The 32nd Conference of the European Association for REsearch on SERvices (RESER) was held from December 8th to December 10th, 2022, in Paris, France. Since 1991 RESER has organised annual conferences that have addressed important research questions pertaining to the role of services in economy and its implications for the shaping of policies: from productivity of services, internationalisation to service innovation.
The conference was a great opportunity to lay the foundations of a research programme aimed at shedding light on the conditions of emergence and dissemination of service science.
Indeed, the presence of a large number of recognised researchers, around the presentation of the encyclopaedia of services produced under the responsibility of Professor Faiz Gallouj, LibrarIN partner from University of Lille, and several former presidents of the RESER, allowed for the presentation of some testimonies and nourished debates on these various subjects.
Thanks to the enthusiastic partnership of GPS (Groupement des Professions de Services, gps.asso.fr) the first day of the conference welcomed company directors and organisations representing service activities. As they are deeply concerned by the publication of the encyclopaedia, exchanges of experience were organised and questions were asked about strategic entrepreneurial or economic policy positions, during three round tables. The themes of the round tables focused on organizational innovation in service activities, the needs for city services, the renewal of logistical issues.
LibrarIN partners Professor Lars Fuglsang, from Department of Social Sciences and Business at Roskilde University, and Kirsi-Maria Hyytinen, Research team Leader (Future-proof Societies) and Senior scientist at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, were among the speakers of these round tables and had the opportunity to present the LibrarIN vision and approach.