Professor Willem Boshoff, Co-Director of the CCLE, held the prestigious Vloeberghs Chair at the Free University of Brussels in 2024. This biennial teaching chair recognises scholars working at the intersection of international law, economics, and informatics. As Chair, Professor Boshoff delivered three public lectures examining competition policy challenges posed by digital intermediation platforms.

The lecture series addressed competition policy towards online intermediation platforms, with particular focus on e-commerce and digital commerce platforms beyond traditional search and social media. The lectures explored how network effects in platform markets can create winner-takes-all dynamics and barriers to entry for new competitors, examining these issues from both global and African perspectives.

The three-part series covered: European antitrust approaches to digital intermediation platforms compared with African regulatory perspectives; evaluation of potential competition in digital platform markets, contrasting American and European market entrants with African monopolistic structures; and analysis of digital platform dominance impacts on small businesses across African markets. The lectures were subsequently presented online in July and August 2024, extending their reach to international audiences.

For more information see: Co-director holder of the Vloeberghs Chair 2023/24 at Free University Brussels