Digital Platforms and Ecosystems Workshop
Digital platforms, ecosystems, and AI are reshaping the competitive landscape. How should we regulate them? This question was the heart of a discussion which examined the increasing power of platform-based firms which has spurred considerable discussion about regulation. The EU has signalled a strong interest in taking a fresh look at the way in which these firms exercise their power, potentially moving beyond the traditional regulatory apparatus which has increasingly come under strain. In the UK, a recent report considered the competition challenges in the digital era, while the BRICS competition authority has created a detailed report on the role of digital competition. In the US, concerns with market power as well as data and privacy have engendered serious debate on what the future should hold, with some states like California leading the charge.
Michael G. Jacobides, the Sir Donald Gordon Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at London Business School recently hosted a discussion with a body of top-ranking professionals, drawn from the worlds of regulation, the banking sector, industries and technology. Five heads of competition authorities from two continents, OECD leaders, heads of economic policy and senior executives from the GAFA's, senior executives from banks, industrials, tech firms, FMCGs, new ventures, consumer representatives, judges and former politicians were all involved.
Professor Jacobides’ co-conveners were Prof Ioannis Lianos, Professor of Global Competition Law and Public Policy and Cristian Citu, Digital Transformation Lead at World Economic Forum. A white paper will eventually be produced and the discussion will inform seven invited papers that are due to appear in a special issue on ‘regulatory challenges for a digital world’ in a forthcoming edition of Industrial and Corporate Change (Oxford Academic).
About Professor Michael G. Jacobides
An academic advisor to Boston Consulting Group, visiting scholar at the New York Fed, and Visiting Fellow at Cambridge, professor Jacobides is a frequent keynote speaker, also working with companies as they adjust to a shifting environment. He studies industry evolution, new business models, value migration and structural change in firms and sectors, and looks at how digital ecosystems transform the business context. He teaches strategy, innovation, transformation and turnarounds, and works on thought leadership with consultants such as McKinsey, IDEO, Accenture, PwC and Deloitte, and on strategy with corporates such as Santander, Zurich, CS, Airbus, Lufthansa, Vodafone, Nokia, DeBeers, Burberry and MerckSerono.
