CONCEPT NOTE
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AND INNOVATION
(ICBMI2025)
Theme: ‘Building Co-operatives’ Resilience: Strengthening Capacity Building, Innovation,
Inclusiveness and Sustainability’
1. Background
Cooperatives have long played a vital role in global socio-economic development, contributing to employment, poverty reduction, and community empowerment. They are recognized as key players in advancing sustainable development by fostering economic growth, reducing inequalities, and promoting social cohesion. Through their collective efforts, cooperatives create employment opportunities and enhance economic stability in various sectors. However, despite their significant contributions, many cooperatives face persistent challenges, including financial constraints, governance inefficiencies, and the need for increased innovation. In Rwanda, the co-operative movement is well-structured and operates across multiple economic sectors such as agriculture, trading, transport, finance, and manufacturing. The government acknowledges cooperatives as essential contributors to national development and has established institutional and legal frameworks, including the recent Law N° 057/2024 of 20/06/2024, to support their growth. Institutions such as the Rwanda Cooperative Agency (RCA), the Rwanda Institute of Cooperative Entrepreneurship and Microfinance (RICEM), the National Cooperative Confederation of Rwanda (NCCR) and the Association of Microfinance Institutions in Rwanda (AMIR) have been instrumental in promoting capacity building and technical support.
Despite government backing, many cooperatives in Rwanda face significant hurdles that hinder their sustainability and resilience. Challenges such as financial instability, limited capacity building, lack of technological adaptation, weak governance structures, and barriers to inclusiveness continue to affect the growth and long-term viability of cooperatives. The key issue now is how to enhance the resilience of cooperatives by strengthening capacity building, fostering innovation, ensuring inclusiveness, and promoting sustainability.
In this regard, the University of Lay Adventists of Kigali (UNILAK) in Partnership with the Rwanda Co-operative Agency (RCA), Rwanda Institute of Co-operative Entrepreneurship and Microfinance (RICEM), the National Co-operative Confederation of Rwanda (NCCR), the Association of Microfinance Institutions in Rwanda (AMIR) and AFRICOOP will hold an International Conference on Business Management and Innovation (ICBMI2025) from October 1st to 2nd, 2025, at the Classic Hotel, Kigali-Rwanda. The ICBMI2025 conference will serve as a platform for experts, policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to exchange ideas and discuss strategies for overcoming these challenges while building a robust and sustainable cooperative sector. The conference theme, ‘Building Cooperatives’ Resilience: Strengthening Capacity Building, Innovation, Inclusiveness, and Sustainability,’ seeks papers for practical solutions to address key issues pertaining to cooperatives and entrepreneurship. The conference will be an interdisciplinary forum for academicians, policymakers, NGOs and practitioners to present their latest research results, ideas, current challenges, and way forward. The conference will also include sessions dedicated to policy discussions and sharing experiences and success stories. Policy-makers, government representatives, and partners in the cooperative movement will explore policy implications of research presented and foster collaboration between academia and cooperative stakeholders. The conference will provide ample networking opportunities for participants to connect with peers, experts, and potential collaborators. These connections will lead to future research projects, partnerships and initiatives aimed at addressing pressing cooperative and entrepreneurial issues.
2. Conference Objectives
The ICBMI2025 aims to provide a platform for experts, researchers, policymakers, and
practitioners to discuss ways to strengthen co-operative resilience and enhance their impact on
socio-economic transformation. The specific objectives of the conference include:
i. Strengthen leadership and governance to ensure transparency, accountability, and
efficiency within cooperatives.
ii. Promote innovation and digital transformation to optimize operations and engagement.
iii. Enhance financial sustainability through sound management and diverse funding.
iv. Foster inclusivity and equity for equal opportunities among members.
v. Build climate resilience with sustainable practices and risk mitigation.
vi. Strengthen partnerships for growth, resource-sharing, and knowledge exchange.
vii. Boost market competitiveness with strategic growth and branding
viii. Promote circular economy principles to encourage sustainable resource use, waste
reduction, and value creation.
3. Main areas focus
The conference will focus on the following key areas:
i. Leadership and Governance in Co-operatives
ii. Innovation and Digital Transformation within Co-operatives
iii. Financial Sustainability and Access to Finance
iv. Inclusiveness and Social Equity in Co-operative
v. Climate Resilience for Co-operatives
vi. Enhancing cooperative strategic partnerships
vii. Market Competitiveness and Growth Strategies
viii. Circular Economy Practices Within Co-operative Frameworks