The Cairo Nexus: How Egypt’s Capital Became the Hub for Global MSME Innovation at ICSB World Congress 2025
The International Council for Small Business (ICSB) will convene ICSB Global in Cairo with one key flagship initiative, its World Congress in Cairo, Egypt, November 25-27, 2025, under the theme “Innovation Unleashed: Empowering MSMEs for a Resilient Future.” The event coincides with ICSB’s 70th anniversary and positions Egypt’s capital as a strategic hub for discussing the future of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) worldwide.
Why Cairo, Why Now
Cairo’s selection reflects the growing recognition of emerging economies as innovation centers. Egypt’s entrepreneurial ecosystem has gained momentum in recent years, making it an appropriate backdrop for examining how MSMEs adapt to technological disruption, supply chain volatility, and changing market dynamics. The conference aims to showcase both challenges and opportunities facing small businesses in developing regions while drawing lessons applicable globally.
The timing is significant. MSMEs worldwide continue grappling with post-pandemic recovery, digital transformation pressures, and sustainability demands. With small businesses representing over 90% of enterprises globally and employing more than half the world’s workforce, their resilience directly impacts economic stability and growth prospects.
Comprehensive Research Focus
The congress accepts submissions across five categories: competitive papers, workshops, teaching cases, practical experiences, and doctoral consortium presentations. The breadth of topics reflects the complexity of modern small business challenges, spanning traditional entrepreneurship themes alongside emerging areas like climate adaptation and multispecies ethics.
Key focus areas include:
Traditional Entrepreneurship: Family business dynamics, women and youth entrepreneurship, financing mechanisms, and policy frameworks remain core concerns. The Congress continues examining these foundational issues while incorporating contemporary pressures.
Digital Innovation: Sessions will address how MSMEs leverage artificial intelligence, digital platforms, and technology integration. The emphasis extends beyond simple adoption to strategic implementation and competitive advantage creation.
Sustainability Integration: Climate resilience, circular economy principles, and environmental justice receive substantial attention. The congress explores how small businesses can become sustainability leaders rather than merely compliance followers.
Emerging Paradigms: Topics like “humane entrepreneurship,” regenerative business models, and “more-than-human” approaches signal evolving thinking about business purpose and stakeholder definitions.
Publication and Knowledge Dissemination
Accepted papers will be invited for publication in the Journal of the International Council for Small Business (JICSB), published by Taylor & Francis. This publication pathway offers researchers global visibility for their work while contributing to the academic foundation supporting small business development.
The congress does not publish traditional proceedings, instead focusing on journal-quality research that undergoes rigorous peer review. This approach prioritizes research impact over conference volume, potentially raising the quality threshold for submissions.
Submission Requirements and Timeline
Extended abstracts must not exceed six pages (excluding references and exhibits) and demonstrate originality, methodological rigor, and relevance to the congress theme. The blind review process requires authors to avoid self-identification within submissions.
Submit Your Paper Here: https://icsbglobal.org/world-congress/
Critical deadlines include:
- September 15, 2025: Submission deadline
- Rolling notifications: Acceptance decisions
- October 1, 2025: Presenting author registration deadline
The compressed timeline suggests organizers expect strong interest while maintaining quality standards through selective acceptance.
Academic and Practical Integration
The congress structure balances academic research with practical application. Workshop sessions, experience sharing, and case study presentations complement traditional research papers. This hybrid approach reflects ICSB’s mission to bridge academic research with practitioner needs.
The doctoral consortium component addresses succession planning in small business research, providing emerging scholars with mentorship and networking opportunities. This investment in future researchers suggests ICSB’s long-term commitment to field development.
Regional Development Implications
Hosting the congress in Cairo signals recognition of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region contributions to global entrepreneurship discourse. The location choice may encourage increased research focus on emerging economy challenges while providing regional scholars greater access to international networks.
However, the requirement for English-language submissions may limit participation from local researchers whose primary language is Arabic, potentially reducing the diversity of perspectives the organizers seek to include.
Assessment and Outlook
The congress represents a significant gathering for small business research and policy development. The comprehensive topic coverage and rigorous review process should produce valuable insights for practitioners and policymakers. The Cairo location offers opportunities to examine entrepreneurship in different cultural and economic contexts.
The emphasis on innovation and resilience reflects current global priorities, though the broad topic range risks diluting focus. The success of the congress will likely depend on maintaining coherence across diverse themes while generating actionable insights for the global MSME community.
The 70th anniversary timing adds ceremonial significance, but the real measure of success will be whether the congress produces research and networking outcomes that advance small business development in an increasingly complex global environment.