Conference Assembled Jurists and Economists to Reflect on Market Regulation in Platform Economy
06.06.2017
The Platform Economy and Cohesion of European Competition Policy conference assembled close to 70 jurists and economists interested in platform economy and social regulation in Helsinki on 23 May, 2017.
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The Platform Economy and Cohesion of European Competition Policy conference assembled close to 70 jurists and economists interested in platform economy and social regulation in Helsinki on 23 May, 2017.
Exchange ratios and economic dynamics have been revolutionized by digitalization and increase in the amount of various commercial platforms. Significant issues relate to e.g. the growing importance of knowledge and artificial intelligence in business activity as well as the position of commercial platforms as an accelerator for centralizing markets. 
Conference promoters, keynotes and panelists Professors Antti Aine and Doris Hildebrand, Case Handler Massimiliano Kadar, Chief Executive Officer Harri Kulmala, Professors Anne Kovalainen and Justus Haucap, Research Director Aki Koponen, Attorney Mikko Huimala and Docent Tom Björkroth.
The conference was organized in collaboration by the University of Turku, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority as well as Finnish Competition Law Association.
The conference pertained to platform economy from three parallel and business-driven perspectives. The platform economy often requires close cooperation and exchange of commercial knowledge among companies, and arrangements promoting the market operability need to be distinguished from procedures hindering it in the application of competition law. Emphasis on the importance of knowledge in business activity leads to reflecting on limitations in terms of exploiting various data sets, such as Big Data, in order to ensure the market operability as well as data protection. The platform economy renovates working in the way that it often involves shifting from wage labor to freelance-based small business.
At the conference, the concept of platform economy was discussed by internationally acknowledged experts on the subject, i.e. Professors Doris Hildebrand (Vrije Universiteit Brussels), Justus Haucap (Universität Düsseldorf) and Anne Kovalainen (Turun yliopisto). Additionally, the conference included a statement from the European Commission representative Massimiliano Kadarin (DG COMP) on regulation pertaining to the exploitation of Big Data from the perspective of competition law.
Conference promoters, keynotes and panelists Professors Antti Aine and Doris Hildebrand, Case Handler Massimiliano Kadar, Chief Executive Officer Harri Kulmala, Professors Anne Kovalainen and Justus Haucap, Research Director Aki Koponen, Attorney Mikko Huimala and Docent Tom Björkroth.
The conference was organized in collaboration by the University of Turku, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority as well as Finnish Competition Law Association.
Photos: Antti Hovila