In May 2026, Hui-Ling Wang, founder of Green Stone Coffee and Green Stone Coffee Academy, attended The 3rd International Early-Career Researcher Conference in Hospitality and Tourism (IECR 2026) in Macao.
Her research paper, “Survival Evolution of Independent Cafés: A Three-Year Longitudinal Study,” received the conference’s Best Paper Award, recognizing the academic contribution and relevance of her research on independent coffee businesses.
The conference was hosted by the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Macau University of Science and Technology and brought together emerging researchers and scholars in hospitality, tourism, service management, entrepreneurship, and related fields from around the world.
The Best Paper Award was selected through a competitive academic review process based on the submitted research and extended abstract, highlighting the study’s contribution to the international hospitality and tourism research community.
The award-winning research focuses on micro independent cafés in Taiwan and follows their development over a three-year period.
Through longitudinal research, the study examines how small independent café entrepreneurs respond to limited resources, competitive market conditions, and the evolving landscape of the Third Wave Coffee movement.
The research explores how these businesses develop resilience, value co-creation, and evolving business models as they navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship and long-term survival.
Beyond examining coffee businesses from a practical perspective, the study draws on theoretical perspectives including Service-Dominant Logic (S-D Logic) and the Service Logic Business Model to better understand how micro independent cafés create value, adapt their business models, and deepen their relationships with customers and communities over time.
By combining academic research with real-world observations from Taiwan’s specialty coffee industry, the study offers insights into the entrepreneurial journeys, survival strategies, and business evolution of small independent cafés.
Reflecting on the award, Hui-Ling Wang said:
“This award is not only an academic recognition. It also represents an opportunity for the international community to see the dedication behind Taiwan’s independent coffee culture and its micro-entrepreneurs.
At Green Stone Coffee, we have always believed that coffee is more than a technical skill—it is an accumulation of life experience, education, and value.”
Green Stone Coffee Academy has long been involved in specialty coffee education, coffee roasting training, entrepreneurship education, and international exchange.
In recent years, the Academy has also continued to integrate academic research with practical coffee education, helping learners better understand not only how to develop professional coffee skills, but also how coffee businesses operate, adapt, and create sustainable value.
Through this integration of coffee education, academic research, and industry practice, Green Stone Coffee Academy hopes to help aspiring coffee entrepreneurs build a more realistic path from their ideas to the development of their own coffee businesses and brands.
Green Stone Coffee Academy will continue to strengthen its international academic and industry connections while integrating research, education, and professional coffee practice.
Through ongoing research and international exchange, we hope to contribute to a deeper understanding of Taiwan’s specialty coffee industry and bring greater international visibility to the creativity, professionalism, and entrepreneurial energy of Taiwan’s coffee community.
The 3rd International Early-Career Researcher Conference in Hospitality and Tourism (IECR 2026) was held in Macao from May 8–10, 2026.
Hosted by the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Macau University of Science and Technology, the conference brought together postgraduate students, early-career researchers, and scholars to exchange research and ideas related to hospitality, tourism, service management, entrepreneurship, innovation, and other emerging topics.
