AI Governance: Between Competition & Regulation

Tuesday, September 23, 2025 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

The GW Competition & Innovation Lab of The George Washington University organized a one-day conference at the European Parliament in Brussels on September 23, 2025. This conference was a bold, boundary-pushing exploration of the AI Act, redefining the future of technology, competition, and global collaboration.

A powerhouse lineup of global visionaries, policymakers, and trailblazing experts dove into the AI Act’s seismic impact through fresh, provocative lenses:

Rewriting the Rules of Competition & Collaboration: Discover how the AI Act impacts the competitive structure of markets and sparks groundbreaking coordination between the European Union and its Member States.
Transatlantic Implications: At a time of seismic political and regulatory shifts, we’ll unpack the AI Act’s ripple effects across the Atlantic. From Washington to Brussels, explore how these changes ignite new opportunities and tensions in the global AI race.
Antitrust Meets AI Revolution: Dive into the interplay between the AI Act and the Digital Markets Act, dissecting its antitrust implications and what it means for the future of innovation and market power.

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Download the full agenda here

Agenda

Time	Session
8:30 AM	Registration
9:00 AM	Welcoming Remarks
9:15 AM	Opening Keynote Irina Orssich (DG Connect)
9:45 AM	Session 1 - AI Act: Towards Regulatory Coordination Chair: Kristina Nordlander (GWU Lab Fellow) Panelists: Oscar Borgogno (Banca d’Italia; GWU), Jan De Bruyne (KU Leuven), Gloria Gonzalez Fuster (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), Alexandru Voica (Synthesia), Orestis Trasanidis (eitdigital)
11:15 AM	Coffee Break
11:45 AM	Fireside Chat Session 2 - AI Governance and International Trade: A Transatlantic Perspective Chair: Oscar Borgogno (Banca d’Italia; GWU) Panelists: Mathias Hanson (Vrje Universiteit Brussel), Bertin Martens (Bruegel Senior Fellow), Olivier Proust (Fieldfisher), Henri van Soest (Rand Europe), Simone Skovshoved (Head of Policy, Danish Entrepreneurs), Andrew Stivers (Managing Director NERA), Nicholas Vonortas (GWU)
1:15 PM	Lunch Break
2:30 PM	Session 3 - AI Market Concentration and Competition Policy Chair: Aurelien Portuese (GWU) Panelists: Alexandre De Streel (Academic Director, CERRE and Professor, University of Namur), Thomas Kramler (Head of Unit in DG COMP), Katie Curry (RBB), Beatrice Dumont (College of Europe), Bernd Meyring (Linklaters), Rita Wezenbeek (Director, European Commission), Friso Boestoen (Tilburg University)
4:00 PM	Keynote Address - "Towards AI Governance: Lessons from the AI Act Negotiations" Brando Benifei (MEP; AI Act Rapporteur)
4:30 PM	Closing Remarks Oscar Borgogno (Banca d’Italia; GWU), Brando Benifei (Member of the European Parliament; AI Act Co-Rapporteur), Aurelien Portuese (GWU)

Where

European Parliament, Brussels Zweig Visitor Center, Room 12, 2 rue d'Ardenne - B-1000 Brussels, Belgium DC 20052

Admission

Open to everyone.

Contacts

[email protected]

Related Downloads

ai_conference_-_general.pdf