Sustainability at EurOMA

We take sustainability seriously at the Association, not just as a topic we research and teach, but also as a priority of our practice. EurOMA wishes to increase the awareness of its own members in terms of sustainable traveling and consumption during conferences. Below is an overview of some examples of such sustainability practices as EurOMA.

Governance: the sustainability team

Starting in 2025, the EurOMA Board has appointed a sustainability team responsible for defining the sustainability strategy of the Association and to envision practices to be implemented in the short and long term. This appointment represents just a first step of EurOMA’s sustainability journey. The Association aims to put into practice what its members have been studying for years, namely sustainable operations and sustainable supply chain management. EurOMA hopes that “leading-by-example” will demonstrate a valuable strategy to create a sustainable and positive impact on the World.

Inclusiveness at EurOMA

To enable a wide range of scholars to engage with the EurOMA community, we run regular online events throughout the academic year. This includes the PhD Networking Event, Early-Career Network, and the EurOMA Fellows Talks. These events are widely accessible (after registration) and enable, especially new members, to get to know and engage with the community and network with other members.

PhD support

Since 2025, we have run the Inclusiveness Program to enable PhD students from underrepresented regions to join our main conference, including the Doctoral Seminar. A call for applications offers a stipend for eligible PhD students to waive the registration fees to participate in our annual conference.

Young scholar network

We support early-career academics (e.g., post-doctoral researchers and lecturers up to four years post award of PhD) to build their networks by offering networking grants of up to £5,000 and 12 months. Grants are awarded to teams of between 3-5 early career researchers and aim to facilitate in-person project meetings as well as a contribution towards the direct costs of research.

Mentorship program

To support the struggles of Academic career, we have established a mentorship program to pair mentors and mentees on selected topics. Mentors and mentees meet at their convenience either in-person (if they attend the same events) or online, depending on the needs. The initiative aims at building a stronger network but also strengthening the mental health of the members, who can find support in a mentor who has been struggling with similar issues.

Environmental sustainability

To avoid unnecessary travel – and hence CO2 emissions, much of the engagement at EurOMA has moved online to complement the in-person annual conference and other in-person events. For example, all meetings of the EurOMA Board are online. This also enables participation of members with caring responsibilities in Board activities.

EurOMA Sustainability Forum

The EurOMA Sustainability Forum is arranged on a schedule that alternates online and in-person events. In 2025, for example, the conference was organized as an online event and in 2026, it will be run as an in-person event in Proto, Portugal. This reduces the need for travel by the conference participants while enabling networking, sharing of research ideas, and engagement within the EurOMA community.

Online events

To complement the in-person events, the EurOMA Board also runs regularly online events. These aim to build community while limiting the need for travelling. Examples are the PhD Networking event, which runs online twice a year, and the Early Career Network.