Naples, 29-30 April 2010
Workshop DIME RAL3 WP3.13
Deadline for abstract submission: 31 January 2010

Background:

In recent years, the governance of infrastructures and network industries (such as electricity, gas, water, rail, telecommunications) has undergone radical change: centrally-coordinated systems have given way to hybrid governance structures partly based on market mechanisms, under the assumption that technology no longer justifies the existence of natural monopolies. This creates big challenges for producers and consumers, who need to develop new capabilities concerning risk management, portfolio optimization and forecasting, as well as for regulators who need to design novel policy support actions.

Whether the new governance model is able to deliver clean, efficient and secure utility services is quite a debated issue. It has been argued that the gains from liberalization can be fully reaped only after the transition to a new technological paradigm aligned with the decentralized nature of market transactions (e.g. distributed power generation). Within the new governance model, the appearance of an industry architecture conducive to the technological transition depends on private and public choices concerning vertical integration, the distribution of risk, and various forms of public intervention (tariff regulation, fiscal incentives, Coasian trading schemes, public-private partnerships) that affect the investment and production plans. The governance-technology alignment and the way agents behaviours evolve under different market architectures are the subjects on a growing literature, based on novel insights from evolutionary, regulatory and transaction cost economics. 

Objectives:

The workshop shall provide an international forum for scholarly discussions on a number of issues concerning the infrastructure industries, such as

1. Coherence and alignment between governance and technological paradigms;
2. How production and investment strategies are affected by vertical integration, financial instruments, public-private partnerships, climate policy;
3. Regulation, deregulation, reregulation and the role of the State.

Both theoretical and applied papers are welcome.

Invited speakers:

• Derek Bunn (London Business School)
• Giovanni Dosi (Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa)
• Jean-Michel Glachant (Florence School of Regulation, European University Institute)
• Claude Ménard (University of Paris I)
• Francesca Stroffolini (University of Naples Federico II)

Location:

University of Naples Parthenope - Villa Doria d'Angri - via Petrarca, 80 - Naples (Italy)

Number of participants:

12 papers will be accepted, including 4 from invited speakers and 4 from young researchers (PhD students, post-doc researchers, assistant professors).

Deadlines:

• Submission of extended abstracts (max 1000 words): January 31, 2010.
• Notification of acceptance: February 15, 2010.
• Submission of full papers: April 15, 2010. 

Please send extended abstracts and full papers to ssapio@sssup.it.

Organizer:

Sandro Sapio (Department of Economic Studies, University of Naples Parthenope, and LEM, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa)

Local organizer:

Elina De Simone (Department of Economic Studies, University of Naples Parthenope)

Participation and travel costs:

There are no participation fees. Travel and accommodation costs will be covered according to standard DIME arrangements forthe author presenting an accepted paper and for invited speakers.