The second edition of the IGCKM Annual Conference, held on 17 May 2024 at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, was nothing short of phenomenal. With over 400 participants from more than 60 Italian universities, the event exceeded all expectations, a true celebration of emerging research, academic rigour, and intellectual freedom.

Once again, the spotlight was on the next generation of scholars, whose energy, ambition, and openness lit up every session. The conference saw an incredible number of research works presented, from promising early-stage projects to bold conceptual explorations, all united by a shared desire to engage with knowledge in meaningful, transformative ways.

For the second time in IGCKM’s history, world-renowned journal editors came together in one place, this time, in even greater numbers. Editors from leading journals such as the Journal of Knowledge Management (JKM), Journal of Intellectual Capital (JIC), The Journal of Technology Transfer (JTT), Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice (ETP), Technological Forecasting and Social Change (TFSC), Technovation, British Food Journal (BFJ), International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal (IEMJ), Technology in Society (TIS), and Journal of Management History (JMH) joined forces to create an unprecedented opportunity for dialogue and development.

The Paper Development Workshop held during the event offered participants the rare chance to present extended abstracts and receive direct, personalised feedback from editors who typically operate behind the scenes of the most influential journals in the field. It was a moment of academic acceleration, a springboard for publishing success, built on rigour, relevance, and respect.

The workshop welcomed works-in-progress and exploratory research, encouraging all participants, especially early-career researchers, to step forward with new, original, and boundary-pushing ideas. There were no methodological boundaries, no theoretical prejudices, just a shared belief that strong ideas deserve strong platforms.

And the atmosphere? Electric. The conference pulsed with curiosity, generosity, and momentum. It was a moment of real growth, both personal and academic, for everyone involved, not just another academic event, but a vibrant experience of what research can and should be.

If the first edition set the tone, the second confirmed it: IGCKM is redefining what academic conferences can be, open, impactful, and genuinely inspiring.