This new research programme comes at a time when digitalisation is increasingly transforming our economies and societies, bringing great opportunities as well as adverse effects.
"The Centre for a Digital Society will represent the focal point for the study of digital societies at the European University Institute” said Professor Erik Jones, Director of the Robert Schuman Centre, at the first Advisory Council of the new programme last week.
“The key challenge for decision-makers is to understand how to help society make the most of these opportunities, while also preventing negative effects on citizens and democracy, such as the spread of disinformation and the increasing market power concentration of big tech companies” added Professor Pier Luigi Parcu, Director of the new Centre.
In this context, the Centre for a Digital Society seeks to develop independent research that can inform and advise policy-makers.
The new programme builds on the expertise and the success of both the Florence School of Regulation –Communications and Media and the Florence Competition Programme, combining them into a single programme and expanding their focus.
The four core areas of the Centre’s activity will be competition law and policy, regulation of the media and telecom sector, innovation and intellectual property, and democracy.
The latter in particular represents a new area that focusses on the impact of digitalisation on the evolution of civic participation, good governance, and fundamental rights. These activities will be developed in close cooperation with the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom.
The Centre for a Digital Society is led by a Scientific Committee of internationally renowned scholars and a multi-disciplinary research team.
Visit their website to find out more.