Intellectual Capital, Internationalization, and the Reputational Effects of Sanctions: the Third Seminar by IDLab and Iran University of Science and Technology Has Taken Place
On February 16, 2026, a joint seminar was held by the International Laboratory of Intangible-driven Economy (IDLab) and Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) under the project titled “Internationalization of Companies from Developing Countries: The Role of Intellectual Resources in Response to Exogenous Shocks,” implemented within the framework of HSE University’s “International Academic Cooperation” initiative. The seminar featured presentations of three studies addressing intellectual capital mobility, business resilience to sanctions pressure, and mechanisms of early internationalization by firms in emerging markets.
Internationalization as a Stress Test for Intellectual Capital
Dmitry Kashin, Junior Research Fellow at the International Laboratory of Intangible-driven Economy (IDLab), presented findings from the study “Internationalization as a Stress Test for Intellectual Capital: A Systematic Mapping and Research Agenda,” co-authored with Mariya Molodchik, Senior Research Fellow at IDLab. The paper provides a comprehensive literature review examining firms’ entry into foreign markets as a mechanism to test intellectual capital for its mobility, scalability, and vulnerability. The research is particularly relevant given the need to understand how firms can preserve and transform their intellectual capital when facing national and institutional barriers.
To analyze a large corpus of academic publications, the authors employed machine learning algorithms - specifically, the BERTopic model - which enabled them to identify 22 distinct research topics and group them into three theoretical clusters. Based on this systematic review, the authors also outline key directions for future research.
The Impact of Sanctions on Corporate Reputation: The Russian Experience and Prospects for Research in Iran
The research question of the second presentation was to understand whether information about a company being under sanctions affects its reputation. Artem Shamray, a PhD student at the Faculty of Social Sciences, presented findings from a pilot survey conducted in Russia. The study revealed a seemingly counterintuitive result: any information indicating that a company is under sanctions - particularly when accompanied by an explanation highlighting its significant role in the national economy - actually increases its appeal among Russian citizens. The presentation also included the proposed research design for conducting a similar study in the Iranian market.
Early Internationalization of Small and Medium Enterprises: The Iranian Experience
The study “Early Internationalization of Iranian Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: A Qualitative Approach” by Zahra Basiri, a PhD student at Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), explores the early internationalization strategies of Iranian SMEs under economic constraints. The author presented a qualitative analysis of SME success factors, highlighting the critical role of founder characteristics, market characteristics, and the ability to engage in resource bricolage—i.e., the effective use of available resources under constraints.
The seminar enabled researchers from both countries to discuss their ongoing work and compare approaches to studying markets under external shocks. The meeting was part of the ongoing efforts to develop joint research projects between IDLab and IUST. Artem Shamray shared his impressions of participating in the event:
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the International Laboratory of Intangible-driven Economy (IDLab) and our colleagues from Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) for organizing this exceptionally interesting and productive academic seminar. It was a great honor for me to present the findings of my experimental study on the reputational effects of sanctions. Particularly valuable was the opportunity to discuss my research design with economists and to gain insights from Zahra Basiri’s presentation on the early internationalization strategies of Iranian firms. I am confident that such joint seminars provide an ideal platform for generating truly innovative and practically relevant research projects.
The project "Internationalization of Companies from Developing Countries: The Role of Intellectual Resources in Response to Exogenous Shocks" is carried out under the framework of the Joint Basic Research Program "International Academic cooperation".
