The Faculty of Arts of Palacký University Olomouc and the Department of Economics and Managerial Studies would like to invite you to the 21th anniversary of the international conference KNOWCON 2026: Knowledge on Economics and Management subtitled “Creativity in Times of Change”, to be held in Olomouc on December 3, 2026.
The conference takes place under the auspices of Assoc. Prof. Jan Stejskal, M.A., Ph.D., Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Palacky University Olomouc.
 

KNOWCON Paper Development Workshop
A new feature of KNOWCON 2026 is the Paper Development Workshop. This workshop is designed for participants who would like to develop a paper idea, abstract, draft manuscript, or revise-and-resubmit paper in a supportive developmental setting. Participants may register for the workshop instead of a standard conference paper submission, or in addition to a conference paper contribution. Detailed submission instructions are available in the Paper Development Workshop Guidelines, and information on participation fees is available in Fees and Payment.

We welcome researchers, experts, young scholars, and practitioners to engage in discussions on contemporary issues at the intersection of economics, management, and culture. Additionally, we also encourage submissions on broader topics in economics and management beyond the cultural focus.
 

Participant Information
Registration and abstract submission deadline: June 14, 2026
Double-blind peer review process: Accepted papers will be published in the conference proceedings.
Conference language: English (both presentations and conference proceedings must be in English).
Hybrid format: Participants may choose to attend either on campus or online. Details for virtual attendance will be available on the conference website in due time.

We encourage participants to submit their work on the following themes and topics:

1) Young Scholars
We especially welcome contributions from BA, MA, and PhD students whose research addresses current issues in economics, management, creativity, innovation, and related fields. KNOWCON is particularly well suited to young scholars who would like to present work in progress, receive constructive feedback, and discuss their ideas in an international academic environment.

 

2) Creativity in Times of Change: Innovation, Cultural Markets, and Social Entrepreneurship
This topic explores how creativity responds to social, technological, economic, and institutional change. We welcome contributions on cultural markets, creative industries, digital transformation, innovation, new cultural and business models, and the changing conditions of creative work. We also invite papers on social entrepreneurship, including socially innovative ventures, mission-driven organizations, hybrid models, and the role of entrepreneurship in addressing social challenges.

 

3) General Contributions in Economics and Management
Recognizing the broader scope of KNOWCON, we also invite submissions that address general topics in economics and management, including but not limited to business strategy, economic policy, public finance, organizational behaviour, and managerial decision-making.

 

4) Soft Skills in Business, Management and Management Education
Current global challenges increase the demand for skills that support success in the labour market and in organizational practice. We welcome papers that expand our understanding of soft skills, discuss their managerial implications, and examine their relationship to development, learning, education, and knowledge management in organizations.

 

5) Business and Management
This panel focuses on current issues across different types of businesses and all major areas of management. We welcome papers addressing contemporary topics in knowledge management, change management, risk and crisis management, as well as broader questions in management and organizational practice.

 

6) Business Analytics
This panel focuses on the use of analytics in various areas of business and finance, as well as on the development of new tools and models for business and data analytics. Papers covering operations research, intelligent systems, machine learning, and soft-computing methods, including their development, analysis, and application in business and financial settings, are welcome.

 

7) Public Economy
This topic includes issues related to the allocation and distribution of public resources across different levels of public budgets. As the role of the state and public finances continues to grow in economic policy, especially in times of uncertainty and crisis, we welcome papers examining public finance, economic policy, redistribution, and the role of public institutions in addressing contemporary challenges.

 

Scientific Committee of the Conference:

Prof. Mikael Collan, (Director general of the VATT Institute for Economic Research, Helsinki; LUT School of Business and Management) 
Prof. Pasi Luukka, (President of NSAIS; LUT School of Business and Management) 
Prof. Heli C. Wang (Singapore Management University) 
Prof. Mgr. Roman Jašek, Ph.D. (FAI UTB Zlín) 
Prof. Anita Atanasova, Ph.D. (University of Economics Varna)
Assoc. Prof. Ing. Vladimír Bolek, Ph.D., MBA. (Bratislava University of Economics and Business)
Assoc. Prof. Ing. Jaroslava Kubátová, Ph.D. (Palacký University Olomouc) 
Assoc. Prof. Ing. Ludmila Mládková, Ph.D. (University of Economics, Prague) 
Assoc. Prof. Mgr. Pavla Slavíčková, Ph.D., (Palacký University Olomouc) 
Assoc. Prof. Radoslaw Walczak, Ph.D. (Opole University, Institute of Psychology) 
Assoc. Prof. Ing. Jarmila Zimmermannová, Ph.D. (Palacký University Olomouc) 

Organizational Committee of the Conference:

Assoc. Prof. Jaroslava Kubátová, Ph.D.
Assoc. Prof. Pavla Slavíčková, Ph.D.
Assoc. Prof. Jarmila Zimmermannová, Ph.D.
Ondřej Kročil, Ph.D.
Michal Müller, Ph.D. et Ph.D.
David Kosina, Ph.D.
Mgr. Markéta Foltová
Ivana Grenová

We look forward to welcoming you to KNOWCON 2026 and fostering insightful discussions on the economic dimensions of culture!