Call for Papers:
University of Banja Luka & Marche Polytechnic University
organise
The 12th REDETE Conference
“Researching Economic Development and Entrepreneurship”
“Economic Integration and Sustainable Development in Western Balkans”
Banja Luka, Bosnia & Herzegovina
September 11-12, 2025
On 8 November 2023, the European Commission approved a new Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, with the aim of helping the region to speed up admission into the Union. A number of potential benefits of EU membership have been specified including increasing economic growth and accelerating socio-economic convergence, as the gap between Western Balkan countries and those from the EU is still high. To support this process a new €6 billion financial instrument, the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans, has been planned for the period 2024-2027.
While enhancing the economic development of the Western Balkans, the European Commission is updating the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) to align it with broader EU goals like the European Green Deal and the enlargement process. EUSAIR focuses on sustainable development through its four pillars: Blue Growth, Connecting the Region, Environmental Quality, Sustainable Tourism. These pillars are essential for promoting cross-border cooperation and economic growth. The revised strategy will be a vital instrument for integrating Western Balkan countries into the EU.
The REDETE2025 conference continues its tradition of fostering dialogue on regional economic development and entrepreneurship, bringing together academics, policymakers, and business leaders. This conference will provide a platform to explore the implications of these new EU policies and initiatives, especially how they shape the future of the Western Balkans' economic landscape. With its focus on policy reform, innovation, and sustainable growth, the Forum aims to contribute to a discourse on regional integration and development.
We welcome proffered papers that meet the scope and objectives of the Conference as well as the proposed journals.
Topics of interest include:
Economic development: public policy and welfare state regimes in the region; integration and social tolerance; sustainable economic development and public policy models.
Economic development: public policy and welfare state regimes in the region; integration and social tolerance; sustainable economic development and public policy models; integration and de-carbonisation of Energy markets; Digital Single Market.
Regional development: clustering and networking; interfirm relations; regional innovation ecosystems; foreign direct investments; the role of banks and financial markets; the role of infrastructure; integration in global supply chain.
Entrepreneurship and innovation: new firm formation and firm dynamics; university-industry collaboration; academic entrepreneurship; innovation in transition economies; entrepreneurial and SMEs financing, Enterprise Europe Network (EEN).
Social development: population dynamics; social policies, poverty, and exclusion; legal systems, corruption, and inequality.
Trade and integration: regional economic integrations; international trade institutions; the role of GATT and WTO; protectionism and free trade and cross-border labour mobility; access to the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA); facilitation of road and maritime transports.
Migration: migrant and refugee crises; migrant socio-economic integration; brain drain; remittances; return migration; migrant entrepreneurship; migration policies.
Papers presented at the REDETE conference will be considered for publication by the Editorial Committee of the Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies (Routledge-Taylor & Francis, 8 issues annually since 1998 https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/cjsb20/current).
They will also be considered for publication in Economia Marche, Journal of Applied Economics
(https://economiamarche.univpm.it/index.php/em) and in the Conference Proceedings.
They will also be considered for publication in Acta Economica
(https://www.ae.ef.unibl.org/index.php/ae).
They will also be considered for publication in Journal of European Public Policy
(Learn about Journal of European Public Policy).
Submission information:
Extended abstracts of about 300-700 words may be submitted up to the 31st of March 2025 to the address: redete@unibl.org.
Important dates:
Submission open 28th of February 2025 - submission close 31st of May 2025
Notification of acceptance - 20 days after submission of the abstract
August 31, 2025 - Full paper submission deadline
WE LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVING YOUR PROPOSALS AND TO WELCOMING YOU TO THE 12TH REDETE CONFERENCE 2025.
For all relevant information about the Conference please visit the website: https://www.redete.org/.
Local organizing committee
Jovo Ateljević
Dragan Gligorić
Vladana Ritan
Igor Mišić
Andrej Ševa
Scientific committee
Ruta Adis, USA
Nikša Alfirević, Croatia
Jovo Ateljević, BiH
Nemanja Berber, Serbia
Erblin Berisha, Italy
Giulia Bettin, Italy
Predrag Bjelić, Serbia
Jelena Budak, Croatia
Andrew Burke, UK
Ron A. Boschma, Netherlands
Marijan Cingula, Croatia
Marco Cucculelli, Italy
Diego d’Adda, Italy
Maja Đukić Ivanović, Serbia
Ljiljana Eraković, New Zealand
Valentina Giannini, Italy
Dragan Gligorić, BiH
Donato Iacobucci, Italy
Dejan Jović, Croatia
Joern Kleinert, Austria
Milenko Krajišnik, BiH
Marco Ciro Liscio, Italy
Dragan Milovanović, BiH
Ana Mugoša, Montenegro
Martina Orci, Italy
Georgios Panos, UK
Andrea Perna, Italy
Francesco Perugini, Italy
Saša Petković, BiH
Schampa Roy-Mukherjee, UK
Peter Rosa, UK
Roberta Ruggeri, Italy
Paolo Sospiro, Italy
Suzana Stefanović, Serbia
Andreas Stergiou, Greece
Ilija Stojanović, U.A. Emirates
Marjan Svetličić, Slovenia
Roy Thurik, Netherlands
Kivanc Ulusoy, Turkey
Marko Djogo, BiH
Conference Advisor
Vassilis K. Fouskas, University of East London