PUBSIC 2026
About
PUBSIC 2026 Conference
Innovation is often posed as a panacea for contemporary social and economic problems. However, existing models of innovation have often drawn from private sector experience in an undifferentiated way that conflates the manufacturing of products with the delivery of services and does not account for the characteristics of public rather than private services.
Whilst public services can always learn from the private sector, their distinctive characteristics mean that you cannot simply transfer lessons from one sector to another. The PUBSIC Conference is therefore dedicated to developing robust approaches to public service innovation (PSI) that address the need for a distinctive ‘public service’ approach to PSI.
The theme of the 8th PUBSIC Conference is how PSI can contribute to the creation of value for citizens and society. Public administration and management theory and practice are increasingly adapting models of value creation from the service management literature to public service contexts. This is a deliberate move away from dyadic models of interaction between public services and citizens and towards ecosystem approaches that capture the complex and dynamic nature of public service delivery. This conference will explore what such public value might comprise and how PSI can foster it.
The 8th PUBSIC Conference will take place at Corvinus University in Budapest, from lunchtime on the 9 February till lunchtime on the 10 February 2026. Abstracts are now invited for papers to be presented at the Conference. Papers can be from senior academics or early career researchers and doctoral students. They must address an identified issue for PSI and can be empirical, conceptual and/or theoretical papers. Systematic literature reviews are acceptable but only if they advance PSI theory, not simply describe the state of the field or present a research agenda.
Local Organising Committee
The Local Organisers of the PUBSIC 2026 Conference are recent and former colleagues of the Department of Public Policy of Corvinus University.
Chair of Local Organising Committee
Permanent Scientific Committee
Stephen Osborne, University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom) – Honorary Chairperson
Salvatore Russo, Ca’ Foscari University Venice (Italy) – Chairperson
Tie Cui, University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom)
Marie Leandre Gomez, ESSEC(France)
Ricardo Gomes Fundação Getúlio Vargas (Brazil)
György Hajnal, Corvinus University of Budapest (Hungary)
Ian Hodgkinson, Loughborough University (United Kindgom)
Albert Meijer, University of Utrecht (Netherlands)
Greta Nasi, Bocconi University (Italy)
Maria Rohnebak, University of Inland (Norway )
Paula Rossi, University of Tampere (Finland)
Jari Stenvall, University of Tampere (Finland)
Call for Papers
The International Scientific Committee invites 500 words (maximum) abstract submissions to the Conference. Inter alia, papers may address one of the following themes, but other relevant papers are welcome.
- The co-creation of value, co-production and PSI
- Ecosystemic approaches to PSI
- Co-design and the role of citizens/service users in PSI
- Behavioural public administration and PSI
- The third and non-profit sector and PSI
- PSI and ICT/digital technology (including the use of Big Data)
- Collaboration and open innovation
- Innovative responses to climate change and environmental challenges
- Social enterprise, social entrepreneurship, and PSI
- Managing and evaluating PSI
- Political dimensions of PSI
- PSI for sustainable development
- Innovation in public policy and in public policy processes
- The ‘dark side’ of PSI
- Public – private partnerships and PSI
- The governance of risk in PSI
ABSTRACT SUBMISSION PROCESS
Abstracts (max 500 words) should be submitted by email to pubsic2026@uni-corvinus.hu by 24th October 2025. They will be reviewed by the Permanent Scientific Committee and decisions notified to authors by 10th November 2025.
Important Deadlines
- 24 October 2025 – Deadline for Abstract Submission
- 10 November 2025 – Communication of Abstracts evaluation results
- 28 November 2025 – Deadline of reduced registration fee – Early Bird
- 20 December 2025 – Deadline of conference registration at full fee
- 20 January 2026 – Deadline of Paper submission
- 1 February 2026 – Programme publication
Registration
- Early Bird Registration (until 28 November) – 250 Euro
- Full Fee Registration – 300 Euro
- Late Registration (after 20 December) – 350 Euro
For more information please contact us at pubsic2026@uni-corvinus.hu
Local Information
Conference Location
Travelling to Budapest
Getting to Budapest by Plane
Budapest is served by Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD), located about 16 km southeast of the city center. The airport offers direct flights from many major European cities and international hubs.
Getting to the City Center
From the airport, the city center is easily accessible:
- Bus 100E: Direct service to downtown (Deák Ferenc tér), approx. 35–40 minutes. Tickets available at airport vending machines or via the BudapestGO app.
- Taxi: Official taxis (Főtaxi) are available outside the terminal. A ride to the city center costs around €25–30 and takes about 30 minutes.
- Airport Shuttle: Shared minivan services can be booked at the airport or in advance online.
Accomodation
There are many hotels at various price levels near the Gellért Campus, and our guests often choose to stay in these:
Danubius Hotel Astoria (Múzeum krt. 1/b)
Distance: 4 km
Hotel Korona (Mercure Budapest Korona)
Distance: 3 km
Ibis Budapest Centrum (Ráday utca 6)
Distance: 2 km
Charm Hotel Budapest (formerly Boutique Hotel Budapest), Só utca 6
Distance: 2 km
Meininger Budapest Great Market Hall, Csarnok tér 2 (near Fővám tér and next to Corvinus Old Building)
Distance: ~1 km
Contact
pubsic2026@uni-corvinus.hu