We envisage to provide a collaborative space to discuss the dynamics of belongingness, connectedness and embeddedness and their implication for inclusion, integration, and innovation.
Consequently, the BCE Conference 2026 is organised by an interdisciplinary team of researchers and practitioners dedicated to advancing knowledge on migrant and refugee entrepreneurship, belonging, and inclusive innovation. The conference is hosted by University Bremen, LEMEX in cooperation with the Institute for Work and Technology, University of Applied Sciences Gelsenkirchen building on ongoing collaborative research on entrepreneurship, migration, and ecosystem development in Europe and beyond.
Organising team
Dr. Jörg Freiling, Full Professor & Head of Chair in Small Business & Entrepreneurship, Bremen University, focuses transnational, migrant & refugee entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial ecosystems, entrepreneurial support systems, and entrepreneurship-through-acquisition. Involved in many editorial/review boards of international journals, he publishes in journals like Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, Journal of Management Studies, Organization Studies.
Dr. Alexandra David, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Work and Technology, University of Applied Sciences Gelsenkirchen, focuses on migrant, minority and transnational entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial ecosystems. She has published in journals such as Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, International Migration, and European Planning Studies.
Dr. Judith Terstriep, Head of the Research Department Innovation, Space & Culture at the Institute for Work and Technology, University of Applied Sciences Gelsenkirchen, focuses on social innovation, innovation ecosystems and transformative regional development. Her research explores how innovation contributes to societal change and inclusive regional growth. She has published in journals such as European Planning Studies, Sustainability and Innovation.
