At this year’s landmark 20th IEF conference we are asking different questions about entrepreneurship, innovation, technology, the economy, and the wider society. We are looking too for alternative answers - perhaps less of the frequency of entrepreneurship, the intentions of business and social entrepreneurs or proportion of GDP attributable to entrepreneurship, and more of the many ways in which the entrepreneurial process works or could work across the world. We will be exploring ways to connect innovation, technology, and society by considering prevailing and future trends and needs centering on the effective and creative use of diverse technologies, their governance, and their relevance for economic, environmental, organisational, and social sustainability. There is a clear recognition of the insularities and dysfunctionalities in civic society and communities, among economic entities, and in public spheres, generated by the inherent tension between rapid technological development and the relatively slow pace in which organisations and societies can adapt to the changes. People are left bereft of institutional values and governance safeguards. In this context while entrepreneurship is promoted widely, it is our contention that neither policy, nor research appear to have provided us with sufficient insights into the ways and means in which entrepreneurship and innovation can help to resolve the tensions and help secure .
sustainable outcomes for individuals, organisations, and societies.
