Technology and International Economic Law

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Stream Leader: Professor Heng Wang

Contributors: Scientia Professor Ross Buckley, Professor Deborah Healey, Professor Heng Wang

​​​​​Technological innovation profoundly affects international economic law and practice including that of business and regulators. The pandemic has accelerated the digitalisation of international economic transactions. 

Technological development brings huge opportunities, including lower transaction costs, financial inclusion,  new services based on AI, and major new risks including cyber attacks and data misuse. Businesses embrace opportunities (such as a new ecosystem based on new technology and data) and face new challenges (such as more competition and divergent regulations imposed by different states). Regulators need to identify new risks and rethink their regulatory arrangements.

The stream will explore key questions that include:

  • What is the future of international economic law and practice in the digital age? How will it be affected by the US-China relationship?
  • How will international economic law practice in the Asia-Pacific region evolve in the context of technological innovation? What will this mean for business, regulators, international and regional organisations, and other stakeholders?
  • What does new technology mean for regulation and how will this affect the practice of international economic law? 
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