The future of digital platforms

AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

13 November 2024

13 November 2024

An initiative by Launchworks & Co

Platforms and their ecosystems are now part of our daily lives. They are redefining the way we work, the way we learn, how we innovate and how we collaborate. As a community of platform leaders, how do we ensure that the full potential of these digital ecosystems is realised for all?

What is Platform Leaders?

Platform Leaders brings together entrepreneurs, policy makers, academics, investors and practitioners to exchange insights and best practices on the future of digital platforms and ecosystems. These communities don’t always talk to each other, yet are collectively building the platform economy. Platform Leaders provides strategic insights into key topics and allow experts to share complementary perspectives to shape the debate so that the potential of digital markets can be unlocked for all.

Last Platform Leaders Event

The last conference on 7 June 2023, with speakers from FARFETCH, the MIT IDE, Dartmouth College, Google, the CMA, BEUC, eBay and Launchworks & Co focused on 3 key themes: Generative AI, Platform Regulation and the Circular Economy. Discover the articles and videos below.

Articles
Platforms powering the circular economy - eBay and FARFETCH at Platform Leaders

Platforms powering the circular economy

Preserving our planet's resources is vital, and we’re in a race against time. From reducing clothing waste to refurbishing electronic equipment, awareness is rapidly growing of the need for change ...
Read more
Generative AI is changing the game for platforms - Geoff Parker at Platform Leaders

Generative AI is changing the game for platforms

Artificial intelligence has long powered platforms from behind the scenes. But with the launch of technologies like ChatGPT – OpenAI’s large language model (LLM) – AI has gone from futurist ...
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Platform regulation at a crossroads - Platform Leaders

Platform regulation at a crossroads

The digital realm was once a modern-day wild west, but today, platform regulation is at a crossroads. With the arrival of new regulatory packages in Europe – the Digital Services ...
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Videos
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Platform Leaders Cartoon 7 June 2023

An illustrated summary of Platform Leaders on 7 June 2023 with live scribing from Katie Chappell.

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Keynote Prof. Geoff Parker from MIT IDE - 7 June 2023

Geoff Parker, Professor at Dartmouth College & MIT IDE Fellow is in conversation with Platform Leaders Co-Chair Laure Claire Reillier. They discuss how Generative AI will impact platforms.

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Platforms and the Circular Economy - 7 June 2023

Elle Tucker, Tom Berry (FARFETCH) and Lucy Peacock (eBay) discuss how platforms can power the circular economy to build sustainable ecosystems.

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Full Video 7 June 2023

Watch the 7 June 2023 full video on the Future of Platforms: AI, Regulation and the Circular Economy.

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Platform Regulation at a Crossroads - 7 June 2023

This panel, with Richard Feasey (CMA), Vanessa Turner (BEUC), Oliver Bethell (Google), Dr. Euan MacMillan (DMU) explores the challenges with new platform regulation.

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Benoit Reillier Closing Remarks - 7 June 2023

Benoit Reillier, Platform Leaders Co-Chair and Launchworks CEO, summarises key insights from the 7 June 2023 event on Generative AI, Platform Regulation and the Circular Economy.

TheSpeakers
Geoff Parker Platform Leaders

Prof. Geoff Parker

Professor, Dartmouth College, Visiting Scholar and Research Fellow, MIT
Oliver Bethell The future of digital platforms, Platform Leaders

Oliver Bethell

Head of Competition, EMEA, Google
Laure Claire Reillier Launchworks & Co Platform Leaders

Laure Claire Reillier

Co-Founder and COO Launchworks & Co
Euan MacMillan Platform Leaders

Euan MacMillan

Director, Digital Markets Unit, CMA
Benoit Reillier - The Future of Platform Leaders

Benoit Reillier

CEO, Launchworks & Co Co-author of Platform Strategy
Lucy Peacock eBay Platform Leaders: AI, Regulation, Circular Economy

Lucy Peacock

Head of Pre-loved Fashion, eBay
Thomas Berry Farfetch Platform Leaders

Thomas Berry

Senior Director, Sustainable Business, FARFETCH
Eleanor Tucker Platform Leaders

Eleanor Tucker

Author "Thanks for Sharing"
Richard Feasey Platform Leaders

Richard Feasey

Inquiry Chair, Competition and Markets Authority
Vanessa Turner Platform Leaders

Vanessa Turner

Senior Advisor - Competition, BEUC
Katie Chappell - Platform Leaders

Katie Chappell

Illustrator
TheAgenda

3:00PM – 3:05PM

WELCOME TALK

Introducing Platform Leaders. 

Laure Claire REILLIER

COO, Launchworks & Co
Co-author "Platform Strategy"

3:05PM – 3:25PM

KEYNOTE: WILL GENERATIVE AI AUGMENT OR DISRUPT PLATFORMS?

Platforms have long harnessed the power of artificial intelligence… but while AI tech was traditionally used in the background, the launch of OpenAI’s LLM and its competitors, with their generative capabilities, have captured the headlines. How is AI transforming organisations in general and platforms in particular? What are the likely impacts of these changes on talents, strategy, and society at large? How can platforms ethically harness these added capabilities to offer value added services to ecosystem participants?

Geoff Parker

Professor, Dartmouth College, Visiting Scholar and Research Fellow, MIT IDE

Laure Claire Reillier

COO Launchworks & Co

Co-author of Platform Strategy

3:25PM – 4:10PM

PLATFORM REGULATION AT A CROSSROADS

If digital platforms have been able to innovate and scale their businesses largely unencumbered by specific regulations in the past, this is about to change. In Europe two new milestone regulatory packages, the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Market Act (DMA) are now live. In the UK a brand new regulator, the Digital Market Unit (DMU) has been launched to address competition issues in digital markets. Yet new innovations, such as generative AI, are disrupting digital markets at an unprecedented speed. The panel will address a number of questions including: Is there a new regulatory paradigm emerging? How can compliance be managed in such fast changing environments? How can policy makers and platforms develop governance mechanisms that preserve trust for all digital market participants? What will that mean for innovation in digital markets? ...

Dr. Euan MacMillan

Director, Digital Markets Unit, CMA

Richard Feasey

Inquiry Chair, CMA

Vanessa Turner

Senior Advisor - Competition, BEUC

Oliver Bethell

Head of Competition, EMEA, Google

4:10PM – 4:55PM

HOW CAN PLATFORMS POWER THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY TO BUILD SUSTAINABLE ECOSYSTEMS?

Since the Industrial Revolution, the “Take, Make, Use, Dispose” linear model of economic expansion has dominated our economy. But if we’re to move from linear to circular economies to preserve our planet resources, platform business models, which are circular by nature, should be embraced. Large established companies have embarked on this journey, from reducing clothing waste, giving a second life to electronic equipment etc. But how can circular platforms help us transition towards sustainable ecosystems? How do we win this race against time?

Eleanor (Elle) Tucker

Sharing Economy Advisor and Author "Thanks for Sharing"

Lucy Peacock

Head of Pre-loved Fashion, eBay

Thomas Berry

Senior Director, Sustainable Business, FARFETCH

4:55PM – 5:00PM

CONFERENCE WRAP UP

Closing remarks and key insights from the event by our conference co-chair.
The event will be illustrated live with drawings from Katie Chappell.

Benoit Reillier

CEO, Launchworks & Co
Co-author of Platform Strategy

Katie Chappell

Illustrator