Managing the Digital Revolution

Digital technology continues to revolutionize our economy. Its disruptive nature is comparable only to that of earlier general-purpose technologies such as the steam engine, the electricity generator, or the printing press. What is new, however, is the enormous speed of this change, which leads to politics and legislation lagging behind reality. It is therefore important to carefully manage the digital revolution so that we can reap its social benefits at acceptable social costs. Important concerns include its effects on jobs, competition, and privacy, particularly with respect to recent applications such as big data, artificial intelligence, robotics, and 3D printing.

• The technology sector is dominated by a handful of companies. What impact does this have on innovation, competition and prices for end consumers?
• How do antitrust rules need to be adapted to make them work in global markets for digital service providers?
• Should the robot productivity be taxed?
• How can findings from neuroscience and neuroeconomics be incorporated into the development of artificial intelligence (AI)?
   

Economic Theory

Economics of Institutions

Political Economy

Public Economics

Labor Economics

Technological Change & Innovation

Macroeconomics

Industrial Organizational Economics