From July 3 to 5, 2025, the Bratislava University of Economics and Management (BUEM), in collaboration with the University of Western Macedonia, proudly hosted the International Conference on Applied Economics (ICOAE) 2025 in Bratislava, Slovakia.

The conference brought together a diverse community of scholars, researchers, economists, and professionals from across the globe to present and discuss current issues in applied economics. The academic program covered a wide spectrum of themes, including international trade, labor economics, economic policy, digital transformation, innovation, and sustainable development.

The conference brought together about 100 participants — academics, researchers, and professionals in applied economics — from over 25 countries across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. This diverse international presence reflected the global relevance of the conference themes and fostered interdisciplinary dialogue among experts in areas such as international trade, labor markets, fiscal and monetary policy, digital transformation, sustainable growth, and public sector innovation.

The event was officially opened by Vice-Rector of the BUEM Assoc. Prof. Michal Fabuš, PhD., Vice-Rector for Science and Research of the BUEM prof. Mikuláš Sidak, DrSc. and Chair of the Conference and Professor at the University of Western Macedonia prof. Dr. Nicolas Tsounis. Their opening remarks emphasized the importance of international academic cooperation and the growing relevance of applied economics in solving real-world problems.

A highlight of the event was the keynote address delivered by Dr. Thomas Rüttimann, whose deep insights into industrial transformation and systems innovation set a high standard for the intellectual depth of the conference.

BUEM was also proudly represented by several of its distinguished faculty members, including prof. Monika Hudáková, prof. Mikuláš Sidak, assoc. prof. Michal Fabuš, Dr. Marian Kováč, prof. Svitlana Labunska and assoc. prof. Nadiya Dubroviina, who actively contributed to the scholarly dialogue and presented original research.

All accepted contributions were selected through a rigorous peer-review process and were subsequently published in the Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics series, reaffirming the international academic recognition and quality of the conference output.

BUEM extends its sincere appreciation to the organizing and scientific committees, authors, reviewers, moderators, and technical staff, whose dedication made this international conference a true success. ICOAE 2025 confirmed the importance of applied economics in shaping inclusive, data-driven, and sustainable economic policy, and laid the foundation for future academic and institutional partnerships.