Transforming Towards a Fair and Sustainable Economy. Shared Responsibility of Science and Practice
A fair and sustainable economy requires a shift in thinking within science and practice. Both fields share a responsibility to develop innovative solutions that combine social justice and ecological sustainability and create real impact. The 4th Economy for the Common Good International Conference (ECGIC 2026) will serve as a platform to explore viable paths and opportunities for collaboration, bringing together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and industry leaders to drive transformative change.
Hosted by a cross-border consortium of Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule (OTH) Amberg-Weiden, University of West Bohemia Pilsen, the Bavarian Center for Sustainability in Higher Education (BayZeN), and co-organized by the International Federation for the Economy for the Common Good (ECOnGOOD), the conference will offer a space for inter-and transdisciplinary exchange, knowledge co-creation, and collaboration.
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Conference Program (Overview)
Science
Day 1 approaches the conference theme from a scientific perspective. In various conference formats, such as presentations, workshops and poster sessions, participants present their latest research findings and discuss advancements in the field.
Wednesday, 10 June
09:00 - 10:00Registration and welcome coffee |
10:00 - 10:45Opening ceremony |
10:45 - 11:30Keynote Sigrid Stagl |
11:30 - 12:30Parallel presentation sessions |
12:30 - 13:30Lunch and exhibition |
13:30 - 14:30Parallel presentation sessions |
14:30 - 15:15Keynote: “Fences, Fortunes and Failures: The Legacy of Property”Dirk Philipsen |
15:15 - 16:00Coffee break and exhibition |
16:00 - 18:00Parallel presentation sessions |
18:00 - 19:45Dinner |
19:45 - 20:45Round table discussion: “What do future generations need from the present?”Dirk Philipsen |
Practice
Day 2 focuses on real-world examples of good practice. Practitioners from different sectors, regional development managers and practice-oriented researchers share first-hand experiences in implementing fair and sustainable business practices.
Thursday, 11 June
08:30 - 09:00Welcome coffee |
09:00 - 09:45Keynote Lewis Akenji |
09:45 - 10:00Switch to presentation rooms |
10:00 - 12:00Parallel presentation sessions |
12:00 - 13:00Lunch and exhibition |
13:00 - 13:45Keynote: “Fair Salaries: Opportunities and Challenges”Alma Spribille |
13:45 - 14:30Keynote: “Organic Farming, Basis for the Common Good - A Philosophical and Economic Perspective”Thomas Lang |
14:30 - 15:00Coffee break and exhibition |
15:00 - 17:00Parallel presentation sessions |
17:00 - 19:00Dinner and location switch to Kongregationssaal |
19:00 - 19:30Performance lecture Thomas H. Culhane and Kilian Culhane at Kongregationssaal |
19:30 - 20:30Choir concert “Art Vokal” at Kongregationssaal |
Transformation
Day 3 fosters closer interaction between science and practice. The workshop sessions aim to promote transdisciplinary research and actively stimulate the identification and implementation of joint, actionable pathways for transformative change.
Friday, 12 June
09:00 - 09:30Welcome coffee |
09:30 - 10:15Keynote: “Enabling Trust - Economy for the Common Good through Relationships”Antoinette Weibel |
10:15 - 10:30Switch to presentation rooms |
10:30 - 12:30Parallel workshop sessions |
12:30 - 13:45Lunch and exhibition |
13:45 - 14:30Keynote: “Tackling Excessive Wealth Concentration and Inequality: Social Boundaries as the Twin Sister of Planetary Boundaries”Christian Felber |
14:30 - 15:00Closing ceremony |
15:00 - 16:00End of the conference |
16:00 - 18:30Constituent meeting of the ECG Scientific Council (upon invitation only) |
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
CONFERENCE FEES
| Students and individuals on tight budget | € 149 |
| Economy for the Common Good Members | € 249 |
| Regular | € 349 |
| One-Day Ticket | € 179 |
We have a limited number of discounted tickets (€ 149) available for students, people on a tight budget and members of underrepresented communities. Eligibility will be assessed individually by the Organizational Committee of the conference. If you think you might be eligible, please contact ecgic2026
@oth-aw.de.
Scientific Committee
| Prof. Dr. Roland Menges (Coordinator) | Clausthal University of Technology (Germany) | |
| Prof. Francisco Javier Carrillo, Ph.D. | Tecnólogico de Monterrey (Mexico) | |
| Fernando Castelló-Sirvent, Ph.D. | Universitat Politècnica de València (Spain) | |
| Silvio Christoffel, M.A. | University of St. Gallen (Switzerland) | |
| Prof. Dr. Frank Ebinger | Technische Hochschule Nürnberg Georg Simon Ohm (Germany) | |
| Mag. Christian Felber | International Federation for the Economy for the Common Good (Austria) | |
| Prof. Dr. Laura Denise Fischer | OTH Amberg-Weiden (Germany) | |
| Sara Fontanet, M.A. HSG | University of St. Gallen (Switzerland) | |
| Dr.ir. Rutger Hoekstra | Leiden University (Netherlands) | |
| Assoc. Prof. Naoyuki Honmura | GLOBIS University (Japan) | |
| Doc. Ing. Tomáš Kincl, Ph.D. | Prague University of Economics and Business (Czechia) | |
| em.o.Univ.Prof. Dr.h.c. Helga Kromp-Kolb | University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna (Austria) | |
| Ing. Veronika Vašíčková, Ph.D. | Prague University of Economics and Business (Czechia) | |
| Prof. Dr. Antoinette Weibel | University of St. Gallen (Switzerland) |
CONTACT US
ECGIC 2026 Organizational Committee