11th FSR Annual Conference | From Data Spaces to Data Governance

The 11th FSR Annual Conference is an occasion to take stock of the progress made on the objectives outlined in the EU Data Strategy the Data Governance Act in the network industries. This new regulation will have impact on the various network industries, and at our conference, we will particularly focus on the areas of energy, climate, transport and telecommunications.

In February 2020, the European Commission (EC) has presented the European Data Strategy, which main objectives are to set up European Data Spaces, to create a single market for data and to develop an attractive, secure and dynamic data economy. Common European data spaces in the sectors of health, environment, energy, agriculture, mobility, finance, manufacturing, public administration, and skills,  will ensure that more data becomes available for use in the economy and society, while keeping the companies and individuals who generate the data in control. The Data Governance Act published by the EC in November 2020, constitutes the first of the legislative proposals presented in the EU Data Strategy and applies to both personal and non-personal data. Its main objectives are to strengthen the availability of data for use by increasing trust in data intermediaries and to stimulate data sharing mechanisms across the EU.

What are strategic, technical and operational aspects of creating an interconnected, interoperable and trusted environment for data sharing in the network industries? How to encourage data sharing? Should data sharing be mandated? How will public sector bodies guarantee privacy and confidentiality? What existing or additional enablers are needed to ensure access to different data sources? What are the barriers to cross-sectoral data sharing? If the current investment in technologies and infrastructure is enough? What should be the governance of these data spaces? What is the role of digital platforms? What are the next steps?  These are some of the questions that the conference will seek to discuss.

More precisely, we are looking for contributions, which cut across the different infrastructure sectors, especially in terms of data usage, data sharing and data storage. Contributions utilising multidisciplinary as well as interdisciplinary approaches to data regulation are welcome. Papers linking academia and practice, as well as policy research papers are particularly encouraged.

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

List of selected authors and titles of their papers:

• Aguado, M., Vasilopoulou, P., Carr, C., Rojas, J., Dowey, D., Velitchkov, I. ” Railway Knowledge Graph in the EU Mobility Data Space”
• Catanzariti, M. “Data sharing in search for sovereignty: the case of the European Cloud”
• Fast, V., Schnurr, D., Wohlfarth, M. “Regulation of Data-driven Market Power in the Digital Economy”
• Finger, M., Montero, J. “The digitalisation of infrastructures and infrastructure-based (public) services: what are the problems?”
• von Ditfurth, L., Hennemann, M., Lienemann, G. “Governing Data Intermediaries – The Data Governance Act: Principles, Frictions, and Perspectives”
• Donne, A. “Non-Personal Data in the Electricity Sector: a Key Asset for Private Companies and Public Authorities”
• Ducuing, C., Reich, R.H. “‘Data utility’ as an enabler of data spaces? The circular economy as a case study”
• Hoffmann, L. J. “Liability rules as antitrust remedies for digital platforms”
• Knieps, G. “Internet of Things and the Governance of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence”
• Mannan, M., Bietti, E., Etxeberria, A., Wong, J. “Data Cooperatives in Europe: A Legal and Empirical Investigation”
• Montero Santos, L., Bey, N.E.H. “EU Data Strategy: Rethinking the Role of Ethics in Shaping the New Rules of Competition Law in the Era of Data Governance”
• Nebbiai, M. “Intermediaries do matter: voluntary standards and the Right to Data Portability”
• Souza, F.L.C., Romeiro, D.L., Gonçalves, E., Dutra, J. “The Role of Governance in Opening Data for the Mobility as a Service in Brazil “
• Tombal, T.J. “Data sharing as an avenue for more sustainability”

Conference structure:

The format of the FSR Annual Conference is unique, in that it favours quality over quantity:

• Each presenter has 45’, which includes 20’ of presentation, 10’ of qualified feedback and 15’ of discussion with the audience;
• Feedback will be given by senior professors and researchers associated with the Florence School of Regulation who are specifically knowledgeable about the topic at hand;
• Papers retained for publication will receive additional feedback beyond the Conference.

Timeline:

• Submission of the abstract by 31st January 2022.  13 February 2022.
• Notification of acceptance by 1st March 2022;
• Submission of the full paper by 13th May 2022; participants who fail to submit a full paper by this deadline will be automatically removed from the programme;
• Conference on 9th-10th June 2022 in Florence (Italy).

Submission of the abstract: 

• Step 1: Download the obligatory submission template;
• Step 2: Fill in all required fields: Introduction and Purpose of the Study; Research Design and Expected Results; Keywords. Please pay attention to the word limit!
• Step 3: Fill in the registration form online and enclose the submission template (see Step 2).

For any issues regarding the submission, please contact Ms Irina Lapenkova at FSR.Transport@eui.eu;

Publication opportunities:

• Papers will qualify for the Journal Competition and Regulation in Network Industries (SAGE)
• A summary of the 4-5 best papers will have the chance to be published in the dedicated issue of the Network Industries Quarterly (Issue 24, Vol 3, September 2022), which distributes to approximately 4000 people worldwide.

Organising Committee:

• Prof Simone Borghesi (EUI, Part-time professor and Director of the Climate Area of the FSR; Siena University, Professor)
• Prof Matthias Finger (EUI, Part-time professor and Deputy Director of the Transport Area of the FSR)
• Prof Jean-Michel Glachant (EUI, Robert Schuman Chair, Director of the FSR, Director of the Energy Area of the FSR, Holder of the Loyola de Palacio Chair)
• Prof Juan Montero (EUI, Part-time professor and Director of the Transport Area of the FSR, Professor of Administrative Law and Regulation in UNED University, Madrid)
• Prof Pier Luigi Parcu (EUI, Part-time professor and Area Director of the FSR Communications & Media, CMPF)