The HEPHAESTUS Symposium 2025, held in Bornholm, Denmark, brought together researchers, practitioners, and artists to explore the transformative potential of craft in contemporary society. Across three days of presentations and discussions, the symposium delved into how craft intersects with questions of sustainability, community, identity, heritage and the evolving role of technology.
Day 1 of the HEPHAESTUS Symposium 2025 opened with a keynote address by Professor Emma Bell, H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf’s Chaired Professor in Leadership at the Stockholm School of Economics. A leading researcher in organization and leadership studies, Professor Bell’s work explores materiality, embodiment, ethics, and relational approaches to organizing. Her recent research includes topics such as craft organization, food systems, and feminist new materialisms. With a distinguished academic career and numerous publications in top international journals, she set a thought-provoking tone for the symposium by inviting us to reimagine leadership and organizing through craft and care.
Key themes included the philosophical and material dimensions of craft, examining how craft shapes—and is shaped by—both human and non-human forces. Presenters highlighted the value of craft in resisting the pressures of accelerated, industrial systems, instead fostering slower, more relational and sustainable ways of working and living.
There was also a strong focus on the socio-economic roles of craft. Participants explored how craft contributes to regional development, social cohesion, and cultural identity, while also addressing challenges such as economic precarity and environmental impact. Projects from various European contexts illustrated how craft can serve as a nexus for community engagement, social innovation, and inclusive economic futures.
Additionally, the symposium examined the entangled relationship between craft and technology, advocating for a more integrated and processual view that sees these domains not in opposition, but as co-evolving forces with the potential to shape new forms of organization and value creation.
In essence, the symposium positioned craft not as a nostalgic retreat from modern life, but as a dynamic and critical practice for reimagining sustainable, ethical, and socially connected futures.
The HEPHAESTUS Symposium 2025 in Bornholm featured three main thematic sessions, each addressing a different dimension of craft in contemporary society:
- Philosophies of Craft and Organizing
- Craft, Heritage, and Aesthetic Inquiry
- Crafting Social and Economic Futures
Each session brought together diverse perspectives on how craft interacts with sustainability, technology, community, and cultural identity. We invite you to explore the full collection of abstracts for deeper insight into the presentations and discussions that took place.
