Workshop celebrating 15 years of Oliver Williamson’s Nobel legacy – Oct. 17th & 18th, 2024

Recap of the Workshop for the 15th anniversary of Oliver E. Williamson

The workshop organized for the 15th anniversary of Oliver E. Williamson’s Nobel Prize took place on October 17 and 18 at the INSP (National Institute of Public Service) in Paris. This event was a resounding success, with over 60 academics, many from foreign universities, in attendance. During these two days, 20 working papers, both empirical and theoretical, were presented. This great diversity of work contributed to the success of the conference and demonstrated how the concepts and empirical approach (« what is going on here? ») forged by Williamson continue to permeate economic research by revisiting the boundaries between economics, law, and institutions. This event, resulting from collaboration between the RENEL Chair (Natural Resources and Local Economy) at the University of Lorraine, led by Alexandre Mayol, and the EPPP Chair (Economics of Public-Private Partnerships) at the IAE of Paris, led by Stéphane Saussier, offered participants eight sessions in which speakers had the opportunity to present and discuss their work. This event will lead to a special issue in the prestigious International Review of Law and Economics.

These two days of scientific stimulation in honor of the 15th anniversary of Oliver E. Williamson’s Nobel Prize were particularly marked by several highlights. After a few welcoming words from Alexandre Mayol and Stéphane Saussier, the first day began with a keynote session by Claude Ménard, Professor at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. He focused on describing the lasting influence of the legacy left by Oliver E. Williamson. During the first day, a session chaired by Julien Grandjean was dedicated to the work of PhD students. They had the opportunity to present their ongoing research and receive valuable feedback and advice from more experienced scholars. The third highlight of the conference was the opening of the second day with a keynote session by Pablo Spiller, Professor at the University of Berkeley in California and recipient of the Ostrom Prize for his body of work. Pablo Spiller addressed the issue of investment treaty arbitration from the perspective of transaction costs, a hallmark of Williamson’s approach.

In conclusion, this conference was a true success, both in terms of the quality of the presented work and the richness of the exchanges among participants. The diversity of topics discussed, the relevance of the presentations, and the openness to young researchers contributed to enhancing the impact of this scientific event. Beyond celebrating an intellectual legacy, the conference helped outline new research perspectives promising significant advancements in the years to come.

By Célian Blondeau.

Photo credit: Thibaut Chapotot