2026 Special Focus Tracks
Choose a Special Focus track when crisis conditions, pressures or responses are central to the contribution.
Conference scope: MESD'26 welcomes contributions on all topics related to the sustainable development of multinational enterprises.
2026 thematic focus: Multinational Enterprises, Sustainability and Responsibility in Times of Crisis.
To reflect both the long-standing breadth of MESD and the distinctive focus of the 2026 edition, submissions are organized into two complementary families of tracks.
One anniversary edition, two complementary pathways
The 20th anniversary reflects the full breadth of the MESD community developed since the first conference in 2006. For this reason, MESD'26 distinguishes the enduring general scope of the conference from its special thematic focus for 2026.
Authors may submit either to a 2026 Special Focus Track (SF1-SF5) or to a General MESD Track (G1-G8). A crisis context is not required for eligibility.
How the tracks are organized
General MESD Tracks
Choose a General MESD track for work addressing the wider field of multinational enterprises and sustainable development, whether or not a crisis context is involved.
2026 thematic focus
Multinational Enterprises, Sustainability and Responsibility in Times of Crisis
The contemporary world is characterized by multiple, overlapping crises including geopolitical tensions, armed conflicts, climate change, biodiversity loss, pandemics, energy shocks and rising social inequalities. These crises reshape the environment in which multinational enterprises operate and intensify expectations regarding responsibility, accountability and contributions to sustainable development.
Since the adoption of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, governments, international institutions, firms and civil society actors have sought to promote more sustainable, inclusive and responsible forms of economic development. Crisis periods, however, often exacerbate tensions between short-term economic survival and long-term sustainability objectives.
MESD'26 seeks to understand how multinational enterprises respond to crises, how sustainability and responsibility commitments evolve under pressure, and whether crises become barriers or catalysts for transformation.
2026 Special Focus Tracks
The Special Focus tracks address the distinctive 2026 theme. Authors should choose one of these tracks when the crisis dimension is an important part of the research question, context, analysis or contribution.
Multinational Enterprises and Global Crises
- Geopolitical instability, sanctions and international conflicts
- Pandemics and health crises
- Climate change and environmental shocks
- Social crises, inequality and labor issues
Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility under Pressure
- CSR and ESG strategies in times of crisis
- Short-term performance versus long-term sustainability
- Human rights, due diligence and responsible sourcing
Governance, Regulation and Institutional Pressures
- Sustainability regulation and reporting requirements
- Institutional pressures, regulatory responses and organizational legitimacy
- Role of states, international organizations and civil society
Innovation, Resilience and Business Model Transformation
- Sustainable and digital innovation under crisis conditions
- Organizational adaptation, renewal and transformative capabilities
- Circular economy and transformative business models
Discourses, Practices and Critical Perspectives
- Greenwashing and symbolic compliance
- Measuring real sustainability impacts
- Ethical dilemmas and accountability of multinational enterprises
General MESD Tracks
The General MESD tracks represent the broader and continuing scope of the conference. A contribution does not need to address a crisis context to be eligible for MESD'26.
MNE Strategy and Sustainable Development
- International strategy, FDI, location and entry choices
- Sustainability strategies, competitiveness and internationalization
- Emerging-market MNEs and sustainable development
Global Value Chains, Operations and Sustainable Supply Chains
- Global value chains and responsible sourcing
- Sustainable production, logistics and supply-chain management
- Circularity, reshoring, localization and operational transformation
Innovation, Technology and Sustainable Business Models
- Digital transformation, artificial intelligence and sustainability
- Green technologies, Industry 4.0/5.0 and sustainable innovation
- New and transforming sustainable business models
Corporate Responsibility, ESG, Governance and Sustainable Finance
- CSR, ESG and stakeholder management
- Corporate governance, reporting, ethics and accountability
- Sustainable finance, responsible investment and assessment of sustainability outcomes
People, Society and Sustainable Organizations
- Sustainable HRM, work, well-being and responsible leadership
- Diversity, inclusion, inequalities, labor and human rights
- Communities, social entrepreneurship and societal impact
Climate, Environment and Natural Resources
- Climate strategies, decarbonization and energy transition
- Biodiversity, natural resources and environmental management
- Resource efficiency, pollution prevention and ecological transformation
SDGs, Public Policy and International Partnerships
- SDG implementation and measurement
- Public policy, regulation and international organizations
- Public-private partnerships, NGOs, development and North-South cooperation
Open and Interdisciplinary MESD Track
- Conceptual, methodological and interdisciplinary contributions
- Emerging topics at the intersection of MNEs and sustainable development
- Contributions that fit the broad MESD scope but not another track
Choosing a track: select the track that best reflects the main contribution of the extended abstract. If the work is relevant to MESD but does not fit naturally into another category, select G8 - Open and Interdisciplinary MESD Track. Track allocation may be adjusted by the scientific committee when this improves the coherence of the programme.