ICSB HCE Summit
The HCE Summit Korea 2026 carries forward the conversation begun at ICSB’s 2025 Seoul Signature Event — “The Soul of Innovation: Human-Centered Thinking in the A.I. World.” This year, the conversation moves from human-centered thinking to human-centered entrepreneurship.
Building on the values of empathy, purpose, education, and responsible innovation explored in Seoul, the 2026 Summit asks how these principles can be translated into entrepreneurial action in an AI-driven world. The focus shifts from understanding the human implications of emerging technology to shaping businesses, institutions, and economies that place people at the center of innovation.
Rooted in Korea’s remarkable tradition of innovation and human development, the HCE Summit Korea 2026 brings together global leaders, scholars, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to advance a shared vision: technology should accelerate human potential, and entrepreneurship should ensure that progress serves people.
ICSB in Paris
The OECD-ICSB Forum on SMEs and Entrepreneurship comes to Paris, October 21–23, 2026, where ICSB and the OECD join forces to explore how AI, deeptech, and new models of finance are reshaping the future of small business.
The world is moving faster. AI, deeptech, and new models of finance are reshaping what SMEs can imagine and achieve. Yet progress must be measured not only by speed, but by whom it empowers. Women entrepreneurs must be at the center of this next frontier, with greater access to opportunity, finance, technology, and global markets. Guided by Human-Centered Entrepreneurship, Paris 2026 will ask how we can move faster without leaving humanity behind.
As we approach the 10th anniversary of MSMEs Day in 2027, Paris opens the next chapter of a movement built on a simple belief: SMEs are not a footnote to the global economy. They are its foundation, its future, and its most human expression.
ICSB Signature Event
The ICSB Signature Event in Seoul, South Korea, marked a powerful next step in the organization’s global conversation on the future of entrepreneurship. Led by Dr. KiChan Kim and Dr. Ayman ElTarabishy, the event centered on the theme “The Soul of Innovation: Human-Centered Thinking in the A.I. World.” Set against the backdrop of Korea’s rich legacy of empathy and education, the gathering explored how emerging technologies can elevate human values rather than replace them. Drawing inspiration from King Sejong the Great, participants examined the role of ethics, purpose, and compassion in driving innovation. Building on the momentum from the Sydney event, Seoul launched ICSB’s new series of boutique Signature Events—intimate, high-impact forums focused on reimagining entrepreneurship in a rapidly evolving world.
ICSB Signature Event
The ICSB Signature Event in Paris, held in collaboration with the OECD, focused on the theme “Removing Barriers to Entrepreneurship by Women.” The event brought together high-level policymakers, women entrepreneurs, and global experts to address persistent challenges facing women in business. Through in-depth discussions on access to finance, digital entrepreneurship, and inclusive policy design, the event explored actionable strategies to unlock the full potential of women-led enterprises. By spotlighting innovative case studies and launching key publications, the Paris gathering advanced a global agenda aimed at fostering equity, growth, and opportunity in entrepreneurship.
Innovation Unleashed in Cairo
As ICSB marks its 70th anniversary, we gather in one of the world’s most historic centers of knowledge and culture, Cairo, Egypt, for the 2025 ICSB World Congress. Set against the backdrop of the Nile and a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem, this year’s theme, “Innovation Unleashed,” invites global researchers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to examine how MSMEs drive resilience, inclusive growth, and human-centered innovation. With a dynamic, multi-track agenda and a prestigious academic venue, the Congress will spotlight bold ideas and collaborative solutions that shape the future of entrepreneurship.
ICSB Signature Event
The ICSB Signature Event in Sydney, Australia, held from July 9 to July 10, 2025, brought together a global community of entrepreneurial leaders at a pivotal moment. Just days prior, the world celebrated United Nations MSMEs Day on June 27, recognizing the vital role MSMEs play in local and global economies. Centered around the theme “Navigating Permanent White Water,” the event addressed the ongoing turbulence MSMEs face, from economic disruption to technological change and geopolitical uncertainty. Sydney served as a dynamic hub for dialogue, where participants explored human-centered innovation, resilience, and creative solutions to strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems worldwide.
On April 6, 2017, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution (A/71/279), recognizing the vital role Micro-, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) play in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The resolution, authored by the Permanent Mission of Argentina to the UN with support from ICSB, designates June 27 as “Micro-, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Day.”
Co-sponsored by 54 member states representing over 5 billion people, the resolution underscores the global commitment to the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals and the importance of enabling every actor to contribute.
