Call for Abstracts:
We invite submissions from scholars for a conference on the shaping of competition in the digital age, taking place on 26-27 May 2026 in Düsseldorf, Germany. We are particularly looking forward to contributions that focus on the regulatory regimes in the EU (Digital Markets Act), the UK (Digital Markets Competition & Consumers Act), and Germany (Section 19a of the competition act).
Please send an extended abstract of 700-1000 words to the SCiDA team (team(at)scidaproject.com) by 18 January 2026. Please include a declaration in accordance with the ASCOLA Transparency and Disclosure Declaration.
The SCiDA team will select submissions and notify selected contributors by early April 2026. Selected scholars may request reimbursement of travel expenses if participation cannot be financed otherwise. Depending on available funds, preference will be given to junior scholars.
Mark your calendars! We look forward to your submissions and to seeing you in May!
Background and Objectives:
In response to the rise of digital platforms and ecosystems, an increasing number of jurisdictions have been rethinking their competition law regimes, resulting in amended policies or novel legislation for digital markets. The DMA in the European Union, the DMCCA in the United Kingdom, and Section 19a GWB in Germany stand as pioneering examples.
The research project “Shaping Competition in the Digital Age (SCiDA)”, a joint project of the Universities of Düsseldorf and Exeter, accompanies the regulatory initiatives from the beginning and aims to answer three questions: How do the new rules in the different jurisdictions work in practice? What proves effective for reaching the goals of the new rules? What are the elements of the new normative and institutional framework for safeguarding competition in the digital age?
The conference will provide a platform for discussion and assessment of existing and future approaches to digital competition regulation. Can we see best practices after the first stages of enforcement?
The two-day conference will explore the lessons, challenges, and opportunities arising from competition regulation and enforcement in digital markets across the EU, the UK, and Germany. Bringing together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners, it aims to promote a challenge- and solution-oriented dialogue on the present and future of digital competition law.
The SCiDA research project is funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).
Ambition of the Conference:
The SCiDA conference seeks to engage with groundbreaking scholarship addressing current and emerging challenges in digital competition law. We particularly welcome submissions that try to identify best practices. Submissions may be unpublished academic papers, contributions from early-career researchers’ papers (e.g. PhD thesis chapters), and early-stage project ideas on topics such as:
- Rethinking the fundamentals of digital competition law
- Designation and obligation challenges of the DMA, DMCCA and GWB
- Effective compliance and regulatory approaches
- Enforcement structures and practical challenges
- Procedural issues and stakeholder involvement
- The interplay between competition and innovation in digital markets
- New technological challenges (such as AI and advanced infrastructure)
- Geopolitical upheaval and strategic competition law/policy
The conference will also feature panels with enforcers and experts, and will be held in person only. Further information on the conference will be available at www.scidaproject.com. If you have questions, please contact Kena Zheng (kena.zheng(at)hhu.de).
For the organising team: Prof. Oles Andriychuk, Prof. Rupprecht Podszun, Dr. Anush Ganesh, Dr. Kena Zheng, Dr. Pavlína Hubková, Sarah Hinck, Dr. Jasper van den Boom and Dr. Tristan Rohner.
