12th International EurOMA 2027 Service Operations Management Forum

Organising Committee

Service operations and supply chains continue to face unprecedented challenges like climate change, global disruptions, rapid digital transformation, and the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals, alongside new opportunities to redesign how organisations innovate, deliver value, and engage with people. 

SOMF 2027 invites contributions that examine how service operations can become more resilient under uncertainty, more intelligent through emerging technologies, more sustainable in their environmental and social footprint, and more inclusive in who they serve and who shapes them. 

We welcome work that brings together scholars, doctoral researchers, and practitioners to advance these conversations.

Conference Chairs

• Dr. Öznur Yurt (Chair) The Open University, United Kingdom, [email protected]
• Prof. Juliana Hsuan (Co-Chair) Copenhagen Business School, Denmark, [email protected]
• Prof. Metehan Feridun Sorkun (Co-Chair) İzmir University of Economics, Türkiye, [email protected]

International Organising Committee

• Karolina Drake af Hagelsrum, Doctoral Student, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
• Árni Halldórsson, Professor, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
• Siri Jagstedt, Senior Lecturer, Karlstad University, Sweden
• Johan Netz, Assistant Professor, Karlstad University, Sweden
• Magnus Persson, Associate Professor, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
• Vincent Peters, Assistant Professor, Tilburg University, The Netherlands

Local Organising Committee

• Björn Claes, Senior Lecturer in Operations Management, The Open University, UK
• Bakut Louis Dawuda, PhD Researcher, The Open University, UK
• Carla Pereira, Lecturer in Operations and Supply Chain Management, The Open University, UK
• Nicoleta Tipi, Senior Lecturer in Operations and Supply Chain, The Open University, UK
• Paul Walley, Senior Lecturer, The Open University, UK

TBC

Topics of interest

We welcome papers on (but not limited to) the following topics:

• Service design, innovation, and new service development
• Service supply chains and servitization
• Digital transformation, AI, and platform operations in services
• Healthcare operations, public services and humanitarian operations
• Sustainable and circular service operations
• Frontline employees, wellbeing, and the future of service work
• Customer experience, co-creation, and service ecosystems
• Resilience, risk, and crisis management in service operations
• Interface between service marketing and service operations
• Methodological advances in service operations research 
• Pedagogical innovation and skills development in operations 
• Cross-cutting themes: e.g. equity, inclusion, behavioural perspectives

Abstract submission process

Authors are invited to submit abstracts not exceeding 800 words, excluding references. Submissions may report completed research, present work in progress, propose new research ideas, or explore opportunities for future research and collaboration. No full paper submission will be required for SOMF 2027.

Accepted abstracts will be included in the SOMF 2027 Abstract Proceedings, which will be made available electronically. A printed copy of the proceedings will also be available to participants upon request.

All registered participants who attend the Forum will receive a Certificate of Participation.

Registration fees

The fee includes conference materials, refreshments, lunches and the conference dinner.

Find out more about becoming a member of EurOMA on their website.

Membership for PhD students is free.

Registration will open 8 December 2026.

TBC

Travel 

The conference will be held at the Open University headquarters at Walton Hall, in Milton Keynes, which is 50 miles north of Central London and just off the M1 motorway, linking to the north of England.

• Road

  If travelling by car the best postcode for the South West car park is MK7 6BB.

• Train

  The University is approximately four miles from Milton Keynes Central Station, which is an intercity stop and trains are frequent. There is also a local line from Bedford to Bletchley which is approximately 4 miles from the OU.

  Please visit our Rail website for more information on planning your route and viewing train timetables.

• Bus

  Bus service 8/8A & Loop (Arriva) are public buses which run to and from the University to areas in Milton Keynes and the train station during specific times.

  For more information, visit our Bus Services website for more information.

• Taxi

  Taxis to and from the Open University can be booked using Skyline Taxis (University preferred supplier). Please visit our Taxis website for more information.

• Air

  You can get to The Open University from any of the UK airports, London Luton (LLA) is the nearest approximately 24 miles away. You can travel easily to the University by Road, Rail, Bus or Taxi. Please visit our Bus Services website or London Luton Airport website for more information on planning your route.

Further information can be found on the University’s travel advice website.

Things to do/ Places to visit

If you are staying for longer than the conference days or have family joining you and are wondering what you can do, here is a few ideas we have put together for you.

• Shopping Centre 

  Milton Keynes has a large shopping centre with all the top brands. The centre:mk and Midsummer Place shopping centres are located in the city centre just a short 15 minute journey from The Open University. 

• Milton Keynes Theatre 

  Milton Keynes has a fantastic theatre, find details of forthcoming shows on the MK Theatre website.

• Xscape 

  The Xscape building is in central Milton Keynes (next to the shopping centre and theatre) and is made up of shops, a cinema, restaurants, bowling alley, indoor ski slope and indoor sky diving. Find out what's going on at the Xscape when you visit Milton Keynes. 

• MK1 – Retail park and home of the MK Dons Football Club 

  MK1 Shopping Park is a fairly new development that consists of shops, restaurants, cinema and an impressive football stadium which is home to the local League One football team, Milton Keynes Dons Football Club. 

  Walks, parks and lakes 

• There are numerous park walks around the University campus and local area and Milton Keynes, details of which can be found on The Parks Trust website. If the weather is nice, a popular place to visit is Willen Lake, there are various walks and activities available. 

  Historic places of interest 

• Bletchley Park 

  Once Britain’s best kept secret, Bletchley Park, home of the WW2 Codebreakers is now a vibrant heritage attraction and is open daily. 

• Bradwell Abbey 

  Bradwell Abbey is the site and remains of a medieval Benedictine Priory and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument (no.19062). 

• Woburn Abbey and gardens 

  Woburn Abbey has been the home of the Earls and Dukes of Bedford since the 1620s. It is currently the home of the 15th Duke and Duchess of Bedford and their children. There are 22 rooms that you can experience, which house one of the most significant private art collections in the world.

  Museums 

• Canal Museum, Stoke Bruerne 

  The UK's first Canal Museum is situated in the idyllic village of Stoke Bruerne on the Grand Union Canal. Canal Museum, Stoke Bruerne occupys a historic Grade II listed corn mill, it features three floors of waterway heritage exhibits and spectacular panoramic views.  

• Milton Keynes Museum 

  Discover the stories that shaped Milton Keynes at MK Museum – past, present and future. 

  Places to eat 

  There are many places to eat in and around Milton Keynes. These areas include: 

• The Kingston Centre
• The Hub
• The Theatre district
• The Centre MK 

• MK1 Shopping Park

  If you would rather try a local pub, we suggest visiting one of the smaller towns mentioned below. 

  Towns within / near Milton Keynes 

  There are a number of small towns around Milton Keynes which are a little more in keeping with traditional English towns, some recommended towns include: Woburn, Woburn Sands and Stony Stratford. 

Accommodation

The Delta Hotels Milton Keynes and Kents Hill Park are a short walk from The Open University. The Delta is the closest to the University; Kents Hill is slightly further away.

A wide range of accommodation is available in Milton Keynes. There are also many Airbnb spaces available for rent in the Milton Keynes area. 

Please search using the Walton Hall postcode MK7 6AA to determine the distance between each location and campus.

• Delta Hotels Milton Keynes
• Kents Hill Park
• Woughton House Hotel
• Holiday Inn Express Milton Keynes
• The Broughton Hotel
• Hotel La Tour
• Premier Inn Milton Keynes (Willen Lake)
• Premier Inn Milton Keynes South
• Premier Inn Milton Keynes Central (Theatre District)
• Travelodge Milton Keynes at The Hub Hotel
• Travelodge Milton Keynes Central Hotel