NITIM Summer School 2026 in Porto

From June 18 to June 20, 2026, the NITIM Summer School will take place in Porto, hosted at a local partner university. The event will be organized in collaboration with the ICE/IEEE ITMC 2026 Conference and will provide an inspiring platform for doctoral researchers and academic mentors to exchange ideas and build connections.

As always, the Summer School combines academic rigor with meaningful exchanges. PhD candidates will present their research, receive detailed feedback, and gain insights from experienced faculty across interdisciplinary fields such as entrepreneurship, digital transformation, and engineering systems integration. The structured program encourages participants to move beyond their academic boundaries and explore fresh perspectives on their work.

• Day 1: Opening keynote and parallel sessions

• Day 2: Workshops and PhD presentations

• Day 3: Networking session and closing keynote

Beyond the academic program, the NITIM Summer School 2026 will offer opportunities to experience Porto’s cultural and social environment. The city’s riverside landscape, architectural heritage, and lively urban atmosphere create a stimulating environment for informal exchange and shared experiences.

We warmly invite PhD candidates to join this enriching experience. Short abstracts can be submitted until March 9th, with acceptance notifications issued on March 23rd. Accepted participants will then submit their extended abstracts by May 4th and receive detailed feedback by May 27th.

We look forward to welcoming you!

NITIM Summer School 2025 in Valencia

From June 12 to June 14, 2025, the NITIM Summer School took place in Valencia, hosted at the Universitat Politècnica de València. The event was organized in collaboration with the ICE/IEEE ITMC 2025 Conference and provided an inspiring platform for doctoral researchers and academic mentors to exchange ideas and build connections.

• Day 1: Opening keynote and parallel sessions

• Day 2: Workshops and PhD presentations

• Day 3: Networking session and closing keynote

Beyond academics, the NITIM Summer School 2025 offered a chance to experience Valencia’s culture and social atmosphere. The city, with its mix of history and modernity, provides an inspiring setting for collaboration and connection.

Thank you for participating!

A Week of Innovation, Collaboration, and Inspiration in Madeira

The 2024 edition of the NITIM Graduate School took place from June 20th to June 22nd, hosted by UNINOVA on the breathtaking island of Madeira, Portugal, as part of the Digital Transformation Week in Funchal. With its unique format, the school brought together a diverse group of PhD candidates, faculty mentors, and keynote speakers, fostering an environment of academic exchange and meaningful collaboration.

Over the days, the participants took part in intensive feedback sessions, sharing insights and providing constructive advice to help refine each other's PhD projects. This dynamic exchange was enriched by the guidance of experienced faculty from various academic disciplines, creating the perfect opportunity to step out of individual “academic bubbles” and embrace fresh perspectives on research challenges and opportunities.

The program was highlighted by two inspiring keynotes:

• "The Value of NITIM in My & Your PhD Journey" by Nicolai Heinzelmann, who shared his experiences as a former NITIM participant and insights from his research on corporate entrepreneurship.
• "Theory Building: What is the Object That We Build?" by Suzanne Rivard, a distinguished professor from HEC Montreal, who captivated the audience with her expertise in strategic IT management and her reflections on the art of constructing theories in academic research.

Beyond the intensive academic sessions, the school offered opportunities for relaxation and networking. Our local hosts curated an inspiring atmosphere with delicious cuisine, scenic evening excursions, and a diverse cultural program, that provided the participants with inspiring conversations and exchanges in a family atmosphere.

Special thanks go to Christina Ungerer, Erich Heumüller, and Kevin Reuther for their outstanding efforts in organizing this year’s event. Their dedication ensured that the NITIM Graduate School 2024 was not only academically enriching but also an unforgettable experience for all participants.

We look forward to seeing how these ideas and connections will shape the doctoral theses or further research in the upcoming years!

NITIM Graduate School 2023 was hosted by The University of Edinburgh’s School of Engineering and the Institute for the Study of Science, Technology and Innovation (ISSTI)

In line with Edinburgh’s strategic vision for Data-Driven Innovation making the city Europe’s Data Capital by 2030, the NITIM 2023 Graduate School (alongside ICE 2023 Conference), had a specific focus on data-driven engineering, innovation and entrepreneurship. We specifically discussed socio-technical issues in engineering, how these shape the design of products and services, and what innovation, technology, and entrepreneurial processes are involved.

The Doctoral school featured two special keynotes:

• Geography of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
  Prof Fumi Kitagawa, University of Birmingham​
• Deep History of Innofusion
  Prof James Fleck, University of Edinburgh​

​and a very topical workshop on Generative AI – The future of everything or its end? with Dr James Stewart, Dr Vassilis Galanos, Dr Matjaz Vidmar.

We had a record number of 27 participants working in 8 groups through 6 intensive presentation and discussion sessions. Given such a high number of participants, we are particularly grateful to the amazing team of 16 faculty mentors.

Alongside the core doctoral school activities, we also networked through a number of social events:

• Welcome Dinner:
  Pizza Posto, South Bridge
• ​Pub Meal:
  Sailisburys’ Arms, Newington
• Whisky Tasting:
  Edinburgh University Whisky Society, Teviot Committee Room, George Square
• Exploratory Tour:
  National Museum of Scotland, George IV Bridge
• Closing Dinner:
  Le Cote, New Town
• Optional trekking:
  Arthur’s Seat, Holyrood Park

See you in 2024 in Madeira!

The event took place this year In Nancy, from June 16th to 18th. We were 19 PhD students and 16 faculties.

All the individual workshops went well and all the PhD students left with new ideas for their research work.

These working sessions were accompanied by very interesting conferences with the participation of Ferran Giones “Building and writing a research contribution, tips and templates “, Kirsten Martin “ Algorithmic Bias and Corporate Responsibility “, Laurent Rollet “Henri Poincaré (1854-1912) : Mathematician, physicist, philosopher, etc.”  and Cyrille Imbert “ Computing Good Pseudo-Random Numbers: a Social and Psychological Problem“. These presentations have allowed to have very enriching exchanges.

In order to obtain a family and friendly atmosphere, social moments also took place Bowling:

Restaurants:

The NITIM team would like to thank all the participants for their motivation and participation. Thanks to the faculty members for their involvement and advices. Thanks also to the 4 speakers.

See you next year!

The NITIM Graduate Summer School is an international PhD school that focuses on topics in the areas of entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology management as well as information and communication technologies. This Summer School is organized once a year in cooperation with the ICE/IEEE ITMC Conference and thus takes place at changing locations – e.g. 2016 in Trondheim (Norway), 2017 in Madeira (Portugal), 2018 in Konstanz (Germany) & 2019 in Nice (France).

In 2020 and 2021 it was held in Cardiff, UK.

Virtual Summer School 2020

The NITIM 2020 Summer School (June 11th – 12th, 2020) will be held online this year due to the existing travel restrictions and uncertainties. We invite PhD candidates to submit proposals for evaluation and we invite faculty members to join our on-line NITIM. The core of the Summer School will be virtual group sessions of 4 PhD candidates and 2 faculty members. 

For those who have just started their PhD program, we look forward to receiving a research proposal. For those in their late stage of their Ph.D., you are encouraged to submit a relevant piece for your research (a paper, an overview, or a chapter of your PhD thesis).

The admission to the school will be based on the review of full proposal (or paper), which will form the basis of the discussion and feedback at the Virtual Summer School, is due by May 4th. 

Notification of acceptance to the school will be sent by May 25th. 

The NITIM Schools facilitate the development of doctoral research in the interdisciplinary field of Networks, Information, Technology and Innovation Management, bringing together PhD candidates and faculty members in a focused, in-depth, and constructive discussion of the candidates’ research work.

Participation in the Virtual Summer School will be free.

After completion of the Summer School and a short learning report to be submitted within 2 weeks after NITIM, PhD candidates can receive a certificate.  

NITIM Summer School 2020 – Important deadlines

• Proposal Submission                                                        May 4th, 2020
• Notification of Acceptance and Proposal Feedback        May 25th, 2020
• 2020 Virtual Summer School                                            June 11th – 12th, 2020

School Chairs

• Karla Lapit (Cardiff University)
• Andrei Hodorog (Cardiff University)
• Ferney Osorio (previous chair) (Université Lorraine, FR)

Program committee

• Roland Ortt (TU Delft, NL)
• Stefan Klein (Universität Münster, DE)
• Guido Baltes (HTWG Konstanz, DE)
• Laurent Dupont (Université Lorraine, FR)
• Russell Haines (Old Dominion University, USA)
• Dragos Vieru (TELUQ University, CND)

We look forward to seeing you Online!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact: nitim.contact@gmail.com

Sincerely,

NITIM Summer School 2020 Organisation Team

Karla Lapit, Andrei Hodorog, Ferney Osorio, Laurent Dupont, Stefan Klein & Roland Ortt 

Virtual Summer School 2021

The NITIM Summer School 2024 (16th - 19th June 2021) was held online again due to the current travel restrictions and uncertainties.
We thank all participants for their engagement!

The NITIM Graduate Summer School is an international PhD school that focuses on topics in the areas of entrepreneurship, innovation and technology management as well as information and communication technologies. This Summer School is organized once a year in cooperation with the ICE/IEEE ITMC Conference and thus takes place at changing locations – e.g. 2016 in Trondheim (Norway), 2017 in Madeira (Portugal) and 2018 in Konstanz (Germany). In 2019, it will be held in Nice, France.

The NITIM Summer School is a non- profit organization that is supported by a large faculty consisting of professors with various backgrounds from all over the world. The NITIM Schools facilitate the development of doctoral research in the interdisciplinary field of Networks,

Information, Technology and Innovation Management, bringing together PhD candidates and faculty members in a focused, in-depth, and constructive discussion of the candidates’ research work. On this occasion, the NITIM Summer School 2019 is hosted by the ERPI Laboratory with the support of the scientific pole EMPP of the Université de Lorraine. Each year an academic agenda is designed aimed at providing a meaningful experience for participants. For this reason, it is an honor to welcome this year’s lecturers.

Impressions

Lead Lecturer

Prof. Laure Morel, full professor and Director of the Ecole Nationale en Génie des Systèmes Industriels (The Industrial Engineering School of the University of Lorraine – Nancy, France), and researcher and former Director of ERPI Laboratory (Research Team on Innovative Processes).

Laure Morel is also Honorary Professor at Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Likewise, she is co-creator of Lorraine Smart Cities Living Lab (2008) and co-founder of Lorraine Fab Living Lab® (2014).
Prof. Morel has led research on innovation engineering and the development of decision support tools for more than 20 years. She is one of the team members who invented the “PII – Potential Innovation Index” method used by Innovation Way.
Also, she is a member of the French delegation to the “ISO TC 279- Innovation Management Systems” Committee and is particularly active in the “Assessment” group; manager at Research Network on Innovation; and Vice-President of IAMOT. Additionally, she co-creates the start-up: www.innovation- way.com.

Furthermore, the NITIM Schools is all about a community. This PhD consortia is the opportunity to meet a great group of people who is open to share their ideas, knowledge and experiences. Network members include PhD candidates, alumni, faculty and industry partners in over 10 countries around the world, representing over 20 nationalities.

Finally, we would like to present this year’s organization team:

Local Chairs

Brunelle Marche, Laurent Dupont & Mauricio Camargo (Université de Lorraine, FR)

Program Committee

• Roland Ortt (TU Delft, NL)
• Stefan Klein (Universität Münster, DE)
• Guido Baltes (HTWG Konstanz, DE)
• Hanna Bahemia (Newcastle University, GB)
• David Romero (Tecnológico de Monterrey, MX)
• Francesc Miralles (La Salle, Universitat Ramon Llull, ES)

School Chair

Ferney Osorio (Université de Lorraine, FR)

If you want to know more about the NITIM Community, please feel free to contact us at nitim.contact@gmail.com or visit our website https://www.nitim.org/

The NITIM Graduate Summer School is an international doctoral program that specializes in themes such as entrepreneurship, innovation, technology management, and information and communication technologies. This annual summer school is held in conjunction with the ICE/IEEE ITMC conference, which means that it is held at various locations. This year, it was held in Constance, Germany, and it was an excellent experience. We would like to express our gratitude to everyone who participated. Thank you!

Impressions