We are pleased to invite scholars to submit their research to the Business Model Conference 2026, hosted by the Department of Management of the Università Politecnica delle Marche in Ancona, Italy.

The Business Model Conference is the premier international meeting point for researchers dedicated to advancing the field of business models. Building on the vision of the Journal of Business Models, the conference aims to strengthen business model research as a distinct and rigorous academic discipline.

In recent years, business model research has gained extraordinary momentum, spanning strategy, organization, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Business Model Conference 2026 provides a dedicated platform to consolidate this momentum, foster critical mass, and enable constructive dialogue across disciplines.

Topics of interest

We welcome both conceptual and empirical contributions addressing the broad field of business models, with particular attention to (but not limited to):

• theoretical foundations and boundaries of business model research;
• archetypes, components, and typologies of business models;
• business model design, innovation, and renewal across industries and life cycles;
• implementation and operationalization of business models in practice;
• commercialization and entrepreneurial processes enabled by business models;
• internationalization and cross-border dynamics in shaping business model configurations;
• ecosystems, interdependencies, and strategic partnerships;
• business models in digital, innovation-intensive, and technology-driven contexts;
• business model performance, metrics, and measurement challenges;
• methods, tools, and visual representations for business model research and practice;
• sustainable and impact-oriented business models for social and environmental transformation.

Submission guidelines

We welcome submissions in the form of short papers (up to 4,000 words), following the guidelines set out by the Journal of Business Models.

All submissions should use the official conference template and must be sent directly to bmc2026@univpm.it.

Submissions must include in the body of the e-mail the following information:

• first name and last name of the author(s);
• university affiliation;
• e-mail of the corresponding author.

All papers submitted within the deadline will be evaluated by the Scientific Committee. The selection will be based on the following criteria:

• originality of the topic;
• soundness and relevance of the theoretical framework;
• methodological rigor;
• structure and clarity of exposition;
• relevance of the results.