Bringing together leading international experts and researchers, the conference explored the future of entrepreneurship, women’s empowerment, family businesses, and sustainable innovation.
Jeddah, November 02, 2026 – Prince Mohammed Bin Salman College of Business and Entrepreneurship (MBSC), a co-founder of the International Entrepreneurship Research Conference (IERC) together with Babson Global Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (BGCEL), chaired in the conference’s second edition, IERC 2026, held from October 26 to 28, 2026, at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) in Smart Village, Cairo, Egypt. Held under the theme “Entrepreneurship, Family Business, and Sustainable Innovation.
The conference was organized in collaboration with MBSC, the Babson Global Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (BGCEL), AASTMT, the Saleh Kamel Organization for Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development, and the Global Entrepreneurship Network – Egypt.
Dr. Adnan Maalaoui, MBSC Professor of Entrepreneurship and Conference Chair, said: “The conference brings together researchers and experts from around the world to advance knowledge in entrepreneurship, family business, and sustainable innovation.” He emphasized the importance of strengthening international research collaboration and addressing the opportunities and challenges facing emerging economies.
Kim Stanhouse, Director of BGCEL, said: “The Babson Global Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (BGCEL) has a vision and purpose to promote the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Saudi Arabia and the surrounding region. We do this by supporting initiatives for entrepreneurs, policymakers, educators, and researchers—and are proud founding sponsors of the IERC. Initiatives like the IERC enable the entrepreneurial ecosystem by elevating research about and by academics in the region, and ensuring policymakers are equipped with resources to ground agendas in high-quality data.”
The conference’s academic program featured six main tracks covering entrepreneurial behavior and opportunity discovery; social, sustainable, and inclusive entrepreneurship; women’s entrepreneurship; digital entrepreneurial ecosystems; family business; and public policy and other research topics.
The program began on October 26 with participant registration and a welcome reception. On October 27, the conference officially opened with keynote addresses, a session on entrepreneurial ecosystems, academic research presentations, and a session with journal editors. The day concluded with a gala dinner on the Nile.
On October 28, the program featured specialized research sessions, a panel discussion on women’s entrepreneurship, and a session on family businesses moderated by Eng. Ahmed Othman. The conference concluded with a closing ceremony, the presentation of the Best Research Paper Awards, and the announcement of the conference’s editions.
Looking ahead, the third edition of the International Entrepreneurship Research Conference (IERC) is scheduled to take place in Istanbul, Turkey on April 29–30, 2027, followed by the fourth edition in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on March 12–14, 2028. These upcoming editions reaffirm MBSC’s and its conference partners’ continued commitment to advancing entrepreneurship research, strengthening international academic collaboration, and fostering innovation across the region.
Despite the challenges facing the region and the wider world, IERC remains committed to moving forward. Through continued collaboration, knowledge exchange, and research-driven dialogue, the conference will continue to bring together researchers, entrepreneurs, educators, and policymakers to address emerging challenges and contribute to sustainable economic development. The upcoming editions reaffirm the importance of maintaining academic engagement, fostering innovation, and building entrepreneurial ecosystems that can adapt, grow, and thrive in a changing world.
The conference provided a platform to strengthen dialogue between academic research and the business community, advance international collaboration, and support innovation and entrepreneurial ventures, contributing to sustainable economic development in Egypt and the wider region.
Situated in King Abdullah Economic City, a contemporary urban centre that provides an unparalleled modern environment for both students and faculty, MBSC offers world-class education from Saudi Arabia for Saudi Arabia in both King Abdullah Economic City and Riyadh, delivering practical, pragmatic, hands-on experiential learning to develop a new generation of transformative leaders.
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