The challenges defined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have moved the traditional development agenda forward. The UN’s 2030 Agenda implies a radical shift from prior approaches; economic, political, and social actors have all been called to action, given that potential solutions are to be executed globally. Business firms in particular – along with governments, NGOs, universities and other social actors – should take a more active role in contributing to sustainable development.

The presiding theme for EIBA 2021 is ‘Firms, Innovation and Location: Reshaping International Business for Sustainable Development in the Post-Pandemic Era’. The rationale is to discuss local actions that can be applied to global solutions and flows of information to and from the IB community. Firms are no longer limited to responsibility for the correction of negative effects in terms of sustainable development; they are also active players and solution providers, being a major channel for investment and innovation. This is particularly true in view of the assumption that innovation is a problem-solving process in a wide range of fields, from the technical and economic to social and environmental issues. Aspects such as energy, infrastructure, or urban mobility, among others, necessarily require the establishment of local and international partnerships alike, to advance the SGDs in a way that will involve individuals (business leaders, policymakers, scholars), institutions, and international organizations.

MNEs have a dominant position from the perspective of IB, because they act locally (whether at home or in host countries) and yet are international in nature, through FDI and trade. The distributional impacts of their activity in terms of (for example) inequality or the gender gap can be addressed from both local and transnational angles, in consideration of the spatial heterogeneity between different levels and the consequences for sustainable development. Sustainable entrepreneurships and small and medium firms are also relevant, entering into the scene via global value chains. At the same time, academic activity entails the discussion of research that ultimately results in scientific outputs, while case studies on firms and data collection from national and international organizations directly feed IB research, becoming important inputs for stakeholders.

The advance of academic knowledge results from collective efforts, and the theme of the EIBA 2021 Madrid conference will be operationalized through a selection of topics traditional to IB, along with parallel and panel sessions devoted to specific issues that seek to further integrate local actors (business leaders and policymakers) into the discussion. We encourage the submission of panels with interdisciplinary perspectives to enhance the inclusion of new approaches to global challenges such as climate change, migration, poverty, and peace.