13th CompNet Annual Conference, 20-21 June 2024, Malta

We are excited to announce the 13th CompNet Annual Conference, presented in collaboration with the Central Bank of Malta, the National Statistical Office Malta and the Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung Halle (IWH). This year's conference, themed "Competitiveness and Firm Productivity in a Disintegrating Global Economy," will take place at the esteemed Central Bank of Malta on June 20-21, 2024.

Keynote speakers for this event are internationally renowned expert Gianmarco Ottaviano from Bocconi University and Jonathan Haskel from Imperial College London. Their insights promise to enrich the dialogue on competitiveness, firm dynamism, resilience, and productivity, particularly within the EU context.

Details on the Call for Paper:

The European Union’s (EU) has placed competitiveness at the heart of its policy agenda, recognizing its crucial role in driving economic growth and prosperity. However, the debate has just started on the way to tackle this issue. On the one hand there is a call for fostering innovation, efficiency, and productivity within firms, enabling them to compete effectively on the global stage. On the other, there are increasing concerns that the international environment is far from ensuring a fair playing field, ridden as it is from uncompetitive practices and more aggressive and generalised industrial policies. There is therefore a risk that enhancing EU competitiveness could equate to raising trade protection barriers.

These dynamics are likely to take added complexity, as we are living in a world increasingly affected by geopolitical tensions and conflict that are causing further disintegration of the global economy. The resulting disruptions to global investment, production and trade can adversely affect the normal functioning of firms, posing significant challenges to their productivity and competitiveness. Understanding how firms navigate these challenges, adapt their production processes, and manage resources is key. Equally important is the role of policy interventions in supporting firms to maintain their competitiveness, particularly when they are more exposed to the disruptions to economic activity and increasing obstacles to trade caused by geopolitical tensions and conflict.

More specifically, we are seeking applied and innovative research handling - but not limited to - the following topics:

− Migration

− Climate change and related GHG emission reduction policies

− Tax and industrial policy

− Trade sanctions and barriers and the re-orientation of global supply chains

− Large fluctuations in energy and other input prices.

− Persistently higher interest rates and financial constraints

This conference seeks to explore these issues and their implications for firm dynamism, resilience and productivity, competitiveness, investment and employment and earnings, with a particular but not exclusive focus on the EU context. The insights gained will not only contribute to academic discourse but also inform policy decisions, ensuring that the drive for competitiveness aligns with the principles of open and fair trade.

We are particularly interested in academic papers with strong theoretical foundations, empirically sound methodologies and policy relevant findings. The conference provides an excellent platform for researchers to present their findings, which can contribute to the policy discourse on enhancing competitiveness in the EU and beyond. We encourage submissions that employ rigorous empirical methodologies to investigate the issues at hand, especially using micro-data and even better if based on CompNet datasets. The objective is to foster a dialogue that is grounded in robust empirical evidence, thereby ensuring that the insights are both relevant and applicable to policymaking. This emphasis on empirical, policy-relevant research is in line with CompNet's commitment to bridging the gap between academia and policy, ultimately contributing to more informed and effective competitiveness strategies.

The submission deadline for papers is February 1st, with decisions notified by March 1st. Join us in shaping the discourse on competitiveness, where your research can inform policies that align with the principles of open and fair trade. Together, let's navigate the complexities of a changing global economy and contribute to a resilient and dynamic future.

Submission: Via this form.

Call for Papers: View here.

We aim for a Conference with around ten-twelve papers presented and discussed and two keynote lectures. Presenters may be asked to discuss a paper.

There are no conference fees. Limited funding to cover travel and accommodation costs is available upon request.

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