The Research Training Group Digital Platform Ecosystems (DPE) at the University of Passau – funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) – is pleased to announce the second DPE Forum.
The DPE Forum is an in-person conference at the University of Passau, devoted specifically to research and insights on digital platform ecosystems. It is unique in its interdisciplinarity, bringing together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from backgrounds in communication science, (development) economics, information systems, management, marketing, organization science, and adjacent disciplines. The first DPE Forum in 2024 gathered approx. 80participants from across the globe, including the keynote speakers Prof. Marshall van Astyne (Boston University) and Prof. Martin Selmayr (European Commission and University of Passau).
The second DPE Forum will be held from 15 to 16 June 2026. While our focus is as broad as two years ago, we particularly encourage critical conversations and perspectives around the ambivalent, contextualized ramifications of digital platform ecosystems – their formidable and often highly problematic influence on vital societal processes and structures, well beyond business and the economy. Doctoral students are offered a post-conference doctoral consortium.
We welcome conceptual and empirical contributions, quantitative and qualitative approaches, early work as well as further developed studies from all disciplines represented in DPE (see above). Submissions should focus on topics related to digital platform ecosystems, including but not limited to:
Professor Hemant K. Bhargava, PhD
Distinguished Professor, Jerome and Elsie Suran Chair in Technology Management
University of California Davis Graduate School of Management
Professor Tawfik Jelassi, PhD
Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, UNESCO, Paris
Professor of Strategy and Technology Management, IMD Lausanne
Passau, located in the heart of Europe right at the borders of Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic, is one of Germany’s most beautiful historical towns. The University of Passau is top-ranked, especially for its programs in business and economics, communication studies, political science, cultural studies, computer science, and law. The university is also renowned for its gorgeous campus nestled along the Inn River.
You are invited to submit an extended abstract for presentation at the conference. The abstract should be no longer than 1,000 words and should clearly indicate the theoretical perspective and methodology used (if applicable). Please submit your abstract via our submission portal no later than 31 January 2026. The decision on acceptance will be communicated by 16 February 2026.
Presenters must register for the conference by the early-bird deadline on 15 March 2026 through the conference website. The conference fee is 200 Euros, which includes the conference dinner, lunch, and coffee breaks. Participants are responsible for their travel and accommodation expenses.
PhD/Doctoral students are invited to submit a research paper for the doctoral consortium held on 17 June, 9am-2pm, after the conference. Selected PhD students will receive feedback on their papers from members of the scientific committeein their specific domain. The event also includes roundtable discussions and a wrap-up lunch. Participation in the doctoral consortium is free and includes free registration to the main conference.
Please submit your paper no later than 31 January 2026. The decision on acceptance will be communicated by 16 February 2026.
