpm.it
www.econ.univpm.it

IMP2026 Special Issues

Two Special Issues will be associated with the conference:

one in Industrial Marketing Management and another in Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing.

Registration & Fees

To be announced shortly

Conference organisers

Department of Management

Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona (Italy)

Email: imp2026@univpm.it

Travel to Ancona

Ancona is located in the Marche region, in central Italy, and is well connected by air, rail, road, and sea.

By plane

The nearest airport is Ancona Falconara Airport (AOI), located about 15 km from the city center. The airport offers direct flights to several European destinations.
From the airport, you can reach Ancona by taxi, shuttle bus, or regional train:

Taxis are available outside the terminal. The ride to Ancona city center takes around 20-25 minutes.
The shuttle bus (Aerobus Raffaello – Conerobus) connects Ancona Falconara Airport with Ancona Centrale railway station and Piazza Cavour (city center). Services are scheduled according to flight arrivals and departures.
From the Castelferretti – Falconara Aeroporto railway station, located just in front of the terminal, regional trains run to Ancona Centrale railway station in about 20 minutes.

By train

Ancona Centrale railway station is served by high-speed and regional trains, with frequent connections from major Italian cities such as Rome, Milan, Bologna, and Venice.
The station is close to the city center and conference venues.
It is also possible to consult the official timetable of Ferrovie dello Stato for precise and targeted information.

By car

Ancona can be reached via the A14 motorway, which runs along the Adriatic coast and connects the city with northern and southern Italy. Parking options are available in different parts of the city.

By ferry

Ancona is also an important port on the Adriatic Sea, with regular ferry connections to Croatia, Greece, and Albania

IMP Group @2025

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