COMING SOON: Project Conferences on Advancing Social Sustainability transition in SMEs and Education
The DEI4SME project team is happy to invite you to attend two forthcoming project’s conferences. The dynamic and inclusive event will happen in:
- 2026 October in Austria & partly Online
- 2026 November in Finland & partly Online
(dates to be confirmed closer to conference) and launch of the finalized project outcomes.
The conferences are designed the share the goals, insights and results of the DEI4SME project, and to foster a meaningful networking event across academia, industry and local communities. The conferences will enable participants to strengthens the transition to social sustainability within higher education and SMEs.They will bring educators, business leaders, researchers, sustainability experts, sustainability advocates, and students, with the aim to spread knowledge exchange and collaborative action.
What to expect and why to attend?
- Keynotes presentations & Project highlight sessions
Tune in for inspiring and insightful talks from exerts on social sustainability trends, practices and the strategic impact of moving forward with the sustainability transition. Insights into DEI4SME activities, achievements, and the lessons learned throughout the project phases.
- Workshops
Hands-on workshops led by experts in the field and the project team. Come to explore and discuss the practical approaches to implement social sustainability strategies in businesses, and how to educate on the matter for the professionals of tomorrow.
- Digital tool demonstration & presentation
Get introduced to the DEI4SME Digital Tool for managing social sustainability. Developed to help SMEs strategically plan, implement and monitor social sustainable in line with EU expectations such as VSME reporting standards, and SMEs wishes as raised during project’s activities.
- Book presentations
Launch of the book “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Small and Medium Enterprises: Concepts, Cases, and Managerial Perspectives” (Edward Elgar) gathering case-studies on best social sustainability practices in European smaller companies, groundbreaking insights and guidance for managers, scholars and educators.
- Reports & activities presentation
Take part in active discussions on the results of the projects’ activities and reports. Reflections on the SME survey, the under-represented individuals survey, the hackathons, the focus group discussions, the framework for managing social sustainability in European smaller firms, and many more awaits you. Come to share your thoughts with fellow academics, professionals and the project team.
Who should join?
- SME representatives
- Educators and academic researchers
- Policy makers and DEI practitioners
- Students and early career professionals
- Sustainability experts
- Anyone interested in social sustainability and transition towards it in business and higher education