II International Scientific and Practical Conference «Business Ecosystems: Sustainable Development» (BESD–2026)
On September 24–25, the II International Scientific and Practical Conference «Business Ecosystems: Sustainable Development» (BESD–2026) was held at the Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University.
The conference brought together scientists, representatives of higher education institutions, businesses, local governments, employers, and international academic institutions to discuss topical issues of business ecosystem transformation, digitalization, innovation, and sustainable development.
The first day of the conference, September 24, began with the official opening. The participants were welcomed by the rector of the Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University Viktor Greshta, first vice-rector Serhiy Shylo, deputy mayor of Zaporizhzhia Andriy Pyatnytskyi, first deputy chairman of the university’s Supervisory Board Yevheniy Sotnikov, director of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Employment Center Zinaida Boyko, executive director of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (Employers) «Potential» and chairman of the council of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Federation of Employers Valeriy Krainiy, vice-rector of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian University in Bydgoszcz (Poland) Dariusz Chakovsky, rectors and representatives of leading Ukrainian universities, professor of the East Bavarian Technical University Amberg-Weiden (Germany) Dmytro Antonyuk, vice-president of the Zaporizhzhia Chamber of Commerce and Industry Andriy Kuts.
The words of support from international and Ukrainian partners for Zaporizhzhia were especially important for a city that continues to work, teach, conduct scientific research, and develop in the face of war.
During the plenary session, scientists from different countries presented the results of their research. The topics of the plenary reports covered the efficiency and environmental performance of EU agricultural regions, digital transformation of business processes and sustainable development of small and medium-sized businesses, human capital development, AI-enabled ecosystems and technology transfer, spatial features of economic development of Ukrainian regions, change management and leadership in uncertainty, energy sustainability, strategic management of digital business ecosystems, and the issue of decent and productive work of Ukrainian forced migrants.
The second day of the conference, September 25, was dedicated to the work of three parallel thematic sections, which presented different dimensions of sustainable development of modern business ecosystems.
The section «Production Technologies in the Context of the »Green Transition«», moderated by Lidiya Horoshkova, Professor at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, and Olena Bilenko, Associate Professor at Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University, discussed the issues of spatial renewal of the Zaporizhzhia region, green innovations in water purification systems, radioactively contaminated water management, development of logistics systems, green synthesis of nanoparticles, use of energy crops, safety of electric transport infrastructure, and low-carbon development of Ukraine’s energy sector. Particular attention was paid to combining technological innovations with resource efficiency, environmental safety, and economic recovery.
The section «Digital Transformation, Modeling and Forecasting of Sustainable Development of Business Ecosystems», moderated by Dmytro Antonyuk, Professor at the East Bavarian University of Amberg-Weiden (Germany), and Iryna Lazneva, Associate Professor at Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University, covered a wide range of research in the field of digital technologies. Participants presented research results on artificial intelligence and data-driven marketing, digital platforms, ESG reporting, human-algorithm interaction, digitalization of agri-food trade, industrial cluster management, price modeling, digital technologies in tourism, Smart Factory, digital twins, IIoT, anti-crisis management, digital security and system-intelligent support of management decisions. A separate area of research concerned digital strategies for the development of regions of Ukraine, tourism and medical tourism, as well as the interaction of marketing and logistics approaches.
The third section — «Formation of Human Capital for Innovation» — was dedicated to one of the key resources of sustainable development — human capital. Its moderators were Olena Vasilyeva, Dean of the Faculty of Business Technologies and Economics of Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University, and Iryna Maksymenko, Associate Professor of Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University. The participants presented research on the quality of regional innovation management, the formation and development of human capital of territorial communities in the context of post-war reconstruction, regional trajectories of human capital in conditions of military polycrisis, the development of human capital in the field of demining, the digitalization of HRM, the integration of veterans into the corporate environment, social entrepreneurship, the application of artificial intelligence in personnel management, and the development of social and human capital of crisis innovation ecosystems. Special attention was paid to digital participation as a mechanism for preserving and developing Ukraine’s human capital, digital leadership, and the formation of systems thinking competencies.
We thank all speakers, moderators, members of the Program Committee, partners and participants of BESD–2026 for the professional discussion, new scientific ideas, international cooperation and support. Special thanks to the Ukrainian and international participants who joined the conference and, together with the Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University, are forming a space for scientific dialogue on sustainable development, digital transformation and the future of Ukraine.
BESD–2026 — Science that unites. Ideas that work for the future!
