The world-wide challenges due to the COVID-19 virus have demonstrated the importance of interdisciplinary approaches and the need for management of information – two topics which have characterized the IDIMT conferences since their beginning in 1993.

Soon after the fall of the Iron Curtain a totally changed political landscape materialized. The IDIMT Conferences were founded in 1993 as a trigger for early scientific contacts between Austria and the Czech Republic. The founders were Petr Doucek (Prague University of Economics and Business) and Gerhard Chroust (Johannes Kepler University Linz). They also took over the functions of General Chair and Programme Chair respectively during these 30 years.

The IDIMT conferences have accompanied the world of Information Management, Software Technology and Systems Sciences throughout the previous 30 years. They have observed and commented the dramatic changes and advances which have taken place in these field and their applications, especially in Central Europe. And IDIMT grew from a small meeting between 14 participants to a 50+ paper conference.

IDIMT has proved to be a mirror of interests and trends in Information Management related business and research in Central Europe. Numerous persons have ’walked with us as part of this journey’ and have contributed to our success. In the course of their growth the conferences were held in 7 different cities in Southern Bohemia and in Vienna.

For IDIMT 2022 the title “Digitalization of Society, Business and Management in a Pandemic”, was chosen.  49 papers were submitted papers plus 11 invited papers with a total of 135 co-authors [3]. These submissions were  reviewed in a two-step double blind review process providing extensive comments for improvement of  the papers.  The authors have come from 7 different countries: Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Indonesia, Russia, Slovakia, and Slovenia. For IDIMT 2022 the title “Digitalization of Society, Business and Management in a Pandemic”, was chosen. 49 papers were submitted papers plus 11 invited papers with a total of 135 co-authors [3]. These submissions were  reviewed in a two-step double blind review process providing extensive comments for improvement of  the papers.  The authors have come from 7 different countries: Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Indonesia, Russia, Slovakia, and Slovenia:

• Management and Digitalization (Petr Doucek)

• Innovations and Strategies in a Pandemic Era (Tomas Pitner)

• Complex digital approaches for Crisis Management – Blackout in pandemic times (Georg Neubauer, Karin Rainer)

• Social media authenticity and transparency (Antonín Pavlíček)

• Smart Supply Chains (Radoslav Delina)

• Cyber Security in a Digital World (Michael Sonntag)

• Sustainability in performance management and business reporting (Jaroslav Wagner)

• Smart Technologies for a Sustainable Green World (Erwin Schoitsch)

• Challenges and Trends in Software Development (Alena Buchalcevová)

• Virtual Collaboration and Exchange – challenges and approaches. (Mattis Altmann)

At the end of IDIMT 2022 Gerhard Chroust announced his stepping down as Progamme Chair of the IDIMT conferences after 30 years and followed this announcement by handing this function over to Michael Sonntag, Professor at the Johannes Kepler University, Linz.

In the paper Chroust presented he explained the phenomenon of strong emergence with the help of human dichotomic observation of figures and ground.

Gerhard Chroust | Dynamic Emergence of Features in Complex Systems | pdf