Digital Markets and Artificial Intelligence at the Centre of International ZEW Conference
Conferences
30.06.2026
24th ICT Conference at ZEW Mannheim
On 25 and 26 June 2026, ZEW’s “Digital Economy” Research Unit hosted the 24th Conference on the Economics of Information and Communication Technologies in Mannheim. For many years, the conference has been regarded as one of the leading academic events in this field. It was organised by Professor Irene Bertschek, Dr. Raphaela Andres, Dr. Thomas Niebel and Luca Sandrini, PhD. Around 90 researchers from Germany and abroad discussed the latest developments in the digital economy. The strong interest in the conference was also reflected in the more than 100 papers submitted.
Across a total of 14 sessions, participants presented their research findings. Artificial intelligence featured particularly prominently, for example, its effects on the development of creative products, innovation within companies and the demand for digital skills. Further topics included data protection and privacy, interoperability and online news markets, platforms and the effects of regulation.
Keynotes by Emilio Calvano (Luiss University Rome) and Chiara Farronato (Harvard Business School)
On the first day of the conference, Emilio Calvano, Professor at Luiss University in Rome, delivered a keynote entitled “Artificial Intelligence and Competition: a Progress Report”. In his talk, he presented his research on AI and its impacts on competitive structures.
On the second day, Chiara Farronato, Associate Professor at Harvard Business School, gave a keynote entitled “Designing Consent: Choice Architecture and Consumer Welfare in Data Sharing”. Using the example of cookie consent banners, she demonstrated how the design of decision-making options, known as choice architecture, can affect data protection.
Heinz König Award Presented to Kelsey Moran
The Heinz König Award, named after ZEW’s founding director and this year sponsored by HORNBACH Baumarkt AG, was presented to Kelsey Moran, Assistant Professor at Miami Herbert Business School. Her study “Costs of Technological Frictions: Evidence from EHR (Non-)Interoperability”, co-authored with Rebekah Dix and Thi Mai Anh Nguyen, was particularly recognised by the jury for its analysis of technological barriers in health care and its strong relevance for digital economic policy. The award once again honours young researchers whose creative empirical approaches address key challenges in the digital economy.
Further information on the Heinz König Young Scholar Award 2026
Scholarly Exchange and Networking
Between sessions, attendees took the opportunity to engage in in-depth academic discussions and networking. The conference dinner on the first evening, along with informal conversations on the second day, encouraged personal dialogue.
