We are pleased to invite all the scholars, especially Iberian scholars, to the XVII Iberian International Business Conference, held in Leiria (Portugal), in 7&8 October 2022. This year conference theme is “Iberian firms adapting to a world of change and uncertainty”.

In this third decade of the 21st century, firms are being challenged simultaneously by a number of changes. The promise of Roaring 20’s revisited seems to have been replaced for a decade of uncertainty. The COVID-19 pandemic has halted economies altogether and disrupted global value chains, causing supplies shortages, transportation bottlenecks, and economic turmoil. The sixth innovation wave brought significant technological shifts that are bringing not only new firms (e.g., platform companies) but also forcing adjustments to existing firms to remain competitive. The political dimension has been significantly impacted by the war in Europe and the sanctions that followed: is this a short-term situation or a pivotal moment that will force firms to re-think and adapt their global value chains and market portfolio? While these shocks hit multinational enterprises in sequence, the climate emergency is still an ongoing concerning which multinational enterprises need to address. Firms across the world need to respond to multiple challenges and plan for an uncertain, and increasingly unpredictable, world. Iberian firms are faced with conflicting perspectives, given their peripheral position: will these shocks and changes make Iberia more peripheral, or will they offer an opportunity for a renewed centrality? What are the main challenges firms face? What should firms prioritize? What are the questions that should be analyzed and researched to help firms and societies to perform better?

The conference theme will set the tone but will not limit the scholarly discussion. IIBC 2022 welcomes all submissions on traditional issues of International Business. We expect that IIBC 2022 offers a sharing milieu and opportunities to further develop the Iberian IB community.

We are looking forward to receive you in Leiria!