On 3–6 June, over 275 conference participants gathered in Rome to attend QUIS19 – The 19th International Research Symposium on Service Excellence in Management. This international conference, now considered the foremost in service research, has its roots in Karlstad – and began as an idea at the Service Research Center (CTF).
“QUIS was born at a time when services were gaining importance but still remained a relatively unexplored research field,” says Per Kristensson. CTF’s founder, Bo Edvardsson, together with American research colleagues, saw the need for an international platform for dialogue and knowledge exchange on issues related to service development, innovation, and value creation."
The first edition was held in 1988 at Karlstad University. Since then, QUIS has grown into a global arena for researchers and practitioners who want to help shape the future service society – with a focus on sustainability, digitalization, and societal benefit.
“QUIS is a meeting place where we co-create knowledge about how intangible value can be created and developed in interaction with technology and societal development,” says Per Kristensson.
Research, networking, and new perspectives
Several researchers from CTF and Karlstad Business School participated and presented their research. This year’s theme focused on how service innovation and education can contribute to a sustainable future.
“The conference was well-organized and offered many interesting sessions – especially those on AI and robotics, which show that we are right on track in terms of research,” says Amie Gustafsson, PhD student in Business Administration. “It’s always valuable to attend conferences – both for networking and to stay updated in the field. This year’s social program also gets a big thumbs up.”
Maria Åkesson, senior lecturer in Business Administration, particularly highlighted the sessions on servitization and sustainability:
“One new aspect of this year’s conference was the many sessions focusing on education, which hasn’t been as prominent before. It was also fantastic to experience Rome as a conference city – an inspiring environment for both research and reflection.”
Next stop: Cambridge
The conference, held every was held at Roma Tre University in collaboration with CTF, the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina, and the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.
“Together, we clearly demonstrated that service research is not only relevant – it is crucial for the future. Next time, we’ll meet in the stronghold of science: Cambridge University in June 2027. It’s a powerful confirmation of the journey the conference has made – from an idea born in Värmland to a global platform,” concludes Per Kristensson.
