Call for papers: 7th Conference on the Regulation of Infrastructures (extended deadline for abstracts submission: 31 January 2018)

The call for papers for the “7th Conference on the Regulation of Infrastructures: New network structures: decentralization, prosumers and the role of online platforms” is open until January 31st, 2018! Registration for participants will open in March.

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The de- and re-regulation of the different network industries is an on-going process at both the national and global levels. As this process unfolds, ever new phenomena emerge, necessitating a constant reassessment of the content and objectives of regulation.

The rapidly evolving Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have significantly challenged the traditionally stable landscape of infrastructure services provision. The new data layer over the traditional infrastructure and service layers is transforming network industries: online platforms create new indirect network effects, they allow new service providers to enter the market (prosumers, sharing economy providers, etc.), and they challenge the central role of traditional infrastructure managers/service providers as entities ensuring the coordination of the sectors.

Offering traditional and new services in an innovative way is a growing trend among public authorities, traditional providers as well as new private operators, prosumers and platforms. However, together with great opportunities, disruptive innovations also give rise to new regulatory challenges, especially when it comes to infrastructure financing and the coordination of operations.

This 7^th Florence Conference on the Regulation of Infrastructures aims at taking stock of the major challenges infrastructure regulation is currently facing as a result of technology, indirect network effects, newly emerging network structures (decentralized networks, distributed networks, sharing economy), and new actors (prosumers, OTTs, platforms, etc).

Papers will be presented in different parallel sessions dedicated to the following infrastructure sectors:

• Communications and media
• Energy and Climate
• Transport and mobility
• Water distribution
• Wastewater and waste management

We encourage contributions that link different infrastructure sectors, especially in light of the ICTs. Contributions utilizing multidisciplinary, as well as interdisciplinary approaches to regulation, are welcome. We encourage papers linking academia and practice, as well as policy research papers.

The conference is intended for academics such as PhD students, PostDocs and Assistant/associate/full Professors as well as academically minded practitioners.

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