Research initiative on the regulation of digital services and platforms

The research initiative is built on the long-term collaboration between the European Commission’s Joint Research Center (JRC) and the Toulouse School of Economics (TSE). A partnership formalized this existing relationship in 2023, and the JRC renewed its commitment in 2025.

The JRC and TSE have formed a partnership aimed at combining their expertise to advance scientific knowledge and support the development of regulatory frameworks for digital services and platforms.

The two institutions tackle key topics such as the digital economy, big data, data science, algorithmic transparency, auditing of algorithmic systems, and trustworthy AI, and the evaluation of digital public policies. Drawing on the strengths of highly qualified research teams, this collaboration has already led to pioneering contributions at the intersection of research and policymaking.

Activities

The Research Initiative combines several types of activities:

• Conducting research on the economic and regulatory challenges of digital services,
• Organizing workshops, seminars, and conferences bringing together researchers, experts, and public policymakers,
• Training programs, as well as efforts to disseminate and promote research findings among European institutions and relevant stakeholders.

This research initiative is part of a long-term strategy. The two institutions foster close and mutually beneficial relationships through regular and productive exchanges between TSE researchers, the JRC’s chief economists and experts.