SCALES is the first competition law research centre to be based in a Scottish academic institution. This is important and timely because of the enhanced focus on competition law practice in Scotland and the development of a significant CMA office here, but also more particularly in light of potential developments post-Brexit, in terms of greater devolved responsibility for competition law policy and enforcement and/or the development of a competition law policy and enforcement structure in the context of a successful IndyRef2. The work of academics in SCALE considers the impact of competition law at local, national, regional and global levels.
SCALES brings together a number of academics in the School, and beyond, who are interested in teaching, studying, research and scholarship generally in antitrust/competition law, and specifically in relation to empirical research in competition law.
The Centre’s research addresses the impact of competition law infringements and competition law enforcement on consumers and the public more generally and how policy and enforcement practice can be revised taking this research into account- this work places significant emphasis on social justice, particularly in relation to the importance of the consumer in competition law policy-making and enforcement.
The work of the scholars in the Centre focuses on competition/antitrust law and policy and how it is enforced, the impact on modern technological sectors involving network platforms and big data (such as Google), and the impact on consumers, using collaborative and comparative research, particularly in relation to the EU and China, in the context of the underlying benefits to local and global society of effective competition law enforcement.
The Centre places stress on societal themes of entrepreneurship and innovation- competition law and policy impacts directly on strategic business behaviour and has particular resonance in highly technological innovative markets as evidenced by recent and ongoing issues and cases involving tech giants such as Microsoft, Apple, Qualcomm and Google. As part of our societal mission, we aim to participate in relevant public consultations on EU and UK competition law enforcement and policy reform consultation processes.
