Global Business Governance and Regional Sustainable Development

Background

Cooperated with the 6th International Conference on Business and Policy Studies (CONF-BPS 2027), this symposium provides a platform to examine how the governance of cross-border business activities shapes sustainable development across regions. International trade, investment, and production networks connect regional economies, but their benefits and environmental and social costs are unevenly distributed. Differences in institutional capacity, industrial structure, and access to finance and technology influence how regions participate in global markets and respond to sustainability challenges. These interdependencies raise questions about how corporate strategies, international standards, and regional policies can jointly support economic prosperity, environmental protection, and social inclusion. Bringing together perspectives from international business, regional development, and sustainability studies, the symposium explores how governance arrangements can align global business activities with diverse regional needs and long-term development priorities.

Goal/Rationale

This symposium aims to identify governance approaches that enable global business activities to contribute to inclusive, resilient, and environmentally sustainable regional economies. A central challenge is aligning business operations that span multiple jurisdictions with policies and institutional capacities that differ across regions. The symposium will examine how coordination among multinational enterprises, governments, regional institutions, and local communities can address this challenge. Building on approaches such as sustainability due diligence, green finance, and digital supply chain traceability, it will explore how governance tools can strengthen corporate accountability while responding to local development priorities. Particular attention will be given to the regional effects of trade and investment, the distribution of benefits and transition costs, and opportunities for local firms to participate in green innovation and value creation. By connecting research with business and policy practice, the symposium seeks to develop actionable insights for aligning international business strategies with regional sustainability goals.

Scope

Contributions addressing the symposium theme, “Global Business Governance and Regional Sustainable Development,” are particularly encouraged. The symposium welcomes theoretical, empirical, and policy-oriented research examining how global business governance interacts with regional institutions, industrial systems, and sustainability priorities. Comparative studies across regions and economies, as well as research connecting corporate practices with regional development outcomes, are welcome. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Global business governance, corporate accountability, and responsible business conduct
• International trade, foreign investment, and regional sustainable development
• Global value chains, local firms, and regional industrial upgrading
• Coordination across international, national, and regional governance frameworks
• Green innovation, technology transfer, and sustainable finance
• Environmental governance, climate adaptation, and regional resilience
• Inclusive growth, stakeholder participation, and just transitions