Research

DPE offers doctoral and postdoctoral students a specially tailored qualification and support concept which promotes both disciplinary strengths and cross-disciplinary openness. The inspiring and internationally designed research and training programme develops the toolset and mindset needed to make ground-breaking contributions to basic research on digital platform ecosystems, to derive effective recommendations for action and to make responsible decisions at the individual, organisational, regulatory and societal levels.

DPE combines three interdisciplinary research areas that complement each other and form a systemic perspective on digital platform ecosystems:

• Research Area A, "Data Exchange in the Platform Ecosystem", examines the data-centric exchange relationships within the digital platform ecosystem, both between the platform and its affiliated companies, as well as between the platform and individuals.
• Research Area B, "Innovation, Transformation and Organisation in the Platform Ecosystem and its Competitive Environment", focuses on the implications of the platform ecosystem for organisation and management, particularly as it relates to the companies that operate and emerge within the sphere of influence of the platform ecosystem and the knowledge-intensive collaboration and innovation processes that unfold within the platform ecosystem.
• Research Area C, "Socio-Economic and Regulatory Dimensions of the Platform Ecosystem", broadens the focus to include the social and socio-economic environment of platform ecosystems, so as to examine their impact on socio-economic developments in urban areas and developing countries as well as the political discourse that co-emerges with and shapes the regulation of platform ecosystems.

All three research areas leverage already existing research and mentoring collaborations among the interdisciplinary team. For example, the team have together organised a joint lecture series that involves especially distinguished guest speakers, and the team members are involved in various research collaborations. DPE fits directly into the strategic profile of the University of Passau – in particular the vision to become one of the leading research centres on the societal implications of digitalisation.

The German Research Foundation (DFG) is supporting the Research Training Group over a period of 4.5 years with a budget of EUR 5.4 million.